A Rich and Colorful History
Pre-1800s: Ohlone Indians inhabit the coast
Early 1800s: Spanish name Punta de las Balenas - Whale Point
1850s: Clipper ship
Carrier Pigeon wrecks on the rocks that are thereafter called Pigeon Point
1860: Boom and cable rigged to load lumber and crops onto ships
1862: Loren Coburn and Jeremiah Clarke purchase 17,000 acres that include Pigeon Point
1850s-1895: Portuguese shore whalers kill whales to render and sell whale oil
1868: Congress appropriates $90,000 to establish a lighthouse and prevent more shipwrecks
Early 1870s: Wharf and grain chute built and Pigeon Landing ships goods to San Francisco
1870: U.S. Government purchases Pigeon Point from Coburn and Clarke
1872: Lighthouse erected, first illuminated on November 15, 1872
1875: Gunfight and murder at Pigeon Point Landing over access to the wharf
1899: Original fog signal building replaced with present signal house
1920-33 Rum-running during Prohibition
1972: U.S. Coast Guard replaces the original Fresnel lens with and automated Aero Beacon
1980: U.S. Coast Guard leases Pigeon Point property to California State Parks
1992-93 U.S. Coast Guard renovates the lighthouse
2000: POST purchases Whaler's Cove
2005: Lighthouse transferred to State Parks from U.S. Coast Guard
2005: POST transfers Whaler's Cove to California State Parks for permanent protection.
Natural Wonders
From the bluffs of Whaler's Cove you see glistening ocean views from Año Nuevo north to Montara Mountain. Harbor seals swim in the cove and sun themselves on Prisoner Rock. Further out you may spot gray whales, blue whales and humpbacks on their winter and spring migrations. Many species of birds are either residents or seasonal visitors. A trip down the sandstone cliffs to the beach reveals the Pigeon Point Formation, which looks like a layer of different types of rocks cemented into the sandstone. The native plants that thrive here add color to the scene while providing food and shelter for local wildlife.
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