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Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
In1879, master lighthouse builder John Trewaves from Portland was was appointed to do the work. While working he slipped and fell and was swept away to sea and never to be seen again. Before the lighthouse could be built, in January, 1880, the rock was hit by a severe tornado that carried away the supply house. That night the English iron bark Lupata carrying 1,039 tons was smashed on shore one mile from the lighthouse. All 20 were killed. The cornerstone was laid on June 22, 1880. Finally on January 21, 1881, the light was lit. It was built with 3 -foot thick Mt. Tabor stones, one of the most expensive lighthouses ever built. It had 80,000 candlepower light visible for 18 miles.
On December 16 and 27, 1889, there was a severe storm that damaged the fog signal room and the west side of the parapet. In October 1934, high seas broke off a section of the rock. Sixty pound rocks were thrown against the buildings. Sixteen panels of the heavy plate glass lanterns were shattered. The lantern and watchroom were flooded. The men could not leave during the entire four days of the storm. The telephone was cut off, but they could still use short wave radio. The fog signal jammed with rocks. The crane was swept away. The men were eventually rescued.
Through 77 years of service the lighthouse guided ships from the treacherous headlands just south of the mouth of the Columbia. It is one mile offshore on Tillamook Rock, 20 miles south of the mouth of the Columbia, so it was hard to reach and acquired the nickname "Terrible Tilly." Getting men to the rock had to be done by breeches buoy. Over the years it became an integral part of life for residents. People set their watches by the flashing light. Everyone knew the beacon was a lifesaver. Terrible Tilly was decommissioned on September 1, 1957. The last lighthouse keeper Ossie Oswald called the lighthouse "a protector of life and property to all." The light was replaced by 2TR lighted whistle buoy, radar reflector type, 16 feet high, set one half mile west of the rock. It has a 440-candlepower red light visible at 9 miles. This move was not popular with the public.
After it was decommissioned over 400 buyers were interested. Most just wanted to get away from it all. The light station was sold in August 1959 to a group of research contracts from Las Vegas. But its hard access made it difficult to maintain and it fell nearly to ruin over the next two decades. Finally in 1980, Eternity at Sea of Portland bought the property. The lighthouse was completely renovated and designated a National Historic Monument, and converted to a Columbarian cemetery at sea with annual internments. In late 1995, it was repainted and the lantern room converted to a celebrity internment area, where a percentage of each sale will support a humanitarian organization. The rock is 40 million years old and consists of 3/4 of an acre of basalt. The rock was designated a federally protected wildlife refuge in 1994, home for nesting common murres and cormorants. There is a rookery for thousands of sea lions at the rock. Questions about the area can be answered by calling 1-800-999-0979 or by e-mail to TillyLH@aol.com.
Last updated: 3/14/99