Point Iroquois was the battleground where the westward invasion by the Iroquois Indians was halted by the victorious Chippewa. Off the point, French-Canadian voyageurs paddled canoes heavily laden with furs, and eighteenth-century fur traders became forerunners of commercial shipping on Lake Superior. On June 27, 1831, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft led an expedition from this point to assist trade and to gain favor with the warring bands of Chippewa and Sioux Indians in the Upper Mississippi Valley. By 1870, shipping had become an important industry, and in that year the lighthouse was built. It operated continuously for 93 years and ceased operation in 1963 when an automatic light was erected in the channel. The property is maintained as part of the Hiawatha National Forest.