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Pellet Island claims its third victim
Fierce winds and forceful waves prove undoing for modern, powerful vessel.
Thanksgiving Day, 1979 started out like any other day for Captain Clyde Trueax and his crew aboard the 600-foot bulk . . . — — Map (db m203366) HM
This city was originally built by Reserve Mining Company to house the employees of their taconite production facility. When construction began in 1951, the town was known as the Beaver Bay housing project and one of the first houses in town became . . . — — Map (db m203561) HM
Sound When Sight Fails
When bad weather obscured a lighthouse beacon, navigators relied on its fog signal. Swirling snow and pea-soup fog could even make Split Rock Lighthouse invisible during the day. Navigators aboard ore boats relied on . . . — — Map (db m203737) HM
Earth's Crust Ruptures
The geology of the shoreline between Split Rock and Little Marais is the direct result of cataclysmic events that occurred many kilometers* below the earth's surface. About 1.1 billion years ago, this continent began . . . — — Map (db m204164) HM
Diver Discovery
The cold, clear waters of Lake Superior have preserved the remains of many important shipwrecks. In 1961, two divers located the wreck of the bulk freight steamer Hesper along the western breakwaters of the harbor. . . . — — Map (db m203364) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m203745) HM
Photos courtesy of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society
Hesper
May 5, 1905
The Hesper was lost when it was caught in a late spring snow storm in 1905. The storm's 60-mile-an-hour winds drove it well off its . . . — — Map (db m203554) HM
This lighthouse was built after a 1905 storm damaged 29 boats and resulted in more than three million dollars in damages.
Split Rock Lighthouse stands as a beacon to safety in the lake shipping industry. Construction began in 1909, with a . . . — — Map (db m203739) HM
History
Northshore Mining Company, which originally operated as Reserve Mining, was the first taconite processing facility in North America when it opened in 1955. The plant's production capacity was doubled to 10 million tons in 1964. The . . . — — Map (db m203439) HM
Between the lighthouse's kerosene lantern and the fog signal's gasoline engines, Split Rock needed a ready supply of fuel. The sturdy, fire-resistant oil house was built to store that fuel safely. The 16-inch-thick walls are made from poured cement . . . — — Map (db m203741) HM
Rising from the waves of Lake Superior, this cliff face serves as an awesome reminder of Minnesota's geological past. Eruptions of molten lava over a billion years ago, followed by eons of weathering and glacier scouring, created the spectacular . . . — — Map (db m203280) HM
This concrete platform is all that's left of the building that housed the steam hoist engine used to build Split Rock Lighthouse.
Everything needed for building the light station in 1909-10 arrived by boat. The hoist engine powered a winch . . . — — Map (db m204161) HM
The 3 storage barns were the first buildings constructed at the station. Keeping supplies safe and dry was essential. By the time road access was completed, the keepers had converted the barns from storage to garages for automobiles.
And then . . . — — Map (db m203744) HM
Northshore Mining Company originally operated as Reserve Mining Company. It was the first taconite mining and processing facility in North America when it opened in 1955. The company currently employs nearly 500 people and produces about 5 . . . — — Map (db m203360) HM
It's the early morning hours of November 28, 1905.
Imagine yourself standing right here in the middle of one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history: 65-mile-per-hour winds, blinding snow, and 30-foot waves crashing into the cliff. . . . — — Map (db m204163) HM
Why Safe Harbors?
Minnesota contains 150 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. With few exceptions, the shore is rocky and inhospitable to boaters in an emergency. From the time of American Indians and French-Canadian Voyagers paddling their . . . — — Map (db m203370) HM
