Why Terrible Tilly Lighthouse is So Dangerous | ABANDONED

on the coast of Oregon on the edge of the Pacific  Ocean lies Anonymous Lighthouse abandoned and   covered in Decay even before its opening this  structure was plagued by tragedy so much tragedy   in fact that it has been dubbed terrible Tilly  by locals but how did this doomed Lighthouse end   up here and why is it doomed anyways well  stay tuned because today we discovered the   Tillamook Rock Lighthouse I'm your host Ryan  so cash and you're watching its history [Music]   1.2 miles from the shore of tillamonk head is  a large piece of black volcanic rock and harsh   Waters just less than an acre in size although  it probably took some imagination in the 1870s   this small space was determined to be perfect for  a lighthouse composed of Concrete and brick this   structure measures in at 133 feet in total height  the tower alone is only 62 feet but the light   brings it up to 72. the two-story building below  features an observation deck surrounding the light   but a large portion of the space here is actually  dedicated to the lighthouse Keepers quarters in   total this 45 foot by 48 foot house has eight  rooms that allow the isolated keeper to live   sustainably and alone on the remote island the  hallways here connect to the living space with the   actual Lighthouse facilities such as the signal  room that formerly housed at the steam boiler   and the diesel generators the light White House's  roof at the top of the actual building includes a   catwalk and railing as the structure continues  to the spotlight section the with Narrows then   we have the very top of the lighthouse which is  an inverted cone of Steel plates crowned by the   lightning rod and steel sphere compared to other  lighthouses Keepers here had expansive quarters   with two stores of space five of the eight rooms  were exclusively for living arrangements with an   additional office a living and dining room  plus a storage space so you might ask why   was all that space needed well a lighthouse  Keeper's responsibilities primarily revolve   around maintaining and operating the lighthouse  facility rather than traditional office duties   however an office was needed as administrative  tasks and record keeping were involved in their   work this included documentation like keeping  detailed records of daily activities including   weather conditions maintenance tasks and any  noteworthy occurrences maintaining an inventory of   supplies equipment and spare parts needed for the  lighthouse including ordering Replacements when   necessary correspondences were also handled in the  office this included incoming an outgoing mail or   other forms of communication such as telegraphs  that related to the lighthouse's operations there   was also Financial Administration such as managing  the budgetary aspects of the lighthouse this   included tracking expenses processing invoices and  maintaining Financial records finally there was   basic reporting this included preparing regular  reports on the lighthouse's condition operations   or any incidents issues that may have occurred  perhaps even more important was the living room   used for recreation which is critical for  anyone isolated on a rock in the middle of   the ocean for months at a time the living room  was used for recreation since during the 19th   century lighthouse housekeepers often faced long  periods of isolation and limited recreational   options while stationed at a lighthouse the  nature of their work and the remote locations   of many lighthouses made leisure activities  very challenging however they found ways to   occupy their time and entertain themselves such  as reading Lighthouse Keepers would often bring   books magazines or newspapers with them to  the lighthouse reading provided intellectual   stimulation and a way to pass the time during  quiet periods Keepers also frequently wrote   letters to their family and friends keeping them  updated on their experiences and seeking social   connection through correspondence some Lighthouse  Keepers developed Hobbies such as crafts to keep   themselves occupied beyond that they may have  engaged in activities such as painting drawing   wood carving model shipbuilding or other forms  of creative expression outside the lighthouse   there was fishing which provided an opportunity  to enjoy the outdoors potentially supplement their   diet some Lighthouse Keepers collected and studied  specimens found in their natural environment or   just observed nature this could include seashells  rocks plants or other natural objects of interests   whereas other Keepers cultivated small gardens  around their Lighthouse stations gardening not   only provided a source of fresh produce but it  also offered a therapeutic and engaging activity   Keepers were also known to play music for simple  personal enjoyment which might lead you to wonder   if the conditions were so harsh and required  such isolation why was a lighthouse even needed   Tillamook Rock Lighthouse was built because the  United States Congress believed that the Oregon   coast was too dark and dangerous for Sailors hence  in 1878 Congress budgeted fifty thousand dollars   to construct the lighthouse surprisingly The Rock  was chosen as the lighthouse's home because there   was no feasible location on the mainland although  not many were optimistic about the prospect you   see in 1879 the first survey of the space was  conducted with surveyor sh wheeler reporting   that construction would be nearly impossible the  second investigation found that the project needed   additional funding to start and when it started  tragedy struck immediately the first tragedy   surrounding terrible Tilly occurred in September  of 1879 when the third survey this time conducted   by the English Mason John truvis was captured by  the rapid waves of the ocean during his attempt at   landing on the Rock the surveyor drowned and his  body was lost at sea this dramatic event paused in   the lighthouse's construction which was still in  its infancy the public knew of this tragic death   so few workers were willing to be employed on the  project eventually a replacement named Charles A   Ballentine was found and hired he was completely  aware of the previous tragic event the remainder   of the lighthouse's construction went relatively  smooth until another tragedy struck the coast 18   days before the opening of The Lighthouse this  time fog clouded the Oregon sky and heavy wind   made travel risky unfortunately it was also around  this time that the Japanese vessel the lupitania   sailed around the American Coast towards the  Columbia River even before January the 3rd 1881   the crew had a pretty rough go of things for  example first mate BH Raven had taken command   after the captain was lost early in the journey  anyhow the winds pushed the ship too close to the   coastline and thanks to the fog the crew could not  see the nearly finished