YAQUINA BAY LIGHTHOUSE

It is said that the lighthouse at Yaquina Bay State Park is haunted by Muriel Trevenard. Her unsolved death 125 years ago is one of the oldest legends of the Oregon coast. Lischen Miller tells what is known about Muriel and her death.

"Shortly after the government abandoned Yaquina Bay, the frontier settlement of Newport was startled by the appearance of a sloop sailing into the bay. It docked at the wooden wharf. Most of the crewmen were described as 'ruffians' commanded by a dark-browed sailor with an ugly scar stretching from the edge of his lip to his ear.

But the crewmen treated one man on board with unusual deference. He was dressed as a 'gentleman' and spoke both cultured English and the unintelligible dialect of sailors. With him was his beautiful daughter, a girl in her late teens.

The stranger introduced himself as Mr. Travenard. His daughter's name was Muriel. He said nothing of their travels, although he did mention that they were on their way to Coos Bay, farther down the coast. He requested fresh water, their primary purpose in landing at Newport, and sent the crew off to fill the water barrels.

While they were gone, he asked the villagers if his daughter could stay in Newport until his return from Coos Bay. She was not taking well to the sea voyage, and he wanted to spare her any further discomfort.

As was the custom in isolated pioneer settlements, townspeople agreed to provide shelter for the girl. They assured Trevanard that his daughter could stay at the Yaquina Bay Hotel, an establishment far less grand than its name would imply. The landlady promised that she would be responsible for young Muriel's well-being.

With that Trevenard hopped aboard the skiff and rowed back to the sloop with the rest of the crew. Within minutes the ship had weighed anchor and set sail into the Pacific.

The weeks passed, and Muriel settled comfortably into the community. She made friends easily and showed an artistic flair, spending countless hours at the oceanside sketching the dramatic scenery spread before her. And perhaps wondering where her father had gone.

The girl was especially friendly with a group of young people who had come from the Willamette Valley to vacation along the coast. The mild weather was ideal for picinics and bonfires at the beach, hikes in the forests, and star-gazing at night. Late one afternoon, the group decided to visit the recently abandoned lighthouse. The hotel landlady had been left in charge of the only key and she readily loaned it to the young people.

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