The Split Rock Light Station was built in 1910 in response to a November 1905 storm that damaged 29 ships in the area. For the first 15 years of its existence, it could only be reached by water. The completion of the Lake Superior International Highway in 1924 not only made it easier to supply the lighthouse and make it easier for lightkeepers and their families, but it opened up the lighthouse to visitors. By 1938, it was estimated that 100,000 people had visited the facility, making it possibly the most visited lighthouse in the United States. As navigational aids became more common, the need for the light diminished, and the lighthouse was finally decommissioned in 1969. In 1971, the State of Minnesota took over ownership. In 1976, administrative control was transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society. The site was restored to its 1920s appearance. Although the lighthouse took no part in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the light is made operational for a few hours every November 10 in honor of the lives lost during that tragic event.