Library Happenings
Henning School

“The View From Split Rock, A Lighthouse Keeper’s Life” by Lee Radzak with Curt Brown is our featured book of the week.  

Lee Radzak lived at Split Rock Lighthouse for more than 36 years, carrying on the legacy of those light keepers that came before him.  This book is organized by seasons, both weather and life. Lee Radzak says in his acknowledgement, “This book is a brief record of a time, a place, and a life that was filled with history and beauty.”

Many people think of lighthouses as being remote, a bit worn, a guard warning against the dangerous rocks and darkness. In 1910 Split Rock Lighthouse was built on the North Shore of Lake Superior. During that time, all beacon light houses were run under the authority of the U.S. Lighthouse Service. This is a branch of the Department of Commerce.  

According to the History of the lighthouse/Minnesota Historical Society website, “The Lighthouse could only be accessed by water for nearly 15 years until the Lake Superior International Highway was completed in 1924, making the lighthouse more easily reachable for the lighthouse keepers and their families.”  

In the early 1930, about 5,000 a year visited the lighthouse.  By the 1940’s, an estimated 100,000 visitors came to the site. This was five times more visitors to this site than to any other site in the service. When navigational technology changed, the use of lighthouses for navigational purposes declined. In 1969, Split Rock Light Station was closed. There are only five remaining staffed lighthouses in operation today in the United States.  

In 1971, the State of Minnesota obtained the Split Rock Lighthouse and in 1976 gave management responsibility to the Minnesota Historical Society.  

Every day the view would be different from the 25 acre property. The book tells many stories of the storms and the peace that the water would provide. If you find yourself wanting to take a good old fashioned scenic drive to go to Split Rock Lighthouse, we hope that you’ll stop on up to the Henning Public Library and check out this amazing book.  

The State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society has awarded the Henning Public School Library a grant in the amount of $9,325. This grant will provide over 449 books to the Henning Public School Library.

This  grant helps provide a quality learning experience for our local Minnesotans by providing exemplary library bound (as much as possible) books that feature depictions of various aspects of the State of Minnesota. Students will develop knowledge, skills, and understanding about many areas of Minnesota by reading about Minnesota, its geography, heritage, culture, people, landforms, arts, sports, and more. 

Books will be purchased for all ages of people who frequent the library. This grant will help represent diverse ethnicities and people as we are purchasing books that feature a wide variety of people who have contributed to Minnesota. In addition, because Minnesota history is a vital component of our middle school curriculum, we want a strong selection of books that depict Minnesota history, industries, contemporary Minnesotans, immigration, the contributions of indigenous people, Minnesota authors/illustrators, and state bird/fish/foods, etc.