Heceta Head Light is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast 13 miles north of Florence,
and 13 miles south of Yachats in the United States. It is located at
Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint, a state park, midway up a
205-foot-tall headland. Built in 1894, the 56-foot tall lighthouse
shines a beam visible for 21 nautical miles, making it the strongest
light on the Oregon Coast.
Heceta Head is named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the
Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century. Before him, Heceta Head was a spot
of frequent fishing and hunting by the Native American tribes that populated the area.
Heceta Head is part of the Siuslaw Indians' traditional lands, known in their language
as ɫtúwɪs. They hunted sea lions in the area and gathered sea bird eggs from the
offshore rocks. It was also the site of a legend — the Animal People built a great
stone wall, which is now the cliffs, and tricked the Grizzly Bear brothers to their
deaths there. In 1888, white settlers moved into the area and claimed 164 acres of
the surrounding land. That same year, the United States Lighthouse Service approved the
building of the lighthouse, and the government bought 19 acres, out of the 164 acres
previously purchased, for the lighthouse structures.
In 1892, a crew of 56 began construction the light. Because of the site's seclusion,
building materials were either shipped in if the weather and tide permitted, or brought
from Florence by wagon, the latter usually taking four or five hours. Stones were brought
from the Clackamas River and bricks came from San Francisco. Completed in August 1893,
the entire project cost $80,000.