Located on the Washington side of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean, Cape Disappointment Lighthouse stands 53 feet tall and is the first lighthouse built in the Pacific Northwest (1856). It is a fixed light so no rewinding is necessary, but the keepers still had to haul 170 pounds of oil up the stairs every day. A cannon was placed on site in 1862 to protect it during the Civil War. In 1930 a black stripe was added to distinguish it from a similar lighthouse in the area. After 159 years of operation it is still active.
