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In ‘The Man with the Burning Head’, Barnett and Penny travel to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. At some point during their stay, they are forced to flee to a lighthouse off the shore of the island. It’s at this lighthouse that they make their final stand against the darkness.

Constructed in 1908, Rock of Ages Lighthouse was built onto a shallow reef along the easternmost shore of the island. Shallow reefs surround Isle Royale on nearly all sides, and the island is home to nearly thirty wreckages of ships, spanning the past few centuries.

Prior to construction, the waters along the island were extremely dangerous, with concealed shoals, reefs and tricky currents that posed hazards to lakeborne vessels. In a matter of three years, both the Chisholm and Cumberland ran around near the place that would eventually become site to Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Fifteen years following construction, the Cox also ran aground, tragically in nearly the same spot as the Chisholm and Cumberland. And the wreckages of all three ships now lie beneath the waters atop the reef surrounding the lighthouse.

Today, the lighthouse is operated automatically, and has no need for full-time staff. The tower itself remains a pivotal navigation aid for lakeborne vessels, and it also holds important communications equipment that bring cell service and radio to Isle Royale. While closed to the public, the lighthouse is clearly visible by ferry, as well as boat. And portions of the three shipwrecks are visible from the surface.

Find ‘The Man with the Burning Head’ here

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