Hard Work
At a Lonely Light
Would you make it as a Heceta Head Lighthouse keeper?
Imagine living here, part of a tiny, isolated community whose lives revolved around the beacon of Heceta Head Light. You would:
Work day and night to keep the light in good repair, alternating dusk to dawn shifts with your assistant keepers.
Tend a large garden, plus chickens, horses, and cows.
Hunt elk and fish for salmon and smelt.
Send your children to the little wood schoolhouse.
Look forward to the arrival of the lighthouse tender ship, which brings supplies, news, and new faces.
Celebrate with a barn dance or a day-long wagon trip to Florence!
Three keepers were needed to keep Heceta Head Light shining true. In addition to nightly duties - winding the light's clockworks, keeping the lamp lit, and monitoring the beacon - they cleaned, polished, repaired, and painted the station during the day.
Photo captions:
- The U.S. Coast Guard stayed here during WWII.
- Children of the Lightstation keepers rode horses around the yard. The concrete steps beside you are the same shown in the bottom left of this photo. These steps were used to help mount and dismount horses, carriages and buggies, circa 1895.
- The schoolhouse was a simple cabin down by Cape Creek, circa 1920.
- Lighthouse keepers' garden.
- The residence included yards, gardens, horse barn and chicken coop, circa 1910.
- Lighthouse keepers' children combed the beach with hand carts, circa 1900.
- Mr. and Mrs. Clifford "Cap" Hermon, head lighthouse keeper 1925-1956, circa WWII.
- Lighthouse keepers and their families, 1902. Back row: Frank DeRoy, Paul Goodwin, Lilly Smith (Teacher), William Smith, Bessie Smith (Daughter), Olaf & Annie Hanson. Front Row: Gertrude Hanson, Willie Smith (Teacher's Son), Themla, Irene, Adele, Mildred and Howard Hanson, and an unknown boy.
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