Today’s log will be a bit different. Instead of the log simply including a litany of events, I would like to reflect on life in a 1850’s lighthouse. So let us dispatch with a brief account of the events of the day.
I was up at 2:00 in the morning and decided this would be the morning I climb the tower steps and view the stars from a lighthouse in the Pacific Ocean. I was not disappointed. The stars were abundant and bright over a vast dark ocean below. The lights of Crescent City behind me were an unwanted distraction as I focused my attention on the heavens above.
…..then the light came on…… It was BLINDING in the darkness. At first I looked away, but the interior of the tower is painted a bright white which only reflects the light, so not only am I ducking to not block the light, now I am closing my eyes for the brief periods that the light would come on. The stars were amazing from the tower and I plan to do it again before our stay is over. To not do so would be to squander opportunity…
We conducted tours from 10:00 AM through 2:30 on a solid, continuous basis. Knowing this would be the case, and knowing I would be in the lighthouse tower the entire time, I drank a small cup of coffee for breakfast. No elaboration required. We provided tours for 89 visitors and collected $361.14 in donations and gift receipts. Our guests were from all over the country including Akron and Ottawa Hills, Ohio. We observed whale and seal while in the tower.
Teare and I sat on the picnic table in the sun after the tour day ended. She closed the drawer and we had dinner in the old parlor. This provided the inspiration to focus today’s log on our surroundings and lifestyle while keeping a lighthouse listed as a location in the National Registry of HIstoric Places.
Let’s begin with the 1856 clock. This was an original gift from the National Lighthouse Establishment and was presented to the lighthouse on Christmas Day, 1856. They call it the “banjo” clock, because of it’s shape. For me, this working, precise timepiece is the most valuable piece of furniture in the entire lighthouse. The other would be the original lighthouse lens in the museum/gift shop. The 1860 era organ adds a personal touch. I picture various family members over the years playing the old organ. To operate it, one must pedal the dampers and press the keys while pedaling. It still puts out a good tone, albeit over the racket of the foot pedals. There is a “fainting” couch in the original parlor with one end turned up. Very victorian. There is an old Victrola phonograph player. The fire place is original. There is authentic, original hair art in a frame on the wall. Hair art was popular in the 1800’s and the lady’s would gather strands of hair in ceramic containers and then when they had enough hair, woud make something from it. In our case, they made an anchor of human hair. It struck me that their hair is still in the old lighthouse long after they are…
The Piland bedroom, complete with 1907 bed and dresser is adjacent to our bedroom upstairs. It has a wood buring stove, a beautiful old high pitcher wash basin, an old rocking chair, and two chamber pots of the era. When you see where the old outhouse was located, perilously located on the cliff, trust me, you would use the chamber pot too. Fortunately, we have a beautiful old bathroom with a claw foot tub and modern plumbing so we do not have to use the old outhouse!
There is a secretary complete with ink blotting cloth built into it for quilt pens. The Eastlake furniture piece was built prior to 1890. The children of the era would collect anything woolen that was discarded…mittens, sock, blankets, coats, and make braided woolen throw rugs from them. There is also a piece of tree fungus that has a paininting of Battery Point. With no craft store to go to, they used their own creativity and improvised.
There is a model ship of the Kersage on a shelf in the Piland bedroom. It has been in the lighthouse for decades. The Kersage was a Union civil war ship that engaged and sank the Alabama. The Alabama was a Confederate ship that was effective in sinking supply ships from the Union that were bringing back supplies to the Union States during the Civil War. Captain Sanford, who was the captain of the Del Norte, a lumber hauler in the civil war era, later became the lighthouse keeper at Battery Point. This is just one of the string of characters and stories that these old walls could tell…
As I write, I do so by an original kerosine lantern turned electic on the table next to me. The window next to me looks down on the Pacific. The quilted bedspread is not historic, but has a likeness of the lighhouse on the quilted pillow covers. The wood buring stove, wood holder and tinder box full of fire wood add much to the charm of the room. At the foot of the bed is the pirate treasure chest we open for children on the tour. It is a chest of the type that would have been used in the era as keepers moved their belongings to their next lighthouse assignment. The sloped ceiling and lace curtains give this room a quaint feel. The old picture frame with the arched glass and gilded mirror are authentic to the period.
I am trying to paint a picture which depicts the charm of the lighthouse living experience I feel compelled to reflect on. When all of your furnishings are circa 1850’s you sense the pace of life, struggles, and simplicity that went into life at that time. Life here is less about the computer and TV. While we still have and use these things, their use is limited. Our interaction with tourists is our chief entertainment. The animals provide further entertainment as simply watching gulls glide above the cliffs is a constant source of joy. Minutes ago, Teare and I watched the sunset….more stunning entertainment. Just the two of us on our private island in the Pacific watching the day come to a close. Soon you will not see the gulls any longer. They will be resting for early fishing in the morning. So it is with us as the sun goes down and with it, the last of the entertainment for the day.
I will close for now. It has not been a wild day of adventure. We never left Battery Point. Seemingly, there is little to report. Yet, Teare just told me what a great day she had. The fact is, it was another great day as lighthouse keepers of a national treasure.
Keepers Reedy
What a great description of the lighthouse. I wish you knew who visited from Ottawa Hills, Ohio. That’s where we just moved from it July. It’s a lovely little Village.
ReplyDelete