The Washington Mukilteo Lighthouse sits on a plot of historic land on the coast of Washington. It flashes once every five seconds and for many years has guided ships on their way to Everett, Washington.
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The land around the Mukilteo lighthouse is incredibly historic. The Native American Indians used the land as camping ground during the winter months. Mukilteo is actually a local Native American word for a good campground.
In the late 18th century, Captain George Vancouver made a legendary exploration of the Puget Sound area. On May 31, 1792, Captain Vancouver came ashore at the site of what is now the Mukilteo Lighthouse and named the area Rose Point. He named it so because of the wild pink roses which covered the area. Later another explorer, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, re-named the place as Elliot Point.
In 1855 the Indian wars, which had been going on previously, ended when the Washington Territory Governor signed a peace treaty with the chiefs of 22 tribes on Elliot Point. Settlers from the east moved into the area once the wars ceased. Today, a copy of the treaty that ended the Indian wars can be seen at the Mukilteo Lighthouse.
In the early 20th century it was decided that a lighthouse would be beneficial on Elliot Point. Designed by C.W. Leick, construction of the lighthouse began in 1905. The lighthouse is situated on a 2.6 acre plot, and is 38 feet tall. It is unique in that it is constructed of wood, unlike the usual brick or concrete of other lighthouses around the area.
The entire lighthouse station was made up of the tower and fog signal building which supported a huge trumpet to warn incoming ships. There were dwellings for two keepers, and a windmill over a well that supplied water for Mukilteo.
The beacon was lit for the first time in early 1906 by the head keeper, Mr. Christianson, who was born in Norway but had moved to America.
Mukilteo Lighthouse received an electrical beacon in 1927. In 1960, the coastguard was going to replace the original Fresnal lens with a beacon like those used at airports, but the local community was upset by the thought of this, and the renovation was stopped.
In 1954, the size of the Washington Mukilteo Lighthouse station was reduced. Public access was allowed to the lighthouse in 1991 when the Mukilteo Historical Society became the informal lighthouse keepers. In 2001, the Coast Guard turned over the ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding area to the city of Mukilteo. The navigational equipment in the lighthouse is still kept up by the Coast Guard.
The local historical society offers tours of the Washington Mukilteo Lighthouse.
