Page 15 - AHATA

a11
local Saturday 6 September 2025

A brief history of the California Light House

(Oranjestad)—At the furthest west- interesting history. The reason why and the weight that comes down
ern point of the island, there lies the the lighthouse was built, according pulls it up, gradually. And while it
tallest structure on the island: The to Mr. Fingal, dates back to the day comes down, the same weight
California Light House. Standing on when the cargo ship S.S. California that is descending causes many
top of a limestone cliff, this light- sank because of the lack of light. small wheels to turn in the opposite
house oversees the entire island, In 1913, Aruba made a request direction. The Lighthouse rotates
offering one of few best views of to Curacao to build a Lighthouse from 6 pm in the evening, when
the island and the surrounding sea. at Westpunt, and the governor of the sun sets, until 6 am in the morn-
It is also one of the few monuments Curacao responded to Aruba to ing. During the entire night, the light
that hold a rich history. come back in 1915 with a well-de- shines on the lantern, it goes down
tailed plan. “During the First World 24 meters, and the Lighthouse is 30
The lighthouse was constructed War from 1914 to 1918, they had to meters high. It is designed not to
in between 1914-1916, and its wait for the light to be transported collapse,” Mr. Fingal explains.
first keeper was a young trained to Aruba because it was manufac-
lighthouse keeper from Curacao tured in France. At that time, there Mr. Fingal further explains that in
names Jacob Jacobs. Mr. Frederi- was no electricity, and the light one night, the lighthouse rotates
co Fingal was the last man to have was very interesting because it ro- 4,320 times and consumes one
occupied this position until 1962. full of goats and donkeys, and it tated with a kerosene lamp that gallon of kerosene for the whole
Though his son, Mr. Romulo Fingal was very isolated. There were no planes used; clean kerosene,” Mr. operation. “At that time, the kero-
did not continue in his father’s foot- hotels or roads to get there. There Fingal said. sene was supplied from the Lago
steps, he does have a special con- was only a donkey trail. Those were refinery. Every day it was brought
nection to the lighthouse. He sat the only means of transportation.” Mr. Fingal discovered something down, and to start the light again,
down with our reporter and shared very interesting about the light- they had to lift the weight up, so
a bit of its history. Mr. Fingal continues, “In 1939, I was house after much research was our job as children was to crank it
born in the lighthouse, and my fa- documented in his book ‘History and raise the weight back up in the
As Mr. Fingal explains, “In 1915, ther was the last lighthouse keeper of the Lighthouse at Westpunt.’ evening when the light stuck, they
cargo donkeys were hired from until he retired in 1962. After that, He found many details: “I found would take it down again, and the
Figaroa di Noord to help build the they removed the power cables out that the height of the light- light stayed down. That’s how it
Lighthouse at Westpunt. The don- all the way to the top. According house was due to the absence worked for a very long time,” Mr.
keys had to walk along the beach to the story, we couldn’t have the of electricity. There was also the Fingal explains.
all the way to Westpunt carrying light ourselves because they dis- presence of coral. There is a long
the cargo, poles, cement, and all mantled it, and after many years, steel cable from where the light is, Thanks to the Monument Fund
these things. At that time, it was a I heard that it is in a train museum and under the light, at the highest Aruba, which worked hard and
difficult task until Aruba got its first in San Nicolas, where we found this point, there is a hanging weight, a is currently in charge of the Light-
truck. These things reflect how peo- very special lens that, when the sort of pendulum that swings like house, Mr. Fingal is very happy
ple could have accomplished this light shines through it, it reaches 30 that, with a weight that measures with its preservation, along with all
tremendous job with so little.” Mr. kilometers out to sea.” Mr. Fingal about 1 meter by 30 centimeters the renovations that have taken
Fingal said, “At that time, it wasn’t told our reporter. wide, which is a block of solid iron place. He hopes that the story of
a place for people to work. It was attached to a cable. When you the lighthouse will continue to live
very challenging because it was The lighthouse has a long and very release it upwards, it comes down, on for future generations.q