Point Loma - The Early Years

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse protected sailors off the San Diego coast for 36 years, from 1855 to 1891, standing as a lonely outpost on a barren headland. Its first keepers lived in a windblown world of scrubby chaparral, rocks, and fog, with San Diego more than 10 miles away by a wagon road that climbed the spine of the peninsula. The lightkeepers hauled in firewood, water, and supplies by wagon, contending with potholes and ruts much of the way. Despite the rugged journey, the view made the lighthouse grounds a destination for weekend excursions, as visitors enjoyed sweeping views of the harbor and ocean. Shore whalers also hunted gray whales off the coast from a station at Ballast Point from the 1850s to the late 1880s, and Capt. Robert Israel served as keeper of the lighthouse for nearly 20 years.

San Diego, California · United States