History
The End of Streetcars in Duluth
Streetcars ran in Duluth for the last time on July 9, 1939. Streetcar service had been gradually phased out by trolley buses for nearly 20 years before meeting its total demise.
Yoerg’s Brewery
On this date 165 years ago — July 6, 1849 — Bavarian immigrant Anthony Yoerg opened Minnesota’s first brewery in St. Paul.
Interesting side note on Yoerg’s Brewery: In 1871 the operation moved to a spot adjacent to the Lilydale caves. Yoerg used the natural caves to store his product, and added the phrase “cave-aged” to the label. There are a number of places online to read about Yoerg’s Brewery, but of particular interest is the Substreet underground history site, which profiles Yoerg’s lost cellars.
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Lost Iron Range
For your Independence Day pleasure, one hour and four minutes of Iron Range history from the fine folks at WDSE-TV.
The persecution of Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century led many to flee to a safer place where they could build a future for their families. America was the land of opportunity and Minnesota’s Iron Range in particular was booming with the mining industry. The Range was also a place where a mosaic of ethnic groups was building communities without fear of prejudice. Subsequently the Iron Range saw a large influx of Jewish settlers.
Duluth Scavenger Hunts
Above is KBJR-TV video from the Duluth Citywide Scavenger Hunt of 2004. Last month Scavaganza was put on by Youth for Duluth. What other scavenger hunts can you recall from day’s past? (more…)
Inducing the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop in Duluth
From the March 22, 1909, Duluth Evening Herald:
Auto ride for drunks
New police patrol will be in service next week
“Free ride with every jag” for every woodsmanDuluth’s new automobile police patrol wagon is due to arrive in the city next Friday. After a few trial trips on local hills, it probably will be put in active service the following Monday.
For several years past certain interests in Duluth have been trying to devise ways and means to induce the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop off here and spend his money. (more…)
Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse: A few pre-fire photos of the adjoining bar
The May 11 fire that destroyed the processing area of Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse in Knife River didn’t do much damage to the adjoining bar area, but nonetheless I thought I’d share some pre-fire snapshots I took of it in the fall of 2012, before it got “smoked” … so to speak. (The shot above is obviously of the fire, taken from the smokehouse’s Facebook page.)
Mystery Photo: Holm’s Kaffe Stuga
This photo is labeled “Holm’s Kaffe Stuga, Fond du Lac, Duluth, Minn.” From that we can assume the Fond du Lac neighborhood had a Swedish coffee cottage at some time in history. When? Where? And who is this Holm character?
Duluth Public Library dedication riot
Does anyone remember that in the early 1970s there was a dedication for the groundbreaking of the new Duluth Public Library, and suddenly a group of war protesters, marching down Michigan Street, were raided by the police.
I was about 4 years old and remember seeing the cops using their billy clubs to best long-hair teenagers.
Does anyone remember any details?
The more things change …
A 1972 cartoon featured in the book “Minnesota in the 70s.”
“Such a delightful time”
July 1909 — Seven billion gallons of water falls on the Duluth area in two days. Grass, trees, timbers, paving blocks, mud and debris are washed down the city’s hillside during the torrential rainfall. Two children drown after being swept out of their mother’s arms.
Within two weeks a postcard is made, and the mood on the back doesn’t quite seem to fit the mood on the front.
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Mystery Photo: Honor Brand
This photo from 1910 depicts “Mrs. Goldsmith and associates ready to demonstrate Honor Brand pure food products at the Pure Food Show, Duluth.” That tells us quite a bit, but here’s the question(s): Where was the Pure Food Show held? What is the location of this photo? Is it an existing building or long-demolished one? Does anyone recognize that ceiling?
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Mystery Cable?
While stopped at the stoplight at Superior Street and Second Avenue East this morning, I noticed a cable strung diagonally across the intersection. The cable is strung between Old City Hall and the Temple Opera building. It is a plain steel cable, not holding up any sort of utility cable. The cable looks fairly old, based upon the brackets fastened to the buildings. Anyone have any idea as to it’s purpose? Lightning? Keeping one of the buildings from falling over? Old traffic signals?
