Just Up The Road

Two historic sites were on our tourist agenda today.  The first was Gooseberry Falls State Park, created by the CCC.  80+ stone and log structures still survive throughout the park.

A short stroll along a paved path brought us to the falls. The upper falls flow into a pool,

which falls into another pool

chuckles across this rocky area

and finally falls into the lowest pool 

before continuing on its way to Lake Superior.

7 miles further north is Split Rock Lighthouse.  This aerial view shows the lighthouse complex.  Front left is the lighthouse, right is the red roof of the fog signal building.  Behind it is the oil house which stored the oil and kerosene used to keep the light burning.  The three large buildings in the back are the three identical keeper's houses, with three storage barns behind them.

Since the houses are identical down to the furniture and paint color, only one was open for touring.

These houses had basements, unusual for the time period.  Note the downspout doesn't empty onto the ground.

Inside we found the usual small rooms furnished 1910 style (kitchen below).

  We were surprised to find hot and cold running water.  The water was pumped up from the lake.  A backup water supply was rainwater, collected from the roof via downspout run inside through the wall to a basement cistern.  

When we asked the guide where the waste water went (no septic system since the houses are built on solid rock), we were informed that it went right back into the lake! Ewww!

The lighthouse consisted of an open tower with one room at the top, accessible by a spiral staircase around the outside wall.

The original light was a kerosene vapor lamp, replaced in 1940 by a 1000 watt electric light bulb.  The lens weighs 6.5 tons.  The lens makes one revolution every 20 seconds, floating on a thin layer of mercury.

Gears driven by weights on cables, like a grandfather clock, turn the lens.  Every two hours the weights have to be cranked back to their starting positions.

The lighthouse view to the left revealed two buoys, markers for one of five ships wrecked here in the storm of 1905. 

To the right is a beautiful view of the shoreline.

A tramway was built to haul supplies from the lake to the lighthouse (accessible only by boat during the first 20 years of its operation).  To complete our tour of the complex, we descended to the lakeside via a 200+ step staircase built alongside what was left of the tramway .

The view of the lighthouse from the shore was worth the effort.

Rain predicted for tomorrow.

Louise and Duane