History
Mystery Photos #118 and #119: Gals at H. Mathieson Studio
Many early studio photographers around Duluth printed their photographs on flowery pre-printed cabinet cards, often with their names prominently displayed. Often the name of the person photographed is lost to history, but we can easily locate the photographer in the records more than 100 years later. (more…)
West Duluth Gardens of 1920
There seems to be a gardening boom in 2020, obviously due to more people staying home during the pandemic. West Duluth has a bit of a reputation for having had numerous gardens a century ago that slowly petered out in more recent decades. According to an article in the Aug. 7, 1920 Duluth Herald, gardening in West Duluth got a big boost from the neighborhood’s commercial club. (more…)
Postcard from the S.S. North West
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Aug. 4, 1910 — from A. Nelson in Duluth to Miss Louise Skoug in Two Harbors.
According to the Historic Detroit website, the North West “began its life as one of the finest passenger steamers ever built for service on the Great Lakes — and, after a series of unusual events, ended that life by being torpedoed by the Germans during World War II.” (more…)
Postcard from Duluth’s Hillside in 1950
This postcard was mailed Aug. 2, 1950 — 70 years ago today. It features a view of Duluth’s harbor entrance, ship canal, Lake Superior and the Downtown business district. (more…)
“The Snowbirds are coming!” Duluth Airbase Open House, 1980
Forty years ago today.
Saints Duluth Roller Skating Center, 1978
Forty-two years ago today — July 30, 1978 — the Duluth News Tribune published a feature about the Saints Duluth Roller Skating Center on the cover of its Today’s Living section. Featured in photos were Rory Wohlstrom, Tammy Bergman, Lynda Gill, Tommi Peterson and Henry Miltakis. (more…)
Postcard from the Spruce Mine at Eveleth
The undated postcard shown here is a scene from the Spruce Mine in Eveleth, about 50 miles north of Duluth. The card was published by David Milavetz News Company of Virginia, Minn. and produced by E. C. Kropp Co. of Milwaukee, Wis. (more…)
Postcard from Duluth’s “Business Section”
This undated postcard was never mailed, but at some point a message was scrawled on the back:
This is the main street in the business section of Duluth. It runs in the low part of the city and follows more or less regularly the shore of the lake.
Classic photos of Lake Superior Zoo and Kingsbury Creek
This photo of an elk is dated 1926.
Duluth’s municipal zoo opened in 1923 after the city council gave a small piece of land to print-shop owner Bert Onsgard and hired him as zookeeper. He was paid $1 per year for tending to a white-tailed deer and a few native birds. The zoo would eventually expand to cover 16 acres of land surrounding Kingsbury Creek in Fairmount Park, and hold hundreds of animals from around the world. (more…)
Corner Stores on West Third Street in Duluth
Does anyone remember the two corner stores that were across from Bryant School on West Third Street? What were the names?
A Swimming Hole at Lester Park
The Library of Congress dates this photo from Detroit Publishing Company as circa 1904. (more…)
Airplane View of Grain Elevators, Lift Bridge and Duluth Harbor
This undated postcard from Zenith Interstate News Company offers a view of grain elevators on Rice’s Point, the Duluth-Superior Harbor, Aerial Lift Bridge and other waterfront locations.
The caption on the back reads:
Duluth-Superior Harbor ranks second in the world, second only to New York City in tonnage handled annually. More than ten thousand vessels arrive and depart annually from the Duluth-Superior Harbor. In this picture you see featured part of the great grain elevators and docks in the harbor. There are also the world’s largest iron ore and coal docks in this magnificent harbor.
Postcard from the U.S. Coast Guard Woodrush Breaking Ice in Duluth Harbor
It was July 12, 1950 — 70 years ago today — that some dude with the initials H.E.W. sent this postcard from Duluth to Mr. Joe Rigatti of Pittsburgh, Penn. (more…)
Rustic Bridge in Lester Park, Summer of 1899
The elaborate cedar bridge spanning Duluth’s Lester River was about one year old in the summer of 1899 when photographer William Henry Jackson visited Duluth and captured the image above. By 1931 the bridge was gone.
The book Duluth’s Historic Parks: Their First 160 Years by Nancy S. Nelson and Tony Dierckins notes the bridge was “a popular tourist stop, with picnic tables on the bottom deck and lounging on the upper promenade.” The ravages of weather limited the bridge’s life. The upper deck was removed in 1916, followed by the lower deck 15 years later.
Postcard from the Flamingo Excursion Yacht
Duluth’s Vista Fleet excursion business got its start in 1959 under the name Flamingo Excursions. The 144-passenger S.S. Flamingo replaced the businesses’ original boat, the Streamliner, in 1961. (more…)
Duluth Ferris Wheels
COVID-19 kept the Mighty Thomas Carnival from making its annual summer appearance in Duluth. Instead, we get our Ferris wheel kicks from the photo archive. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Fourth of July Parade in West Duluth
The written caption on this postcard tells us pretty much everything we need to know, except for one critical thing: What year was this? (more…)
The War Years: Duluth News from Above the Fold
A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.
In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This final gallery displays a few front page headlines. (more…)
The War Years: World War II Duluth News Clippings
A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.
In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This third gallery displays news clips related to the war. (more…)
The War Years: Life in Duluth
A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.
In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This second gallery displays general Duluth-related news stories. (more…)
The War Years: Duluth Commerce
A collection of World War II-era newspapers, saved in a bushel box by an old timer, make up the content of a Facebook page called Duluth News Tribune and Herald the War Years. Rick Hamilton has been showcasing pieces of the old newspapers there since July 2017.
In a series of four posts, Perfect Duluth Day is featuring samplings from the collection. This first gallery displays advertising clips. (more…)
Hayes Block Downtown Duluth Post Office
From 1870 to 1894, Duluth’s downtown post office was located in the Hayes Block, a building that still stands at 26 E. Superior St. as part of the Wieland Block apartments. (more…)
Robin Washington interviews Jim Richardson about PDD Confederate essay
Simply Superior,June 26, 2020 - WPR
Jim Richardson is one-half of the Richardson Brothers team with his brother, Allen. The duo hosts the Richardson Brothers Podcast, which presents stories, some in the style of the late […]
wpr.org
Robin Washington interviewed me on Wisconsin Public Radio about the essay I wrote for PDD denouncing my white Confederate heritage.
PDD Video Lab: Cruising the Duluth Harbor on the Flame
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we take a cruise with Lorraine and the kids on the Flame excursion boat in 1964. At the midway point of the video, the scene switches to the Edgewater Motel. (more…)
Postcard from Franklin School in 1910
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — June 27, 1910. It shows Franklin Elementary School at 411 E. Seventh St., and the surrounding neighborhood. Franklin School was demolished in 1979 and is today the site of Hillside Sport Court Park. More on the history of Franklin School can be found on zenithcity.com. (more…)