Near Silver Bay in Lake County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Home Away From Home

— Split Rock Lighthouse —

July 27, 2022

1. Home Away From Home Marker

Inscription. The three houses you see here were built in 1909, and housed the lighthouse keeper, his assistants, and their families in 1910. The keepers lived in these homes until the shipping season ended in December, then wintered in other homes until the shipping season resumed in April. Families didn't live here year-round until the early 1930s.

The houses are sturdy. Each has three layers of exterior brick walls, with an air pocket sandwiched between for insulation. Each of the houses has an identical floor plan, with three bedrooms, an indoor bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, and a full basement. While the houses were comfortable, there were still drawbacks to this isolated lifestyle. With cold temperatures came frozen pipes, especially since the water system was above ground. Keepers often went down to the lake with a yoke and hatchet, chipped through the ice, and filled buckets of water for their homes.

Top: Keepers residences, circa 1940. Bottom: Keeper Young and family, circa 1916. MNHS collections.

Erected by Minnesota Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in

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these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.

Location. 47° 12.023′ N, 91° 22.029′ W. Marker is near Silver Bay, Minnesota, in Lake County. It can be reached from Split Rock Lighthouse Road half a mile south of North Shore Scenic Drive (State Highway 61). Located at the Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd, Two Harbors MN 55616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region,

in the Iron Range,

and in the North Shore.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Great North Woods,

on Lake Superior’s North Shore,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At

Home Away From Home Marker & Keeper's Home image. Click for full size.

July 27, 2022

2. Home Away From Home Marker & Keeper's Home

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Storage Barn (here, next to this marker); Fog Signal (a few steps from this marker); Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker); Oil House (a few steps from this marker); Little Two Harbors (within shouting distance of this marker); Gold Rock Point (within shouting distance of this marker); Steam Engine Hoist (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Gales of November (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Silver Bay.

Other markers no longer nearby. Steam Hoist Engine (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Gales of November (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

The other two homes image. Click for full size.

July 27, 2022

3. The other two homes

The three homes image. Click for full size.

July 27, 2022

4. The three homes

Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2022. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 14, 2022.