Prior to the development of a reliable highway system in the region, a large portion in the Kenai Peninsula could only be accessible by boat. One of the most popular, but difficult access point for access from Cook Inlet is the Kasilof River which was used extensively by sailors since the building of the peninsula’s first salmon-cannery in the latter part of the 1800s. Due to an rise in vessel traffic it was decided that the Coast Guard added two navigation beacons that were Kerosene lanterns at the river’s mouth in 1929.
The light from the lanterns that measured two feet tall could be seen as far as distances of five miles. They operated in the summer they were tended by residents lamp-lighters up until their replacement with electronic beacons in the year 1962. It is believed that they were the final lanterns that burned oil employed for navigation purposes along the American coast.
“The the river’s channel can be messy, as Cook Inlet has so much sediment and is so tidal that there’s no straight connection from the offshore to the river’s mouth,” said Catherine Cassidy Secretary of the Kasilof Regional Historical Association. “Even today on charts, they say it is local information essential for navigation to the waters of.”
When the lanterns were taken down after which they were then taken by the Coast Guard offered them to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Kasilof Regional Historical Association President Brent Johnson orchestrated bringing the artifacts home. He is convinced that they were not displayed at the institution.
“I thought , ‘I’ll bet that they’re in a backroom, which nobody ever visits at the Smithsonian but they could be at our museum, where they belong in the first place,'” Johnson said.
Johnson who currently sits in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and is its president, claims he was able to remember having the lanterns on display during duck hunting when he was a kid. Cassidy states she was not aware about the presence of these lanterns and was skeptical that they would be found at the Smithsonian.
“They weren’t able to find them within their storage space immediately but they also stated that they would be delighted to have them back in Kasilof in a place where they mean something to the people who use them,” Cassidy said. “They were so happy to donate the lanterns to us. It’s amazing.”
The Kasilof Historical Museum purchased the lanterns made of kerosene this year and is currently working on an exhibit for the artifacts. Historical associations members believe that the lanterns are an evocation of the region’s maritime history, which remains relevant to this day.
“This is a long-standing tradition that has been preserved by these lamps,” Cassidy said. “It’s an ongoing aspect of our community’s accessibility to the River.”
“History alters,” Johnson said. “One thing that was crucial at one time in time becomes less important at a later time. I believe that navigational lights remain important since people still use Kasilof River. Kasilof River.”
Kasilof Historical Museum Kasilof Historical Museum It is situated in Kalifornsky Beach Road in Kasilof about a quarter mile from the Sterling Highway. It is accessible from from 11 until 4 p.m. all day Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is possible to view the lanterns starting this summer.
