View of the Lighthouse

View of the Lighthouse. An Enduring North Shore Tourist Destination. , The Lighthouse , In 1855, Michigan's Sault Saint Marie Locks opened, linking the country's farthest "inland sea" with the lower Great Lakes. The North Shore quickly became busy with pleasure boats carrying wealthy easterners to cabins and ships hauling Minnesota's lumber and steel to far away places. , The rocky North Shore caused many vessels to fall victim to Lake Superior's treacherous coastline during stormy weather. In 1905, a single storm caused damage to 29 ships, prompting the federal government to build the Split Rock Light Station. The station opened in 1910. As one of the most remote lighthouses on the Great Lakes it was only accessible by water. Hoists carried people and supplies up the 130 foot high cliff. , The Split Rock Lighthouse became less isolated with road development. Visitors began arriving by the hundreds to see the lighthouse. By 1939, the site, with its picturesque setting, was one of the most visited lighthouses in the nation and one of Minnesota's best known landmarks. , The Scenic Drive , In the mid-1920s cars became affordable to the middle class and more and more Americans toured the country in private automobiles. In response, the Minnesota Department of Highways began building the "Lake Superior International Highway" in 1924. The highway followed the shoreline and connected Duluth with Canada. , The department designed the highway specifically to serve travelers and to provide outstanding views of Lake Superior. North Shore tourism flourished. The highway, known as North Shore Scenic Drive, is a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. The Gitchi Gami non-motorized trail runs parallel to this Scenic Drive. , The Overlook , The Minnesota Department of Highways built this scenic overlook in the early 1950s to provide travelers with a safe stopping place to rest and view the popular lighthouse and Lake Superior. The use of rough-hewn native materials recalls the spirit of a distinctive style known as National Park Service Rustic commonly employed in the 1930s and early ‘40s. Constructed of stone from across Minnesota, the masonry evokes a rather unexpected and uncommon appearance. , This project was funded in part by the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in cooperation with Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program and the Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program.