Cape Blanco, Oregon

The next leg of our journey along the Pacific Coast took us to the Hughes Ranch and the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, both located near Port Orford, Oregon.

 To get to the ranch you have to detour from Highway 101 and travel west on the Cape Blanco Road.  After you cross the marshy bottomland, the road begins to climb and soon you will see a sign on your right, then the entrance to the Hughes house.


Hughes Ranch

Hughes House

The Hughes Church/School is no longer standing

Hughes Headstone at the family cemetery
The restored 1898 Victorian farmhouse was built for pioneers Patrick and Jane Hughes, from Ireland. After operating a successful dairy ranch for more than thirty years, the couple was able to pay pioneer builder Pehr Johan Lindberg to design and build the comfortable, two-story home.

We suppose the land that encompasses the ranch reminded the Hugest of their home in Ireland. This ranching couple had seven children, one of whom was a longtime keeper at Cape Blanco Light Station.

 Erected in 1870, the Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on Oregon’s farthest west point of land and is the oldest one continually operating in Oregon. It holds the record for longest service at one lighthouse too: James Langlois worked here for 42 years. James Hughes, born ti Patrick and Jane Hughes, served at this light station for 37 years. 




Out of all the places we visited along the coast this area seemed the most isolated and we could only imagine it would take a very tenacious person to live here. The wind was blowing so fierce and strong that we could barely get out of our vehicle and didn't dare hike closer to the lighthouse.

On to our next stop at Humbug Mountain and Gold Beach, Oregon!

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