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Located on what is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world, the majestic Split Rock Lighthouse lights the way for many people today who still navigate the waters of the Great Lake Superior.
Located in the quiet little northern Minnesota town of Two Harbors, Split Rock Lighthouse is most definitely one of those places you would want to stop at any time you happen to travel to the northeastern corner of the state.
A little information about Split Rock Lighthouse (per their brochures and website):
After a late November storm in 1905 wrecked nearly 30 ships traveling the waters of Lake Superior, many began to urge the U.S. Lighthouse Service to construct the lighthouse with the intent to warn of the waters dangers and save lives as well as ships.
The construction of Split Rock Light Station was completed in 1910, and for 50 years it kept freighters carrying freshly mined ore from Minnesota’s Iron Range safe while they continued to navigate this massive body of water which is widely known as one of the ‘Great Lakes’ of the United States.
In 1961, the Split Rock Fog signal was no longer in service, though the Lighthouse light continued to warn ships of the many dangers found in these waters, and in 1969, the Split Rock Lighthouse site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lake Superior is widely known as the Lake whose November gale on the 10th day of the month in 1975 caused the death of 29 crew members aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald. Both crew and ship were completely lost on Lake Superior and there are memorials here as well as in the city of Duluth, MN, honoring those whom had lost their lives.
In 2011, Split Rock Lighthouse was designated as a National Historic Landmark and today it still draws thousands of visitors a year to its 25 acre site where the public can learn all about the Lighthouse as well as Lake Superior and its many shipwrecks.
The tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald also inspired the hugely popular 1970’s song by Gordon Lightfoot – The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
I love the history of this Lighthouse just as much as I love the view of Lake Superior from its grounds. Many times while gazing out over the massive waters of the Lake, you will begin to feel as though you are somewhere on a cliff near the ocean instead of standing on the cliff of an (extremely large) lake in northern Minnesota.
The many times my family and I had traveled to Two Harbors, we made it a point to stop at Split Rock.
The education on the Lighthouse and Lake alone makes it a really interesting and fun family trip that your children will be sure to enjoy as well.
A definite must see while traveling through the area!
For more information about Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota, please visit their website at: www.mnhs.org/splitrock
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