Carol ONeil - Point Sur

Point Sur Lightstation, 26 miles south of Monterey, sits atop a giant moro rock that has been a landmark for mariners since the earliest days of the Spanish explorers. Visible for 10 miles at sea, the rock was first sighted by Juan Cabrillo in 1542. Viscaino described it on his 1602 map as a point that appears as an island, while British explorer George Vancouver described it as a small, high, rocky lump of land lying nearly half a mile from the shore. Drawn before lightstation construction began in 1887, this rare image of Point Sur, showing a view from the south, is from an 1853 map drawn during the deployment of a Navy Hydrographic Party under the command of Lt. James Alden. Aldens naval party surveyed the coast of California, which had just joined the Union in 1850. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard.)

Lieutenant Alden, U.S. Navy, was an accomplished watercolorist and rendered this picture of Point Sur, labeling it El Sur, Cali. June 14. 1859. (1:00 p.m.), East. Along with the map drawing on the previous page, they are the only known images of Point Sur created before the rock was altered for construction of the lightstation, which was begun in 1887. This view is from the ocean. (Courtesy California Historical Society, gift of Henry R. Wagner.)

Once construction began in 1887, state-of-the-art engineering solutions solved such problems as the remote location and hauling construction supplies up a steep 360-foot grade. A corduroy road over the sand flats brought supplies from the landing at the mouth of Big Sur River, three miles away. Notice the flat top of the rock. (Courtesy Herbert Bamber, U.S. Light-House Establishment photo.)

A hoist railway up the east face of the rock, across the top, halfway down the west (or ocean) face, then horizontally north across the west face of the rock, brought building supplies to the lighthouse. The hoist railway was later used to haul supplies, everything from coal and potatoes for the keepers to wood and kerosene for the light and fog signal. In 1889, just after the light was put in service on August 1, four photographs were taken at Point Sur. This one looks down the railway toward the east. Handwritten captions around the picture, starting on the left and going below the picture, read as follows: corduroy road, view from top of R.R. track, Barn, R (in dotted circle) pumping station, fog passing along far hills, sea reach handrail. (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)

The hoist railway ran across the top of Point Sur between two buildings, the large keepers quarters (right) and the hoist house (with the arched doorway). (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)

The hoist railway ran between the large keepers quarters (center) and the east end of the engine house (rear). The railway is not visible in this view, but the tracks may have been laid in a trench that started its downward descent over the west side. (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)

A house was built south of the engine house for the building superintendent. This 1889 view shows the debris of old buildings. (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)

Point Surs natural pointed rock was reduced by about 80 feet when the top was blasted off to provide enough flat area to build the lightstation buildings, evident in this 1904 photograph. (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)

A barn was built at the base of Point Surs giant rock for the station animals, probably a horse and some mules, and perhaps a cow. In this 1893 photograph, a horse and buggy stand next to the barn. The corduroy road that crossed the sand flats is plainly visible in the foreground. (Courtesy Herbert Bamber, U.S. Light-House Establishment photo.)

The barn is visible in this detail of an 1889 photograph looking down the tramway. (Courtesy U.S. Archives.)