1906: The Completion of a Lighthouse in Alaska

June 1, 1906

Work was completed on a lighthouse in the southeastern region of the then-Territory of Alaska. This octagonal structure is specifically located on Eldred Rock, an island that is in the Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the inlet known as Lynn Canal.

The Eldred Rock Light was the last of 10 lighthouses built in Alaska between 1902 and 1906. The first keeper of the Eldred Rock Light lighthouse was Nils Peter Adamson, who received the letter notifying him of this new assignment while he was serving as assistant keeper of Desdemona Sands Lighthouse on Oregon’s Pacific coast. He received that letter less than three weeks before the completion of the Eldred Rock Light.

The Eldred Rock Light, which was automated in 1973, also has the distinction of being the last of a dozen staffed lighthouses in Alaska. In 1975, the Eldred Rock Light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photo Credit: Gillphoto (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)  

For more information on the Eldred Rock Light, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldred_Rock_Light