Sunday, December 22, 2024

Terrible Tilly!


Terrible Tilly, the lighthouse on Tillamook Rock on the northern Oregon coast, took over a year to build and the light was first turned on in January of 1881.  After years of being ravaged by storms, Keeper Oswald Allik turned off the light for good On September 1, 1957. He made one final entry in the logbook:

“Farewell, Tillamook Rock Light Station. An era has ended. With this final entry, and not without sentiment, I return thee to the elements. You, one of the most notorious and yet fascinating of the sea-swept sentinels in the world; long the friend of the tempest-tossed mariner. Through howling gale, thick fog and driving rain your beacon has been a star of hope and your foghorn a voice of encouragement. May the elements of nature be kind to you. For 77 years you have beamed your light across desolate acres of ocean. Keepers have come and gone; men lived and died; but you were faithful to the end. May your sunset years be good years. Your purpose is now only a symbol, but the lives you have saved and the service you have rendered are worthy of the highest respect. A protector of life and property to all, may old-timers, newcomers and travelers along the way pause from the shore in memory of your humanitarian role.”

But she still proudly stands!

15 comments:

Ananka said...

Good for Tilly! Great shot :-D

Elephant's Child said...

Wonderful words. And I love that she is still standing.

roentare said...

The farewell entry by Keeper Oswald Allik beautifully encapsulates the profound respect and deep sentiment that lighthouses, like Tillamook Rock's "Terrible Tilly," evoke. These guardians of the coast, enduring through countless storms and providing guidance to mariners, hold a special place in maritime history.

Luis Serrano said...

Preciosa entrada esta de hoy amigo Bill. Una buena foto con un gran encuadre que permite apreciar las medidas de ese faro y esa roca en mitad del mar. Por otra parte leyendo la última anotación de Oswald Allik es imposible no emocionarse e imaginar la pena que tuvo que sentir al dejar a ese faro a las inclemencias del tiempo. TEse faro es todo
símbolo. Abrazo amigo.

Floralie said...

Rien qu'un souvenir, ce phare tiens encore debout et c'est l'essentiel, c'est tout un symbole :)
Have nice great
Floralie

Taken For Granted said...

What a great story to go with your fine photo. I am happy not to be a lighthouse keeper. Too much isolation. Merry Christmas, Bill.

Linda W. said...

I love that lighthouse. Too bad it's fallen into disrepair.

Barwitzki said...

Admirable... although I wouldn't have wanted to be the lighthouse keeper - in a storm. I don't think that was funny.
Christmas greetings from Viola.

Helen said...

What a fine final entry by Keeper Oswald Allik. How incredibly courageous were all the keepers looking after Terrible Tilly.

Antonio Rodriguuez said...

Bonita fotografia y clarificador historia. Cuantas terribles tormentas habrá tenido que soportar durante todos esos años de vida útil.
Un abrazo.

Mikael Bergman said...

I wish you and your family a peaceful Christmas
Merry Christmas

Margaret D said...

Must have been so difficult to build the lighthouse in the first place. Don't blame him for walking away from it.

Margaret D said...

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Rose said...

She is a beauty and I am glad she still survives. Love that last entry.

Miradas desde mi lente said...

Está en un lugar muy expuesto y con poca superficie de tereno, para resistir los grandes oleajes del mar.
Felices fiestas.