History
Postcard from a Foreign Vessel at the Aerial Lift Bridge
This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography depicts a “foreign vessel going under famous Aerial Lift Bridge,” according to the caption on the back.
PDD Video Lab: Starbelle and the Aerial Lift Bridge
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we watch the bulk carrier Starbelle pass through the Duluth Ship Canal and under the Aerial Lift Bridge via footage from Richter Home Movies. The final 15 seconds features a nice look at Canal Park circa the early 1960s. (more…)
Mystery Photo #105: October House
These two buildings still exist in Duluth, in slightly altered form. They are significant for different reasons. One of them is one of the oldest standing buildings in Duluth.
What are they currently used for? What was the October House? Hint: A baker named Bergetta Moe was involved at one point.
Apple Man: Duluth’s Depression-Era Action Hero
The Richardson Brothers: Apple Man: Duluth's Depression-Era Action Hero
richardsonbrothers.libsyn.com
Reconstructed by the Richardson Bros. from records at the St. Louis County Historical Society
Full text below.
Someone’s got it
I was reminiscing of the olden days of Duluth, way back in 2001, where on First Street you could get a roast beef sandwich on a European Bakery roll for a dollar at Fichtner’s butcher shop.
I feel certain that the recipe for that roast beef a) is simpler than I expect and b) won’t translate to the home oven — that the secret was a 30-pound chunk of beef, sliced, sitting in hotel pan in the window for hours.
Anyway, if anyone has the recipe, please share.
PDD Video Lab: Old Iron Range Footage
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we take a cruise through Virginia, Chisholm and Hibbing circa the 1960s with footage from Richter Home Movies set to the tune of Iron & Wine’s “Weary Memory” from the 2002 album The Creek Drank the Cradle.
Postcard from Duluth’s Lighthouse Lot in Canal Park
This undated postcard from the Gallagher Studio of Photography shows the parking lot near the Duluth Shipping Canal, which is known as the Lighthouse Lot.
The caption on the back of the card reads:
Canal Park in Duluth, Minnesota
Westerly Terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway
Sylvester’s Downtown Duluth Store
Something to keep your mind busy today … Does anybody remember a store in Downtown Duluth in the 1990s named Sylvester’s? What did they sell and where was it located?
Duluthians shed tears openly at news of Roosevelt’s death
President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office on April 12, 1945, after a massive intracerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Shown here is how it was reported in Duluth. (more…)
Duluth’s story told by one of its greatest chroniclers
Tony Dierckins is among Duluth’s greatest resources. Few have given so much of their time and energy to telling the story of the city. As a small publisher, perhaps few have taken as many personal risks hoping the stories of Duluth will find their audiences. (more…)
PDD Video Lab: Old Grand Marais Footage
In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we blend old film footage of Grand Marais from Richter Home Movies with “Easy Ride,” a song from the Doors’ 1969 release The Soft Parade.
Postcard from Duluth’s Waterfront
This undated postcard, published by Zenith Interstate Company of Duluth, with Plastichrome by Colourpicture Publishers of Boston, appears to be circa the early 1960s.
The caption on the back reads:
A Panoramic View of Duluth, Minnesota
The Harbor at Duluth-Superior is the second largest harbor in the world in total tonnage handled annually. More than 10,000 ships arrive and depart annually from the Duluth-Superior Harbor.
Lake Superior Aquaman: My 100% True Adventures
#visitduluth #thx2transistor
Excerpts from my journals, which tell of my 100% true adventures and discoveries.
Contents
Part 1: The Nightmare Fish
Part 2: The Insane Reptiles
Part 3: It Came from Lake Inferior (more…)
Mystery Photo #104: Mustached Dude with Fat Tie
Who is this handsome Duluthian? Was he actually a Duluthian at all or just passing through and feeling photogenic? (more…)
UMD’s 125th Anniversary: The Rare and Remarkable
Duluth Normal School May Queen and Her Court.
On April 2, 1895 — 125 years ago today — Minnesota Governor David. M. Clough signed legislation approving the creation of the State Normal School at Duluth. It would be seven more years before classes were held, but nonetheless, the University of Minnesota Duluth traces its beginning to that moment in 1895. (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #46: Grand Finale
Here it is, the last one in the set of trivia cards from an old board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
Northeastern Minnesota COVID-19 Community Archive Project
Hello, PDD Community!
Imagine that 100 years from now you are researching the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in Northeastern Minnesota. It’s easy to find dry statistics and numbers, but you want more. What were people thinking and feeling during this time? What informational materials and public art did they create? How were they helping each other? What did the day-to-day experience of this time look like in Duluth?
What if there were an archive of those experiences for you to explore? (more…)
The 2005 Duluth Art Institute Riot
Academic and Critical Excerpts, collated and footnoted by the Richardson brothers (Jim and Allen Richardson) (more…)
Who (or what) was Sonny?
This 1910 Duluth postcard raises at least one large looming question. (more…)
Masonic Temple, Duluth, Minn.
The Duluth Masonic Temple at 4 W. Second St. opened 115 years ago — March 24, 1905, and continues to operate today as the Duluth Masonic Center. (more…)
The Value of Duluth Telephone Service in 1920
This advertisement in the March 9, 1920 issue of the Duluth Herald notes Duluth had 20,706 telephones. (more…)
The Richardson brothers in the book “Haunted Minnesota”
This post could also be called “Bigfoot and Us.”
Starting in 1998, my brother Allen and I wrote a “weird science” column called “Gonzo Science” for the alternative Duluth newsweekly Ripsaw. (more…)
Superintendents of Duluth Public Schools, 1870 to 2020
Minnesota’s Independent School District #709 was led by 29 individuals during its first 150 years. For the historical record we list here the superintendents of Duluth Public Schools from 1870 to 2020. (more…)
Duluth Trivia Deck Sampler #45
Another trivia card from a board game purchased at Savers. (more…)
PDD Quiz: Prohibition in the Twin Ports
To mark the centennial of the start of nationwide Prohibition, this week’s quiz explores how residents of the Twin Ports adapted to (and circumvented) laws banning alcohol.
The Zenith City website, the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center collections, and the book Naturally Brewed, Naturally Better: The Historic Breweries of Duluth and Superior by Pete Clure and Tony Dierckins were all invaluable sources of research for this quiz.
The next PDD quiz, reviewing headlines from March 2020, will be published on March 29. Please submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at aklawite@d.umn.edu by March 26. (more…)