LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – MINNESOTA’S SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse has such rich history and fascinating details. On a recent Minnesota trip we discovered this magnificent place on the rocky cliffs 130 feet above Lake Superior.

Are you interested in lighthouses on the Great Lakes? I am fascinated by these structures. Their stories helped shape water transportation and vessel safety throughout history. This structure specifically remains standing today and was designated in 2011 as a National Historic landmark.

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“Their are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

EDITH WHARTON

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Government’s involvement in safe navigation began early in American history. The first lighthouse was established on the east coast in 1716 at Little Brewster Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. 73 years later there were a dozen active beacons in place.

On the Great Lakes, the first lighthouses were established around 1815 at Fort Niagara on Lake Ontario and the Presque Isle light on Lake Erie. Many followed suit in the years to follow!

One very important lighthouse was born of November gales on Lake Superior! This particular stretch of water outside Two Harbors, Minnesota was coined, “the most dangerous piece of water in the world” by American Novelist James Oliver Curwood. In November of 1905, nearly 30 ships were wrecked on Lake Superior with a total of 78 lives lost.

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This event triggered the creation of this particular rugged landmark to be constructed. The engineering and construction of this building was very challenging due to it’s location and accessibility only by water. It was completed in 1910. It is one of the most photographed and visited spots in the state due to its intense history and gorgeous views available here. For over 50 years it guided freighters hauling mined ore from Minnesota Iron Mines to their shipping destinations.

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“To be a lighthouse, you must be strong enough to resist every kind of storm, to every kind of loneliness and you must have a powerful light inside you!”

~Mehmet Murat Ildan

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LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – MINNESOTA’S SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

Do lighthouse keepers still exists? What a fascinating history these people provide! Each story from each lighthouse location has intrigue and wonder. I encourage you to listen to a story keeper’s recount of a historical lighthouse near you! Each story is filled with what these keepers witnessed and provided to vessels on the lakes. It is such a rich history!

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The last civilian keeper in the United States, Frank Schubert, died in 2003. The last officially manned lighthouse, Boston Light, was manned by the Coast Guard until 1998. Volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary “Keepers” serve a role now as interpreter tour guides on these historical sites. They are in place to share the stories of the history of each lighthouse.

Larger facilities like Split Rock Lighthouse had a Keeper and two Assistant Keepers. The Keepers not only operated the lighthouse, but they were the administrators, book keepers, and eventually tour guides of their facility. Split Rock’s keeper noted in 1938 over 100,000 annual visitors. This is five times as visited as any other lighthouse in service.

This facility was in operation from May through December. The Keepers worked 4 hour watching shifts. They monitored the weather. If visibility reduced to less than five miles, they would sound the fog horn every 20 seconds as an aid for ships to navigate. Maintenance and repair of the facility was very time consuming in this challenging location.

Initially, during Split Rock Lighthouse’s first 15 years, the keeper’s families would have limited visits with their families as it was very dangerous to access this location. The only access was by the waters of the rocky Lake Superior shoreline with crashing waves. Families would live elsewhere during the school year closer to schools. Thereafter around 1924, the Lake Superior International Highway was completed connecting Duluth to Canada and provided road access to the lighthouse making it accessible for Keepers to live with their families.

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“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”

– ANNE LAMOTT

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LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – MINNESOTA’S SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

HISTORY OF SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

1910-1928: Split Rock lighthouse’s first keeper Orren “Pete” Young retired at age 70.

1928-1944 Split Rock’s second keeper (former first assistant at Split Rock & other area lighthouses) Franklin Covell retired at age 70.

1942 US Coast Guard taken over by US Navy during World War II. Lightkeepers became “commanding Officers.”

1947-1961 Robert E. Bennetts served as last civilian keeper at Split Rock (Fog Signal discontinued-light continued)

1969 Split Rock station discontinued.

This 7.6 acre facility located on the rocky cliff coast of Lake Superior had a 54 foot lighthouse tower, 3 huge structures along with storage included: Keeper’s House, an Oil House and storage barns, and a Fog Signal Building.

