News Release 11-015
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W., P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8500
Don Hoch, Director
Media contact:
Sandy Mealing: (360) 902-8559
Steve Wood: (360) 642-3029
Wash. Telecommunications Relay Service: (800) 833-6388
North Head Lighthouse celebrates 113th anniversary
OLYMPIA –
Apr. 28, 2011 –
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to celebrate the 113th anniversary of the North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco.
On Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Cape Disappointment State Park and the Keepers of the North Head Lighthouse will present history tours of the lighthouse. A living historian portraying Carl Leick, the lighthouse architect, will give visitors a glimpse of what it took to design and construct the lighthouse. Tours will be offered every 20 minutes beginning on the hour and cost $2.50 for ages 18 and older. Youth ages 7 to 17 are free (children must be at least 7 years old to climb the tower). Appropriate footwear is required.
The celebration continues from 7 to 9 p.m. May 14 with a lighthouse benefit concert by the musical trio, Radio Cowboy, at the Columbia-Pacific Heritage Museum, 115 SE Lake Street, in Ilwaco. Radio Cowboy features national Frogtown recording and touring artist Heather Christie, Emmy award-winning musician Philip Pelletier and San Francisco-based performer David Miottel. The trio will perform a new brand of cosmic, county roots rock music. Admission is a $10 suggested donation. All proceeds from the concert go toward the restoration of the North Head Lighthouse.
On May 16, 1898, the North Head Lighthouse was put into service as the primary navigation aid at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse had served this function since 1856; however, ships continued to run aground at the "Graveyard of the Pacific." Due to the sheer number of shipwrecks, it was determined a second lighthouse was needed on the northwestern spur of Cape Disappointment, commonly referred to as North Head. With all of the original buildings associated with the station still standing, the North Head Lighthouse is the most intact lighthouse reservation in the Pacific Northwest.
The Keepers of the North Head Lighthouse formed in 2009 to insure a steadfast vigil and sound legacy for the lighthouse. The Keepers promote awareness, raise publicity and are spearheading efforts to restore the North Head Lighthouse, which has been damaged from time and the harsh elements of the Pacific Coast.
Cape Disappointment State Park is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks the public for supporting state parks. Donations made to State Parks through the vehicle license tab renewal program will keep state parks open in the 2009-2011 budget cycle, provided adequate revenues are collected. The Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. The 98-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.
Washington State Parks is now on Twitter at WaStatePks_NEWS and YouTube at WashingtonStateParks.
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