Chronology
Plan a Visit
Historical Background
| 1905 |  |
Late November gale damaged 29 ships on Lake Superior. |
| 1907 | Congress appropriated $75,000 for light station and fog signal in vicinity of Split Rock. | |
| 1910 |  |
Split Rock light station commissioned. |
| 1910 to 1928 | Orren "Pete" Young served as head keeper at Split Rock. | |
| 1915 to 1916 |
 |
Elevated tramway built to replace original hoisting engine and derrick at Split Rock. |
| 1924 |  |
Lake Superior International Highway completed past Split Rock lighthouse. First tourists visited site by car. |
| 1928 to 1944 | Franklin J. Covell served as head keeper at Split Rock. | |
| 1932 | Split Rock fog signal gas engines replaced by diesels. | |
| 1933 | Lighthouse tenders made last visits to Split Rock station. | |
| 1934 |  |
Tramway dismantled at Split Rock. Station received a truck to haul supplies. Second assistant designated laborer and truck driver. |
| 1936 |  |
Split Rock fog signal siren converted to a diaphone (two-tone, rather than single tone sound) |
| 1939 | Lighthouse Service absorbed by the U.S. Coast Guard. | |
| 1940 | Split Rock station electrified. Incandescent oil vapor lamp replaced by 1,000-watt bulb. Lens rotated by electric motor. Fog signal operated by electric motor. | |
| 1940 | Well dug at Split Rock to improve station water supply. | |
| 1942 |  |
U.S. Coast Guard taken over by U.S. Navy for balance of World War II. Lightkeepers became "commanding officers." |
| 1947 to 1961 | Robert E. Bennetts served as last civilian keeper at Split Rock. | |
| 1961 | Fog signal discontinued at Split Rock (light continued). | |
| 1969 | Split Rock station decommissioned. Site is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. | |
| 1971 | Site became part of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. | |
| 1975 |  |
On November 10, the Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 crew members were lost on Lake Superior. |
| 1976 | Minnesota Historical Society began to administer the Split Rock station site. | |
| 1980 | Historic site area expanded from 7.6 acres to current 25-acre size. Restoration of the head keeper’s dwelling. | |
| 1986 |  |
Visitor Center opened. |
