Cape Decision Lighthouse
Cape Decision is an important headland located on the north side of the comparatively narrow passage between Spanish Islands and Kuiu Island which connects Chatham Strait and Sumner Strait.
Cape Decision Lighthouse History
Construction of Cape Decision Lighthouse at an expected cost of $175,000 was approved in 1927, and Congress appropriated $59,400 in July 1929 to start the project. Between September 1929 and the following July, the construction site was leveled, a camp building erected, dock and tramway constructed, derrick and hoisting machinery set up, and a boathouse completed. By July 1931, all the concrete work at the station had been completed, leaving mostly interior work. The reinforced concrete lighthouse, with a focal plane of ninety-six feet, was officially activated on March 15, 1932.
At Spanish Islands
About Us
Lighthouses are a beacon. Properly used, they’re a beacon of hope to ward off impending danger, yet protecting from and warning of danger is exactly what they’re for.
The earliest lighthouses go back to biblical times, all with a mission to protect mariners. Navigating boats & ships safely means that aids to navigation had to be used to warn of the rocks & shoals, the sudden changes of seascape, and other hazards that prevented safe passage.
The lighthouses of Alaska, which you’ll find in this site, are testament to the challenges of marine navigation, life along the coast of Alaska, and the inherent dangers that can swell up and crush a concrete structure in moments, witness Scotch Gap. Yet for the many lives that have been lost, the lives saved because of these amazing aids to navigation can barely be quantified. We hope you enjoy our site.
Alaska History is Waiting
