The Whitefish Point Lighthouse is actually the 2nd light to be constructed at this important location. The original light was built in 1848, and was one of the first two lighthouses on Lake Superior. The present tower replaced the original in 1861. A wide legged iron skeleton surrounds the central steel cylinder which houses the staircase to the lantern room. The light is still an active aid to navigation.
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The area is a critical turnaround point for ships, as well as the only protected harbor for much of eastern Lake Superior. The Edmund Fitzgerald is just one of many ships who never made it into it's protected waters in time. The station is now the 'Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum', one of the finest maritime museums on the great lakes. The rescued bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald is displayed within.
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