Cape Blanco Light
lighthouse in Oregon, United States
Cape Blanco Light is a lighthouse located on Cape Blanco, Oregon, United States, in Cape Blanco State Park.
Construction of the light
In a deed recorded in 1867, John D. and Mary West sold the United States a 47.3-acre (19.1 ha) tract of land. The Light-House board determined that the offshore reef and islands at Cape Blanco were dangerous to maritime commerce; therefore, a lighthouse was authorized for construction.
Over the next three years, the lighthouse was constructed under the direction of Lt. Col. Robert Stockton Williamson. Supplies were ordered and shipped to the cape. Bricks were deemed cheaper if made onsite, so a brickmaker was located and a deal was struck with Rancher Patrick Hughes for access to the required materials.
Keepers
Many keepers followed Burnap, the most notable were James Langlois and James Hughes who served as keepers for 42 and 38 years respectively. James Langlois raised a large family.
The public source identifies “Cape Blanco Light” as lighthouse in Oregon, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Cape, Blanco and Light.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Cape Blanco Light”, the useful work is to connect “lighthouse in Oregon, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1034264. Authority coordinates are 42.837, -124.561. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1867.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cape Blanco Light”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cape Blanco Light primary sources, Cape Blanco Light archive and Cape research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cape Blanco Light”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cape Blanco Light” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.