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At the entrance to Winchester Bay and at the mouth of the Umpqua River, stands a sentinel of the sea, casting its red and white beams of light some 20 miles out to sea. The 67-foot tower is situated on a hill 165 feet above sea level surrounded by US Coast Guard buildings and a Museum. An earlier light structure, the first on the Oregon Coast, was built in 1857 on the sandy north spit of the river. It fell into the swollen water four years later during a storm when the water eroded away the sand. The current lighthouse was started in 1890 and was illuminated in 1894. It is the sister lighthouse to the one at Heceta Head just a few miles north of Florence. Both structures were built from the same plans. The Umpqua Light shines through a first order Fresnel lens made of almost 1000 glass prisms handcrafted in France and weighing more than a modern automobile. It is a beautiful display of fine craftsmanship and produces a spectacular colored light show at disk. This is especially true if there is a very light mist in the air. The light rotates out to sea and on the trees behind it on the landward side. The lens assembly was originally turned by a clockwork mechanism much like a grandfather clock, powered by a huge weight which had to be wound up by the lightkeeper every three hours. This motive power is now performed by an electric motor and monitored by sophisticated equipment, which notifies the Coast Guard station if a malfunction occurs. The original oil lamp has been replaced with a high power electric bulb. A spare bulb is mounted on a panel, which automatically moves it into place should the first one burn out. The lighthouse was restored by the US Coast Guard and is maintained by them.
Ed St. John, Tour Guide and Caretaker of the Umpqua River Lighthouse A Doris Miller Photo 1026 Lighthouse Road, Winchester Bay, Oregon Winter Tours available by pre-arrangement - 541-271-4631 Lighthouse Tours: May 1 through September 30 Daily: 10 am to 4 pm Sunday: 1 pm to 4 pm
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