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