Split Rock Lighthouse
Background
Shipwrecks from a mighty 1905 November gale prompted this rugged landmark's construction. In early 1907, the U.S. Congress appropriated $75,000 for "a lighthouse and fog signal in the vicinity of Split Rock, Minnesota." Completed by the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1910, Split Rock Light Station soon became one of Minnesota's best-known landmarks. Restoration began in the 1970s, resulting in a lighthouse that now offers a historic picture of life in this remote and spectacular setting.
In the early years of the 20th-century, iron ore shipments on Lake Superior doubled and redoubled. United States Steel's bulk ore carriers became 'the greatest exclusive freight-carrying fleet sailing under one ownership in the world," so the demand for a new lighthouse on the lake's inhospitable North Shore was hardly surprising. This rocky coastline has been called "the most dangerous piece of water in the world."
The U. S. Lighthouse Service operated the site until 1939, when the U.S. Coast Guard took command. By that time, Split Rock's picturesque setting near the North Shore highway, built in 1924, had made it "the most visited lighthouse in the United States." The station closed in 1969, when modern navigational equipment made it obsolete. The State of Minnesota obtained the scenic and historic landmark in 1971. The Minnesota Historical Society now administers the 25-acre historic site and continues to restore it to its pre-1924 appearance - a time when the isolated light station was accessible only by water.
A visit to Split Rock Lighthouse starts in the Visitor Center. Here visitors become familiar with the history of Split Rock Lighthouse and learn more about how the staff interprets the light station. Four of the historic buildings are open to visitors - the lighthouse, fog signal building, oil house and keeper's restored home - and are staffed by costumed interpreters portraying life at the light station during the mid-1920s.
The exhibit area features artifacts and presents information on the history of the light station, the history of the North Shore and facts about Lake Superior shipping. Interactive displays give both children and adults a fun, hands-on way to learn about how lighthouses work.
The 22-minute film, "Split Rock Light: Tribute to the Age of Steel," shows every day in the Visitor Center theater. It is an excellent and entertaining way to learn the basics of the history of Split Rock Lighthouse and the iron ore shipping industry. The film is offered every half-hour.
The museum store focuses on items specific to lighthouses and the North Shore. Many items are unique and designed specifically for this store. After a visit to the lighthouse, visitors may stop in the museum store and view the wide selection of gifts, books, clothing and souvenirs designed to make the memories of Split Rock enduring and special.
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota's past through engaging museum exhibits, extensive libraries and collections, 27 historic sites, educational programs and book publishing.
