SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE:
An Inventory of Their Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Title: | Split Rock Lighthouse records. | |
| Dates: | 1910-1967. | |
| Abstract: | Original, microfilmed, and photocopied records of the lighthouse keepers, containing daily entries on station activities and upkeep; expenditures; weather; shipping conditions; visitors; and social events on Lake Superior's north shore during the shipping season. | |
| Quantity: | 0.6 cubic feet (3 boxes) and 12 microfilm reels. | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
HISTORICAL NOTE
Located on Lake Superior's North Shore, the Split Rock Lighthouse began operation on August 1, 1910. It was originally under the supervision of the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Lighthouses, and in 1939 was turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1968 the station was declared obsolete and was closed. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the federal government's General Services Administration in 1969. In February 1971, the federal government donated the station to the State of Minnesota, and on May 2, 1971 the property—land and buildings—was dedicated as Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. At that time the station was opened to visitors for the first time since 1951. In August 1976, the station was turned over to the Minnesota Historical Society to be administered as Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site.
Historical information was taken from Glenn Sandvik, "A Guiding Light for Fifty Years," Minnesota Volunteer (July-August 1971), and from the site manager of the Split Rock Lighthouse historical site.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Split Rock Lighthouse Logbooks and Diaries. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples
Microfilm Production:
McLean, Virginia: Q Systems, Inc., November-December 2001.
Location of Originals:
Daily Logs, January 1951-December 1967 (9 volumes): National Archives. Record Group 26, Records of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Harry Thompson Diary, May 13, 1913-December 7, 1925 (1 volume): Isle Royale National Park, Houghton, Michigan.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 11,417; 15,522; 16,054; 16,570
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Processed by: Cheryl N. Thies, January 1982; Deborah M. Kahn, July 2003; Shelby Edwards, January 2012
Catalog ID number: 001730908
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1353 | 1 | Glenn Sandvik, "A Guiding Light for Fifty Years," Minnesota Volunteer, July-August 1971. | |||||||||
| 142.G.7.5B-1 | Daily expenditure of oil, wicks, and chimneys, 1910-1913. 1 volume. | ||||||||||
| "Account of oil, wicks, and chimneys expended daily...and showing the time of lighting and extinguishing and the length of time lighted each night"; kept by light house keeper, Orren P. Young. Some entries also contain commentary on weather conditions. | |||||||||||
| [0.65 cubic feet empty, over size.] | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1353 | 1 | Daily logs, July 1910-December 15, 1939. 9 folders. | |||||||||
| The photocopied logbooks, kept by the station's head keepers, cover the service of Orren P. Young (1910-1928), Franklin J. Covell (1928-1942), James Gagnon (1942-1944), and Morse E. Rhea (1944-1946). They contain daily entries during the Lake Superior shipping seasons, usually April through December, documenting the station's daily activities, weather and shipping conditions, improvements and repairs, and assistant keepers' names, salaries, and dates of service. Between 1910 and 1942, keepers Young and Covell also used the volumes as personal diaries. Their entries include notations on their families, assistants, visitors, and area social, political, and news events. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1353 | 2 | Daily logs, December 16, 1939-1946. 4 folders. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 1 | Daily logs, January 1951-December 1967. 12 microfilm reels. | |||||||||
| Daily log books/sheets giving climatological data gathered at, and narratives of human and natural events at, Split Rock Lighthouse. From November 1949 through June 1951, records are entitled "Journal of Light Station at..." and consist of brief narrative statements covering the events of each day, arranged chronologically. Beginning in July 1951, the records are on preprinted United States Coast Guard light station log forms asking for a greater variety of weather data and personnel responsibilities with space for summary narrative happenings for each day. The order of the latter reports varies. A summary monthly report for most months is present either at the beginning or the end of the month's entries. Entries for light stations other than Split Rock appear on some reels. | |||||||||||
| June 1952-December 1953. | |||||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 2 | July 1951-May 1952, January-June 1951, November 1949-December 1950. | |||||||||
| At end of reel is daily log for Spectacle Reef Light Station, Lake Huron, July-October 1955. | |||||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 3 | January-July 1954. | |||||||||
| At front of reel is daily log for Spectacle Reef Light Station, Lake Huron, November 1955-December 1956. | |||||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 4 | August 1954-January 1956. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 5 | February-December 1956. | |||||||||
| At end of reel is daily log for Spring Point Ledge Light Station, South Portland, Maine, January-August 1954. | |||||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 6 | January 1957-June 1958. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 7 | July 1958-December 1959. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 8 | January 1960-June 1961. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 9 | July 1961-November 1962. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 10 | December 1962-February 1965. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 11 | March 1965-October 1966. | |||||||||
| Reel | |||||||||||
| M669 | 12 | November 1966-December 1967. | |||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1353 | 2 | Diaries: Harry Thompson, May 13, 1913-December 7, 1925. 3 folders. | |||||||||
| Copies of personal diaries kept by Thompson during his tenure as first assistant keeper at Split Rock (1913-Oct. 3, 1923) and as keeper at Passage Island Lighthouse in Michigan (October 15, 1923-1925). Thompson's daily entries record weather conditions, work-related and personal activities and events, and money spent. There are also a few financial accounts for 1926-1927. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Lighthouses -- Minnesota.
- Lighthouses -- Michigan.
- Persons:
- Covell, Franklin J.
- Gagnon, James.
- Rhea, Morse E.
- Sandvik, Glenn N. 1950-.
- Thompson, Harry W.
- Young, Orren P.
- Organizations:
- Passage Island Lighthouse (Mich.).
- Split Rock Lighthouse (Minn.).
- Places:
- Superior, Lake -- Navigation.
- North Shore (Minn.).
- Lake County (Minn.) -- History.
- Document Types:
- Diaries.
- Logs (records).
- Occupations:
- Lighthouse keepers.
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