McNear: SF’s ‘06 quake played role in construction of the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

The lumber industry in Mendocino brought hundreds of ships to the coast over the decades, but storms, early navigational equipment, and the rocky north coast were treacherous. Disastrous shipwrecks prompted calls for a lighthouse on the coast to protect ships, cargo and passengers making their way to and from Mendocino and the neighboring areas.

In 1873, the U.S. Lighthouse Service surveyed the Mendocino coast, but nothing came from this survey for over 30 years. The Lighthouse Service, responsible for the upkeep of all lighthouses and lightvessels in the country, was established in August, 1789, finally merging with the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939.