Yaquina Lighthouses

Yaquina in Oregon is home to two haunted lighthouses at Yaquina Bay and Yaquina Head.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

In 1874, the crew of the whaling ship named Monkton, mutinied and took over the ship. For reasons unknown, they cast Captain Evan MacClure adrift in a small boat off the coastline. The captain was never seen again and the incident was reported a homicide. Soon afterwards, the ghost of the dead captain began appearing in homes and taverns along the coastline.

Since that time, many people have told tales of seeing a red-haired sea captain with the face of a skeleton roaming the area at night. One homeowner opened his door ro discover a shadowy figure with its face hidden lurking outside. When asked what he wanted, the ghostly figure simply said that he was “looking for a place to stay and someone to join him in death.” Then he revealed a horrific skeletal face and disappeared into the night.

Locals say that the ghostly Captain MacClure ended up finding a place to stay when Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was abandoned in 1874.

Not long after that, a young girl and her friends were on a picnic at Yaquina Bay when they decided to explore the abandoned lighthouse. It was a mess inside, dilapidated and falling into disrepair. On the second floor, the girls found a mysterious iron plate set into the floor. It seemed to be covered in oil or grease and was it was difficult to get a grip on it.

Using a handkerchief, they managed to prise it up and discovered it was the door to a large murky hole that had been cut into the floor. Puzzled, they looked inside, but could make out nothing in the inky blackness.

The girls left the door open, and went off to explore the rest of the area. In the late afternoon, as they were preparing to leave, one of the girls realized she had left her handkerchief behind in the lighthouse and ran back to retrieve it. Her friends waited patiently for her, but suddenly they heard high pitched screams coming from inside the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.

They dashed to the rescue, only to find the front door locked. Eventually, they managed to get into the lighthouse, but there was no trace of the girl. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.

After searching without success, one of the girls noticed a trail of blood on the floor, leading up to the iron plate, which was now closed. They tried to open it, but it was no use. Even when they ran and got help, no one was able to pry open the mysterious iron plate.

Despite a complete search of the lighthouse and grounds, the young girl was never seen again and nobody could figure out what happened that fateful day. A dark stain still marks the floor where the blood was found.

Since that time, the ghost of Captain MacClure has been spotted with a young girl in a flowing dress by his side. Some people claim to have seen their ghosts peering out of the lantern room or walking down the path behind the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. The haunting figures have been encountered by many people over the last 120 years.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Some time in the 1920, Herbert Higgins, the head keeper of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and his family were on their way to Newport for an evening out, when they noticed that the lantern had not been lit. Upon making a hasty return to find out why, he discovered the assistant keeper drunk and unable to perform his duty.

Although very ill, Mr. Higgens had attempted to light the lantern himself, but collapsed and died in the process. From that time on, his ghost has been seen walking up and down the spiral staircase of the tower.

The lighthouse was used as the setting for the “Moesko Island Lighthouse” in the 2002 film The Ring.