The Legend of Richard Turner Quinn
Born September 7, 1857, the oldest son of Sir Robert Quinn, a British soldier and Elizabeth Turner Quinn, a wealthy aristocrat.

Richard Turner Quinn proved to be a disappointment to his father, who wanted him to be a soldier.  Richard preferred the pen and tended to spend hours writing.  Woefully, his stories were rampant with plagiarism and he was forced to flee the Empire.

When he arrived at the immigration office, he was asked his name and trade.  "I'm Quinn, the writer", he replied.  Unfortunately the clerk thought he said fighter, so Richard was sent to Oakland to capture and kill the coasts most notorious pirates.  Perilous Pete and his wife Mary Lou.  They were widely feared and their sailing vessel, the Sea Jay, was known in all the seven seas.  

It was known that their hideout was somewhere near Oakland hidden in a peaceful estuary.  More — because he wished for more material for his stories than for his bravery, Richard led a small band of fighters to the pirates lair and dealt a final blow to those infamous cut-throats.  Actually, the mighty Quinn, as he was known, had set Perilous Pete and Mary Lou adrift in a dinghy, knowing that they would return and provide him with a wonderful conclusion to his story.

The authorities thought that it was strange that the mighty Quinn volunteered to be the only keeper for the lighthouse — built on the site of the pirates' den, yet he remained there for forty years.  He kept an eternal watch, always waiting for the pirates to return, always waiting for that final episode.  To this day, whenever a sailing boat approaches, all eyes turn to look, as if the ghost of Richard Turner Quinn makes everyone a part of his vigil.


The History of Oakland Harbor Lighthouse
Est. 1890 Re. Est. 1984

The building in which you are sitting was constructed in 1903 as the Oakland Harbor Entrance Lighthouse by the U.S. Lighthouse Service.  It cost $19,000 and replaced the original 1890 structure which had been badly damaged by marine borers.  This building (which was located on the north side of the entrance to the Oakland Estuary) served as a house for two lighthouse keepers and their families until the lighthouse service became part of the Coast Guard in 1939.  From 1939, until the structure was moved to this location in 1965, the families of the keepers lived ashore.

Originally, the lanternroom contained a 5TH Order Fresnel lens which produced a flashing white light every 5 seconds that could be seen for 14 miles.  A giant 3,500 lb. fog bell was located on the porch and struck every 5 seconds during periods of fog.  In 1918, the fog signal was changed from a bell to an air powered diaphone for a signal which sounded a 2 second blast every 15 seconds.  

As we approach the end of the Twentieth Century, we are at the end of an era.  The era of the lighthouse, after two thousand years, is over.  No more will man construct soaring towers of brick of lovely Victorian lades laced with "gingerbread".  Todays modern navigation aids are comprised of rotating aero-beacons surrounding nonopoles, controlled and monitored by unseeing hands at some remote station.  The days of the lighthouse as a structure to house the keeper and his family are over.  Several lighthouses, however, have been preserved as museums, or in the case of L.J. QUINN's a restaurant, as a reminder of our maritime heritage and as a tribute to those faithful "wickies" (affectionate term for the keepers) who served the mariner and humanity with such dedication for so many years.

Wayne Wheeler
President
U.S. Lighthouse Society

If you are interested in further information, please contact The U.S. Lighthouse Society, 244 Kearny St., San Francisco, CA 94108.
Phone (415) 362-7255