Explore Split Rock Lighthouse, one of Minnesota’s most iconic landmarks

I’m enamored with lighthouses – their colorful histories, scenic locales, maritime significance and the aura of mystery they exude as they stand isolated, alone against a landscape of turbulent seas. They represent resilience, strength and steadfastness with their stone and brick exteriors, made to endure tough conditions. These beacons of light are also eternal symbols of vigilance, operating day and night, guiding sailors during their journeys. 

On a recent trip to Minnesota, I made a detour along my route to stop at Split Rock Lighthouse. Located on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Split Rock is a famed landmark in the state and receives thousands of visitors annually. It sits atop a dramatic 130-foot cliff and measures 54 feet high. 

This lighthouse aided ships across the stormy waters of Lake Superior for half a century. Many were freighters owned by the U.S. Steel Corporation, carrying iron ore shipments. In 1905, however, a single storm damaged 29 ships, one third of which were the uninsured property of the U.S. Steel fleet.

A delegation, headed up by the U.S. Steel company president at the time, went to D.C. to lobby for a light station and was successful in getting Congress to appropriate the money. The U.S. Lighthouse Service began construction, which first involved building a steam-powered hoist and derrick on the cliffside for lifting supplies off the supply boats on the lake. In all, 310 tons of materials were hoisted to the site without a single major accident – an impressive accomplishment.

The workers stayed in canvas tents on the open clifftop during the thirteen-month process, exposed to the elements, with only a break during the worst of the winter months. Construction was completed in 1910 and the light was first lit on July 31st of that year. It is said that this marvel of engineering stood as a “monument to the will of the men who built it as much as an aid to navigation.” 

For nearly fifteen years, the lighthouse could only be accessed by water. It became more easily reachable later when the Lake Superior International Highway was created, connecting Duluth with Canada. The roadway brought tourists and by 1938, Split Rock became the most visited lighthouse in the U.S. 

New navigational technology, however, caused many lighthouses to close, including Split Rock, and the station was shut down in 1969. Today, lighthouses in the U.S. are typically either automated or have been decommissioned. 

Thankfully, the State of Minnesota stepped in and obtained Split Rock in 1971 and then transferred administrative responsibility for the site to the Minnesota Historical Society. The lighthouse was eventually restored to its early 1920s appearance and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011. 

There’s much to discover as you tour this site, including the lighthouse, fog signal building, oil house and fully restored keeper’s home. Start at the visitor center with the introductory film, which uses original footage and first-person accounts from newspapers, storm survivors, lighthouse builders and keepers to explore the history of the place. Then peruse the exhibits which focus on the significance of the shipping industry on Lake Superior, as well as the number of shipwrecks that prompted the lighthouse to be built.

Although not in Minnesota waters, the story of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald is presented. The Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes when it first launched in 1958, and it also has the distinction of being the largest ship to have sunk in these waters. A ferocious storm caused it to go down on Nov. 10, 1975, taking its entire crew of 29 to a watery grave. Each year on Nov. 10th, the beacon is lit at Split Rock to honor the crew lost at sea. You might recall that singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the event with his hit song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” 

There’s an array of interesting artifacts on display in the center. One of the highlights is the ship’s wheel from the Madeira, which sank in 1905. The ship currently rests at the bottom of Lake Superior, but its wheel was brought up by a dive club in 1961. 

You’ll also see the actual uniform hat worn by Split Rock’s first head keeper, Orren “Pete” Young. This traditional keeper’s hat has the emblem of the U.S. Lighthouse Service on it and Young would have worn it anytime he had to be in uniform. The rest of the keeper’s dress included a double-breasted coat with gilt buttons on each side, and vest and pants of navy-blue cloth. On each lapel of the coat an embroidered gold loop was added with the letter K, for keeper. First assistant keepers had the figure 1 embroidered, while second assistant keepers had the figure 2. 

A full-scale replica of the third-order Fresnel lens that sits atop the lighthouse take center stage in the exhibit area. Made in Paris, it has 252 prisms and weighs a whopping 650 pounds.

There’s another exhibit devoted to the stories of the Indigenous people who have called the place where the lighthouse stands their home. The name “Minnesota” actually comes from the Dakota language, Mni Sota Makoce, meaning “where the waters reflect the sky.” 

Then head out to the piece de resistance, the lighthouse itself. Enjoy the view, take your pics and step inside. Climb the 32-step spiral staircase to the lantern room, which houses the original Fresnel lens. It still turns with its original clockwork mechanism. And though the lighthouse was decommissioned, the lantern is still in operational condition and as mentioned above, it is lit each year during the Edmund Fitzgerald Beacon Lighting Ceremony. Its range is 22 miles and it flashes once every ten seconds. 

Then walk across the way to the Fog Signal Building. You’ll learn that the fog signal or foghorn was used when visibility was poor, due to fog, smoke or snow. It would go off every eighteen seconds for a two-second blast, which could be heard within a five-mile plus radius. At 120 decibels, it was, as you can imagine, painfully loud to the human ear.

Nearby, you can also check out the oil house, which was originally used to store flammables, including the kerosene for the beacon lamp and the gas for the fog signal. And if interested, you can go look at the hoist and derrick ruins site, although all that is left are depressions and foundation fragments. When a storm destroyed the hoist engine, a much safer tramway replaced it. There are also remnants of the tramway supports at the tram house and tramway ruins site. 

Pay a visit to the keeper’s home, restored to its 1920s condition when the light station could only be reached by water. Initially, keepers would have very limited visits with their families, as it was dangerous to access this location. Families would live elsewhere during the school year and go to the lighthouse during summer vacation. Once the highway was completed, however, keepers and their families could live together year-round. Stroll through the rooms and note the photos of the keepers and their families over the years, along with items of clothing, toys and more. 

Though we might imagine a romantic life in one of these outposts, it was nowhere near an idyll existence. The keepers and their assistants, who were responsible for keeping the light going 24-7, worked hard. Throughout the night, they had to keep watch in four-hour shifts and during the day, they monitored the weather. And because lighthouses were far from civilization and supplies, the keepers had to be adept at repairing and operating the equipment on their own. They also had to do all the bookkeeping and later, serve as tour guides. 

Split Rock Lighthouse | Minnesota Historical Society (mnhs.org)