Happy 60th anniversary, Sammy’s Pizza
It all began 60 years ago. Sam and Louise Perrella moved their small cafe from Keewatin to Hibbing. And with that move, expanded the menu with pizza. Sam had learned about the Italian item from the men who worked in the mines.
Video Archive: Light Up the NorShor 2004
Here we are, ten years later, and the marquee at the NorShor hasn’t quite been lit up yet … but it seems like we’re getting close.
The “Light Up the NorShor” fashion show fundraiser was held on Feb. 28, 2004. There must be a video of the entire event somewhere; I seem to remember it aired on public access TV. The show was organized by Adeline Wright and Laura Scheu (who became Laura Ness two months later).
Duluth Mystery Photo: Ice Monument
The caption on this postcard reads: “Ice Formation on Fountain at Lakewood, Duluth, Minn.” There was a big fountain in Lakewood Township?
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Duluth Mystery Photo: Aunt Ella Jackman
The woman seated in this photo is identified on the back as “Aunt Ella Jackman.” So, of course, inquiring minds want to know: Who was this Ella Jackman and what about the woman standing over her?
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From the PDD Archive: Leave a Message at the Beep — Jan and Wes Edition
Ten years ago Starfire amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in local thrift stores. This is post number two of two featuring the old audio clips. The previous post featured the messages of the Twice But Nice store. Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of Jan and Wes.
Help in identifying a Duluth location
I believe this is Garfield Avenue and Superior Street. A relative once had a grocery store directly to the left of Garfield in the photo. I’m pretty sure it is the store with the canopy or the one to the right (west) of that one. Charles Atol was the “original?” owner then later Jimmy Atol. Any information would be appreciated.
Leave a Message at the Beep — Twice But Nice Edition
In 2004, Scott “Starfire” Lunt amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in thrift stores.
“These are spectacular glimpses into people’s lives and I can’t believe they get so casually discarded,” Starfire wrote at the time.
Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of the old Twice But Nice store.
R.I.P. Memorial Community Center
The community center building at Memorial Park in West Duluth is no more. The PDD Drone did a fly through on Sunday for posterity.
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Duluth Mystery Photo: Holt Caterpillar
This week’s mystery photo is an illustration, really, but the small print indicates it’s a “drawing from photograph.” The text of this 1922 advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post refers to Duluth, which leads one to assume the illustration is based on a photo shot in Duluth. Is it? Does anyone recognize this location 92 years later?
Ye Olde Duluth: Roller Skating Edition
Duluth's Frank Bryant (right) and Raymond 'King' Kelly after skating 348 miles to set a world distance record for a 24-hour two-man relay, 21-22 January 1915.
I ran across this on the Library of Congress’s Flickr Commons photostream today and got curious. Although the original caption suggests that Bryant and King’s record was set “on ice,” the wheels on the skates the men are wearing make me skeptical–as does the background material on the Frank Bryant collection at the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center.
So, here goes: From 1913-1916, Duluthian Frank Bryant was a dominant competitive roller skater, holding a world championship in speed skating. The photo here depicts the 25 year-old Michigan native with St. Paulite Kelly, with whom he set a world record distance of 348 miles for a 24-hour two-man relay event–the Minnesotan pair’s performance eclipsed the previous 203-mile mark set just two weeks earlier in New York. A knee injury in 1916 apparently ended his high-level skating career, but he continued skating competitively into the late 1920s. Bryant worked for Duluth’s Union Towing and Wrecking Company for 32 years, retiring in 1955; he died in 1961.
Duluth Man on the Street circa 1994
The low quality of this video is not just because it’s 20 years old; it’s also because I was the camera man and I probably neglected to white balance or something.
The low quality of the content is because it’s all made up on the spot. My then-UWS classmate Trent Jameson simply asked me to go shoot some video of people on Superior Street with him. (more…)
Duke of Duluth Revisited
Back in June, 2010, PDD featured a post about the photo above, which was labelled “The Duke of Duluth.”
We have been digging into all things “Duke of Duluth” and “Duluth Duke(s)” over at Zenith City Online. The first of three stories on the topic posts today and discusses two literary dukes of Duluth: a 1905 Broadway play and a 1926 novel. And the story just may shed some light on that photo. You can read it here.