Lighthouse workers on the   Rock tried to Signal the ship but the lupitania  Disappeared into the fog the following day 12 of   the bodies the crew were found on the shore  four men were never found and oddly the only   Survivor of this crash was the cruise pet dog  despite the horrific events on January the 3rd   construction was quickly completed the Tillamook  Rock Lighthouse was officially lit for the first   time on January the 21st 1881. initially four  Lighthouse Keepers were hired to tend to the   operations and it was no picnic the area continued  to be hit with harsh and destructive storms the   lighthouse's exterior was frequently damaged with  the interior often flooded Keepers couldn't even   call for help as the telephone wire installed  in 1897 was quickly destroyed in a storm newer   lines eventually replaced it but were also subject  to storm damage one particularly nasty storm on   October the 21st 1934 left terrible Tilly with so  much internal and external damage that Lighthouse   Keeper Henry Jenkins could not communicate with  the mainland so when his desperation he modified   the remains of the damaged technology to create  a makeshift shift radio to alert others of his   and the building's condition the damages from this  storm cost the American government twelve thousand   dollars and took four months to repair and in the  decades to follow the story goes on like this to   the point that various tragedies and destructions  surrounding terrible Tilly spread rumors of the   Supernatural and although taken with a massive  grain of salt in the historical context the   lighthouse is nearly impossible to reach without  a helicopter and is very dangerous by boat so   folklore and mystery are inevitable and ongoing  locals started to claim sightings of ghosts on the   Rock at the turn of the 20th century and continued  at the turn of the 21st let us indulge this notion   for a moment these urban legends often stemming  from the tragic deaths of Keepers throughout the   years have been frequently publicized in books  such as Oregon's ghosts and monsters written in   1983 by Mike helm this book alleges that tillamunk  rock was Infamous to the indigenous population   before it was ever a lighthouse on top of the  stormy weather these rumors and legends have   curated an intimidating reputation for terrible  Tilly perhaps creating a Sinister appearance   Legends aside one thing we can all certainly agree  on is that the lighthouse is an epic example of   Urban Decay furthermore the reality of its current  use might be even creepier than ghost stories   weather conditions made worse by local Wildfire  caused rapid deterioration of the lighthouse to   the point that the American government determined  that the damage was too much and that they no   longer wanted to fund it so terrible Tilly was  resold to various private buyers until it wound   up in the hands of the newly formed eternity at  Sea who decided to convert the building into a   columbarium in other words a storage facility for  urns on 4 fortunately for eternity at Sea missteps   and misuse of the urns caused the Oregon Mortuary  and Cemetery board to revoke their license in 1999   so despite no longer being able to function  at this capacity the group continued to own   the property for another 20 years much like the  American government 65 years before the upkeep of   terrible Tilly became too much for eternity at Sea  to Handle by 2022 they formally announced that the   lighthouse was once again for sale however this  was not the shareholders first attempt to unload   the property despite the Decay Brave volunteers  have made many trips over the years to attempt to   clean up terrible Tilly's walls in March of 2023  a few months after eternity at Sea announced their   plans to sell the lighthouse five individuals once  again braved their way to the Rock to make repairs   the journey landing on terrible Tilly ran smoothly  as as the air was so tame that the Robinson r-66   helicopter could land quickly four men and  one woman volunteers spent three days patching   up the landmark this trip cost eternity at Sea  shareholder Mimi Morissette twenty five thousand   dollars in total Morissette shared that she would  need to invest millions of dollars in replacing   the infrastructure before the lighthouse could  ever be sold along with the dedicated volunteers   Morissette the largest shareholder of tillamunk  rock believes that the building's only possible   use is as a columbarium since the lighthouse will  continue to deteriorate and break down along with   the fact that it's physically inaccessible  During certain parts of the year so becoming   a tourist destination for private or public use  is just impossible storing urns here on the other   hand is one of the few business opportunities for  the property as the dead are unaffected by harsh   environmental conditions despite the dangers  and the go most rumors not everyone perceives   terrible Tilly as an eyesore to the contrary  the lighthouse has a Sentimental place in the   hearts of many locals the 2023 volunteers and  shareholder Morissette spoke of the place fondly   personifying the structure and speaking about it  with endearment tillamonk Rock Lighthouse is off   limits the shareholders protect the property  requiring consent before anyone can visit in   fact the lighthouse has protections as a part  of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge   without the shareholders approval trespassers  can be charged with a felony in addition to these   protections terrible Tilly has been classified  on the national register of historic places since   1981. in the application for the national register  the structure was described as quote Oregon's only   offshore Lighthouse and a lighthouse with strong  notoriety this close admiration of locals and   shareholders Sharp contrast the general Public's  view of terrible Tilly rather than a scary and   supposedly haunted eyesore till a monk Rock  Lighthouse is a landmark of the West Coast and   a Sentimental Monument for most and we'll leave  it there for today but special thanks to our   channel members for making this episode possible  to find out how you can join our community click   the join button or the link in the description  until next time this is Ryan silkash signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 724,234

Keywords: tillamook rock lighthouse, tillamook, tillamook rock light, tillamook rock, tillamook lighthouse, tillamook light, tillammok lighthouse, tillamook head, visit tillamoock rock lighthouse, where is tillamook rock lighthouse located, tillamooklighthouse, coastal lighthouses, lighthouse, lighthouses, rock, old lighthouses, tilly, lighthouse keeper, lighthouse status, haunted lighthouse, visiting lighthouses, lighthouse digest magazine, remote places, terrible tilly

Id: jHSW5_2fTI8

Length: 14min 1sec (841 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 17 2023