Yaquina Bay Light facts for kids

The Yaquina Bay Light is an old lighthouse located in Newport, Oregon, in the United States. It was built in 1871, right after the city of Newport was started. You can find it on the north side of Yaquina Bay. From 1871 to 1874, this area was a very busy port along the coast between Washington and California.

History of the Lighthouse

The side of the lighthouse

The Yaquina Bay Light was built by a person named Ben Simpson. Its light was first turned on November 3, 1871. However, it was only used for three years. This was because a bigger lighthouse, the Yaquina Head Light, was built in 1873. The new lighthouse was only about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the Yaquina Bay Light.

So, the Yaquina Bay Light was turned off on October 1, 1874. It was no longer needed because the newer Yaquina Head Light took its place. The special lens from the Yaquina Bay Light, called a Fresnel lens, was then moved. It was installed in the Yerba Buena Light in California, which opened in 1875.

Later Uses of the Building

The United States Army Corps of Engineers used the lighthouse building for a while. From 1888 to 1896, their workers lived there. They were busy building the North and South Jetties at the entrance of Yaquina Bay. Jetties are long structures that help control water flow.

Later, the United States Coast Guard used the lighthouse. From 1906 to 1915, they used it as a lookout point and a place to live. After that, they moved to a new building that was closer to the busy Newport bayfront. During this time, the Coast Guard also built a tall, eight-story steel observation tower. This tower is still standing next to the old lighthouse today.

Becoming a State Park

Lookout tower beside lighthouse, 2013.

In 1934, the Oregon State Highway Division bought the land around the lighthouse. They wanted to create a new state park. The park area included the lighthouse, the Coast Guard tower, and many acres of forest, sand dunes, and beaches.

Today, this area is known as the Yaquina Bay State Recreation Area. It covers 32 acres and has many places for people to visit during the day. There are hiking trails, picnic spots, fishing areas, and access to the beach. About 1,700,000 people visit this park every year.

Saving the Lighthouse

In 1946, there were plans to tear down the lighthouse. This news led to the creation of the Lincoln County Historical Society. Their goal was to save the building. They worked hard for three years to raise money to protect the old structure. They managed to delay the demolition.

However, by 1951, the lighthouse was again scheduled to be torn down. Then, a man named Mr. L. E. Warford stepped in. He had recently moved to Newport. He helped get the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse recognized as a historical site. The Historical Society then took care of it. It served as a county museum for 18 years, until 1970.

Restoration and Re-lighting

The lighthouse was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It was then restored in 1974 under the Historic Preservation Act. At that time, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department became its owner.

The light in the lighthouse was turned on again on December 7, 1996. It now uses a modern 9.8-inch (250 mm) light, which was borrowed from a lighthouse expert named James A. Gibbs. The lighthouse is now a navigation aid that is privately maintained. It helps boats by showing a steady white light that can be seen for six miles. People can visit the lighthouse and take tours every day.

The Yaquina Bay building is special because it is the only lighthouse in Oregon where the living quarters are in the same building as the light itself. Only a few lighthouses like this were built on the entire Pacific coast.

The building is also said to have ghost stories associated with it. A local author even wrote a fictional book about it called The Lighthouse Ghost Of Yaquina Bay.

See also

• Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site
• List of lighthouses in Oregon