Point Pinos Lighthouse – A white dwarf?

A charming little lighthouse.

When we arrived at the Point Pinos Lighthouse we were baffled by its modest stature. North Carolina lighthouses by comparison rise to a lofty height. I assumed that the Point Pinos Lighthouse was a mere toy – built by the locals as a picturesque photo-op.

In fact the Point Pinos Lighthouse was an engineering marvel. Its low stature was precisely calculated to allow it to be seen below the level of the fog typical along this part of the coast. A taller lighthouse would cast its light above the fog layer where ships at sea would be unable to see it.

I think I may have found my calling. Lighthouse Keeper.

The Point Pinos Lighthouse introduced us to yet another example of the independent women of the west. The lighthouse keeper for 20+ years was Emily Fish, a widow, who took on responsibility for keeping the lighthouse lit in 1893 after her husband’s death. She was 50 years old when donned her lighthouse keeper’s hat. She kept meticulous journals during her tenure which allow historians a view into the history of this stretch of the Pacific coast. There is a small museum inside the lighthouse that traces its history through the years before World War II and when it was re-lit after the coastal blackout required for coastal security during the war. Mrs. Fish’s journals provide insight into the World War II submarine attacks on both merchant and military vessels and enemy agent shore landings that took place along this coastline at Pacific Grove.

Part of my job as lighthouse keeper would be to watch the sea. Here, I’m practicing.