History
Lake Superior Aquaman’s Duluth
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Explore this interactive map for the bounty of our Northlandic Atlantis. Containing hundreds of photos, video and links, this is a virtual tour of the area with a focus on water, wildlife, history, and recreation.
Torture by Numbers: The Past Quarter-Century of Pro Sports in Minnesota
Duluth’s Luke Moravec presents on Minnesota’s run of sports misery. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Duluth Baby on Scale
The date on this image appears to be Oct. 4, 1896. Just about everything else is a mystery. Who is the baby? Who is the adult? Where are they? What does the note “5 win + 6 days” mean? (more…)
Video Archive: Emil’s 70th Birthday Polka Party in 1987
Here it is, another epic production from the collection of the late Emil Praslowicz, digitized by his grandson, Kip Praslowicz. The scene is Chet & Emil’s in Birnamwood, Wis., 250 miles southeast of Duluth.
Postcard from Bethany Lutheran Church of Duluth
The postcard image above shows Bethany Lutheran Church at 2302-2308 W. Third St. in Duluth’s friendly West End. The image appears to be circa the 1970s, maybe ’60s. (more…)
Video Archive: Honky Tonk Man and Butch Reed cut wrestling promos for 1987 Duluth show
The World Wrestling Federation — now known as World Wrestling Entertainment — brought four cards to the Duluth Arena in 1987. The fourth happened 30 years ago today — Dec. 27. (more…)
Daisy Roller Mill in Superior
A post on photographer Dan Turner’s Substreet website takes a peek at Superior’s old East End Milling District.
Daisy was the last of the flour mills to close in the Twin Ports,” Turner writes. “It closed in the 1970s when Peavey moved its durum operations to a new mill in Hastings, Minnesota. Today the mill is unused, though a company uses the silos.
Merry Christmas from Congdon Park
Duluth Photo Engraving Company holiday postcard circa 1915.
Video Archive: Original Star Wars ends run in Duluth
The clip was featured on PDD once before, just a year ago, when actress Carrie Fisher died. Today we roll it out again to mark the 40th anniversary of the day the original Star Wars movie closed in Duluth — Dec. 22, 1977. It was screened 459 times during a 191-day run.
1929 Ford Happy Time Mini Eatery
The Happy Time concession wagon purportedly was “the first mail truck in Duluth.” It’s a 1929 Model A Ford truck that obviously was converted to a popcorn wagon. It’s shown here parked in the former Super One parking lot on the 2200 block of East Fifth Street in Superior’s East End neighborhood. It was marked for sale the day these photos were shot, Dec. 2. (more…)
Mystery Photo #59: Duluth Wau-Pse-Ke Club Cabin
What’s the deal with the Wau-Pse-Ke Club and its cabin? Though the stamp, and presumably the postmark with it, were torn off this old postcard, we know the cabin dates back at least to 1911 and was on the Lester River. (more…)
Mystery Photo #58: Steamer Perry G. Walker
Although the date Dec. 11 is recorded on this image, it’s not clear what year it was when the steamer Perry G. Walker arrived in Duluth covered in ice. It’s also not clear if this is a photo or an illustration … or an illustrated photo. (more…)
Minnesota Point
Year unknown, photographer unknown. Appears to have been shot in the late 1800s.
Postcard from Steinle Nursuries
This postcard offers a view of Steinle Nursuries on Miller Trunk Highway. Not much is known about the business or the location. The back of the postcard offers no details, other than that it was published by Duluth Photo Engraving Company and could be mailed domestically for a penny. (more…)
Dorothy Arnold Photo Gallery
In tribute to actress Dorothy Arnold — born Dorothy Arnoldine Olson on Nov. 21, 1917 — a gallery or glamorous promotional and press photos. Click any image to see it full size instead of as a thumbnail. (more…)
Postcards from Duluth’s Lincoln Hotel
The Lincoln Hotel stood at 317 W. Second St. from 1926 to 2004. The location is now a parking lot for St. Louis County’s Government Services Center. (more…)
Mystery Photo #57: Duluth Swimmers
Here’s what is known about this photo: It was shot prior to 1997 and was part of the Budgeteer Press photo collection that was disposed of just before the name of the weekly paper changed to Budgeteer News. (more…)
WEBC radio clip from Nov. 18, 1967
WEBC 560 AM is the oldest radio station in the Duluth-Superior market, dating back to 1924. These days it feeds the 106.5 FM translator branded as “Sasquatch 106.5.”
The audio clip above includes commercials broadcast between songs on Nov 18, 1967. In addition to station promos, the clip includes spots for Ski Hut, WEBC / Jeno’s Pizza Battle of the Bands, and the Big Bash with Dave Gordon and the Expressmen.
The Fisk Rubber Company, 1920
Fisk Rubber Company had retail stores in 40 states during the 1920s. The Duluth sales and service station was at 749 E. Superior St. The photo above was shot by Hugh McKenzie and dated Oct. 23, 1920. Below, the same location at Eighth Avenue East and Superior St., shot Nov. 7, 2017. (more…)
PDD Quiz: Gales of November
November is a treacherous time on the Great Lakes. This past month, the “gales of November came early,” devastating the Lake Superior shoreline. This quiz looks back at Lake Superior storms and shipwrecks (as well as some marginally-related local singers and songwriters). (more…)
World’s only Frank Lloyd Wright service station
The R. W. Lindholm Service Station at 202 Cloquet Ave. in Cloquet, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956 and opened in 1958, is still in use. These photos are from late 1950s and early 1960s. (more…)
Video Archive: Don Ness elected mayor in 2007
For your Election Day amusement Perfect Duluth Day flashes back one decade to 2007, when Don Ness was elected mayor of Duluth. Above is WDIO-TV Eyewitness News footage from the primary on Sept. 11, and below is coverage by Fox 21 and WDIO from the general on Nov. 6. (more…)
Mystery Photo #56: Duluth Ice Sculpture
There’s not a lot to go on in the featured photo, but hold on … (more…)
Kelley-How-Thomson Company of Duluth
Shown above are workers from the Kelley-How-Thompson Co. at Duluth’s Winter Frolic, circa 1926-1928. The tool and hardware wholesale business was headquartered at 231-237 S. Fifth Ave. W. — which would put it roughly where I-35 intersects the avenue between the DECC and Duluth Depot today. It produced a variety of hardware products, including a line marked with the trade name Hickory. (more…)