The Oregon Coast had been the site of shipwrecks even before Lewis and Clark’s arrival in 1805.  As the population grew, the Oregon coastline remained unguarded by lighthouses and lifesavers for decades. Economic and political pressures finally forced the federal government to build the first Oregon lighthouse in 1857 at the Umpqua River.  The U.S. Life-Saving Service followed in 1878 with a station at the mouth of Coos Bay.  Eventually, most of the harbor entrances and headlands were protected by both the Lighthouse Service and the Life-Saving Service, the precursors of today’s Coast Guard.  David Pinyerd combines thorough research with an extensive collection of previously unpublished photographs to create a vivid portrait of a coastal economy dependent upon the Pacific Ocean.  This book commemorates the heroes who served to warn, protect, and rescue those who braved those often treacherous waters.​
Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.