Dewey Livingston

The Point Reyes Light Station held a reputation for many years as one of the less desirable assignments on the west coast. A combination of wind, fog and darkness, the unrelenting fog signal, the immense set of stairs, not to mention isolation and poor wages, took a severe toll on the keepers and their assistants. Incidents of insanity, alcoholism, violence and insubordination plagued the station during its first half-century of operation. Not until modern conveniences arrived, such as better roads, transportation and electrical power, did the working conditions improve to any extent.

Point Reyes, historically named Punta de los Reyes, is an odd-shaped peninsula that protrudes into the Pacific Ocean about 35 miles northwest of San Francisco. The peninsula forms a triangle with Tomales Point on the north, Bolinas Point on the south, and the most prominent, Point Reyes, on the west. The peninsula is characterized by rolling hills covered by grass, brush or forest and surrounded by beaches.