During those first 15 years, due to water access as the only way to reach the location, imagine how supplies were received? The huge lamps were run by kerosene from 1910-1939. Huge 1000 Watt Electric Bulbs replaced kerosene from 1940-1969. In 1915, an elevated tramway was constructed to assist in transportation of supplies on flatcars from tenders at the base of the cliff up to the lighthouse storage areas by the Assistant Keepers in charge of supplies.

I found it quite interesting that SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE was officially visible for 22 miles, however, fishermen 60 miles away in Grand Marais had claimed to be able in certain conditions to observe the light.

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“Lighthouses are not just stone, brick, metal, and glass. There’s a human story at every lighthouse; that’s the story I want to tell.”

– ELINOR DEWIRE

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LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – MINNESOTA’S SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

All beacons in the US were originally operated under the US Lighthouse Service under the Dept. of Commerce. In 1939, the US Coast Guard absorbed the Lighthouse Service. The State of Minnesota took possession of this historic landmark in 1971. Following in 1976, the Minnesota Historical Society became the administrator of this site. Today the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources operates the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. It expanded in 1980 to a 25 acre site providing hiking, picnic areas, and tent camping.

The lighthouse closed in 1969. Advanced technology provides navigation by Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Long Range Navigation Radar (LORAN).

Today, all lighthouses in the United States are automated, with the exception of the Boston Light, in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. A law was passed in 1989 requiring that the Boston Light remain manned, so a keeper remains there today.

Approximately 10,000 Great Lakes Shipwrecks have occurred to date. Lake Superior lists approximately 350 ships wrecked where half have yet to be discovered. Each year on November 10 the SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE beacon is lit in commemoration for ALL LIVES LOST on the Great Lakes including the 29 crew lives lost on the Edmunds Fitzgerald November 10, 1975.

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What does a lighthouse do? I ask myself. It never moves. It cannot hike up its rocky skirt and dash into the ocean to rescue the foundering ship. It cannot calm the waters or clear the shoals. It can only cast light into the darkness. It can only point the way. Yet, through one lighthouse, you guide many ships. Show this old lighthouse the way.

– LISA WINGATE

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LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – MINNESOTA’S SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

OTHER ADVENTURES NEAR SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

“I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.”

~George Bernard Shaw

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Check out KMFISWRITING’S Guide to Minnesota’s State Parks – Take the state park challenge! This comprehensive guide to Minnesota’s State Parks provides a snapshot of all of the best choices for outdoor exploration for other Minnesota adventures!

How about capturing a sunrise, early morning, with the promise of a new day prepared before you? What about a sunset shimmering on the sparkling crystal clear waters of Lake Superior? Beaches and lakes of the Minnesota are pristine natural gems. What a treasure to enjoy! What a gift from God!

However you find God’s inspiration each day, allow it to serve as a reminder that He is in control. Trust in Him, fear not, and replace any doubts you have in Him with prayer, asking Him to teach you to trust more and more each day. The God that created the heavens and the earth and the lakes and the sun will watch over, protect, and guide you each day if you only ask for Him to be a part of your life. Grow in your faith and trust in Him. He awaits you. He is willing to walk beside you through all of your life adventures…even exploring wilderness areas, waterfalls, and lighthouses!

God’s inspiration can be found by simply looking around and observing all of His blessings abounding, especially here in this tranquil, beautiful location.

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We hope this has inspired you to discover new adventures while exploring wilderness areas, waterfalls and lighthouses as we have discovered. I am interested if you have favorite lighthouse that you have explored or even a snorkel locations to share. Please leave a comment below to recommend an adventure exploring ruins or a snorkel adventure that you’d like for us to try out on our next Inspirational Travel Adventure!! I am so excited to hear from you!

Did you notice some affiliate links along the way?? If you plan to buy any of the products we mentioned or search for other purchases, please consider clicking through our link on this page. It won’t cost you a dime, and it will help our website continue running and offering you further inspirational travel adventures!

Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

ABOUT ME:

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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