Near Mendocino in Mendocino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Point Cabrillo Light Station
Photographed by Karen Key, September 17, 2006
1. Point Cabrillo Light Station Marker
The Point Cabrillo Light Station was built in 1908 by the US Lighthouse Service to protect the "Doghole Schooners" that plied the lumber trade between San Francisco and the Redwood Coast. These steam ships and sailing vessels were known for their ability to navigate the small coves, or "dogholes," of Mendocino's Rocky Shoreline. The third order Fresnel lens, which was turned by a clockworks mechanism with a descending weight, concentrated the light of a Kerosene Lamp through concentric prisms. The light shone from the tower for the first time on June 10, 1909, casting a beam visible 14 miles out to sea. A head lighthouse keeper and two assistants rotated shifts to keep the light burning and fuel the steam-powered air siren. Electricity came to the station in 1935, and a few years later the lighthouse was turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1972 the Coast Guard retired the fog signal and replaced the Fresnel lens with an automated beacon. Through the combined efforts of the Coastal Conservancy, the North Coast Interpretive Association, the Coast Guard, and many volunteers, the Fresnel lens was reinstated as the operating light in 1999. The Coast Guard continues to maintain the navigational aids with the support of Point Cabrillo staff and volunteers.
Erected 2001 by Grand Parlor, Native
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses, and the Native Sons/Daughters of the Golden West series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is March 17, 1812.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. 39° 21.003′ N, 123° 48.792′ W. Marker is near Mendocino, California, in Mendocino County. It can be reached from Point Cabrillo Drive, on the left when traveling north. The actual lighthouse is .75 miles away at N 39° 20' 53.92", W 123° 49' 35.31" (approximately). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mendocino CA 95460, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Wine Country, in the North Coast, and specifically on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 4 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: History Pivots on a Rock (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mendocino Masonic Hall (approx. 3.1 miles away); Mendocino Presbyterian Church (approx. 3.1 miles away); Temple Kwan Tai (approx. 3.2 miles away); Ford House (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mendocino.
More about this marker. The marker is off a driveway, just past Lighthouse Road.
Also see . . .
1. Point Cabrillo Light Station
Photographed by Henry M Kohnen, October 18, 2014
2. Point Cabrillo Light Station 3rd Order Fresnel Lens
Located st the top of the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse is the 3rd order Fresnel Lens which can project a beam of light more than 20 miles out to sea.
2. The Fresnel Lens. (Submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.)
Photographed by Karen Key, September 17, 2006
3. Point Cabrillo Light Station Marker
Photographed by Karen Key, September 17, 2006
4. Point Cabrillo Light Station
The light station is located .75 miles away from the marker. Handicapped persons may drive to the station, all others must walk.
Photographed by Syd Whittle, May 18, 2007
5. Point Cabrillo Light Station
Photographed by Pat Filippone, November 28, 2009
6. Point Cabrillo Light Station Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 25, 2016
7. Point Cabrillo Light Station Marker
This marker has replaced the missing (stolen?) Point Cabrillo Light Station marker. It is on the same rock as the original marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 2,838 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. 2. submitted on October 21, 2014, by Henry M Kohnen of San Jose, California. 3, 4. submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. 5. submitted on October 25, 2008, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 6. submitted on April 23, 2015, by Pat Filippone of Stockton, California. 7. submitted on August 5, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
