In the early morning hours of November 28, 1905, one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history brought 65-mile-per-hour winds, blinding snow, and 30-foot waves crashing into the cliff here. At the height of the storm, the 5,000-ton steel barge Madeira smashed into the distant cliff in front of you. All but one of the crew of ten escaped. The wrecked ship still lies off Gold Point and is a popular dive site. Nearly 30 ships were wrecked or damaged on Lake Superior during this storm. The scale of the destruction was a major reason why Split Rock Lighthouse was built here in 1910.