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Split Rock Lighthouse is located southwest of Silver Bay, Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The structure was designed by lighthouse engineer Ralph Russell Tinkham and was completed in 1910 by the United States Lighthouse Service at a cost of $75,000, including the buildings and the land. It is considered one of the most picturesque lighthouses in the United States. Built in response to the great loss of ships during the famous Mataafa Storm of 1905, during which 29 ships were lost or damaged on Lake Superior, the lighthouse stands on a 133-foot (41 m) sheer cliff eroded by wave action. The octagonal building is a steel-framed brick structure with concrete trim on a concrete foundation set into the rock of the cliff. It is topped with a large, steel lantern which features a third order, bi-valve type Fresnel lens manufactured in Paris, France. The tower was built for a larger second order lens, but when construction went over budget, only enough funding remained for the smaller Fresnel. The lens floats on a bearing surface of liquid mercury which allows near frictionless operation. At the time of its construction, there were no roads to the area; all building materials and supplies arrived by water and were lifted to the top of the cliff by crane. The lamp was first lit on July 31, 1910, and thanks to its scenic location, the lighthouse soon became a tourist attraction for sailors and excursion boats. The light was retired in 1969 by the U. S. Coast Guard and is now part of the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. ==||== (Now for the unpleasant [but still truthful] part: the day I shot this photo the sky was a dull light gray overcast... so I replaced it with something more in keeping with the beauty of the spot. Sorry. Couldn't resist the temptation.) 5