History
Who was Lester?
I’m a student at UMD working on a story about who Lester was. I’m working with Mark Atkinson to trace the history of who this original settler was. Anybody have information on this?
A Fingerprint and a Doorknob
This week’s installment of Robert Hughes, Art Lover, brought to you by the Duluth Art Institute, is centered around ‘provenance.’ We might also touch on the theft of the Mona Lisa…there’s only one way to find out! Read away, Duluthians! And get ready for the first showing of Robert Hughes’ Shock of the New, this Saturday at Zinema 2, starting at 11 a.m. You can find all of the information about the showing of this series at duluthartinstitute.org or on Facebook.
Christmas & New Year’s 2012
Entries into the guest books at lodges tend to be kind of boring, but I like how this group made a comic out of their stay at Heston’s Lodge on Gunflint Lake a month ago. Flipping through the stack of archives reveals this group has been making the trip for at least a dozen years, and they always leave a comic behind.
What happened to the creek at Cascade Park?
When you look at old pictures of Duluth’s Cascade Park there is a creek that runs through it. Whatever happened to it? Why did people change it? (more…)
Duluth Albums from the 1900s
Perfect Duluth Day’s attempt to chronical the works of local musicians begins with this list of 20th century recordings. (more…)
Chester Bowl looking for stories
The Chester Bowl Improvement Group wants to hear from people who have been in the ski program.
From Thom Storm:
We are in the process of applying for different grants for our ski program. It was suggested that we have some Chester Bowl stories/testimonials to include with our applications. I would like to take that a step further, and have a Chester Bowl Stories section on our website, chesterbowl.org.
Many parents have told me that the ski program has made a big difference to their families. If you would like to share your story, we would like to post it on our site. Please send any stories/testimonials to:
chesterbowl@clearwire.net
and include your name for the posting.
If you’ve got any historical stories, photos or artifacts, you could submit them to the Chester Bowl History page.
Another interesting Denfeld image
Just a little something I happened across on the job today.
A Few of Duluth’s 1911 Achievements
To read the story, click here for the PDF.
Duluth’s Ellis Harbor
Here’s an interesting read from the Sept. 25, 1921 Duluth News Tribune.
Hearts of Gold
Today, at Super One Foods in Lakeside, there was an older guy wearing a Marines cap, so I asked him where he served. He said sixty years ago on this day in Korea, December of ’51, they had been in their bunker, which was warmed by an oil stove. Someone mistakenly threw gas on it, and everything went up in a blaze, his Christmas presents under his cot, his camera, some guys died. Another “even got a silver heart.” Probably for running back into the fire to save people.
So when I walk by these modest, quiet homes, and wonder who lives there, I’ll know many of them are old-time Duluthians who served their country in wars people easily forgot. And while I may be angered by the hypocrisy, failure of diplomacy, fear or greed that may cause them, I am equally amazed and humbled by the courage and selflessness of those who serve. Sometimes they just want their stories to be heard.
Denfeld engraving still on MacArthur?
As most people know, the southern wing of the old MacArthur Elementary School was built in 1915 as Denfeld High School. (The modern Denfeld opened in 1926 and the old Denfeld became West Junior; MacArthur was built in 1957; West closed and became part of MacArthur in 1983; MacArthur was replaced with a new building this past fall). The photo above is of the 56th Avenue West entrance to the old MacArthur, which has always been considered the back door. (more…)
R.I.P. West Duluth ICO
The West Duluth ICO on Grand Avenue and 46th Avenue West has been torn down. A CVS pharmacy will be built in its place. I don’t have any ICO memories that are springing to mind, other than that one night in 2010 I decided to shoot a photo of it.
By the way, I think it might have technically been a Spur station, even though everyone called it ICO and there was an ICO sign on it. I’m not really sure how gas-station naming works.
Pearl Harbor Day Reflections
And There Shall Be Wars is a worthy addition to any World War II library.
When the Twin Towers were struck and fell on my birthday ten years ago, 9/11 was immediately being compared to another Day of Infamy sixty years earlier. What’s striking about the two events is how differently the news reached us. In 2001 Americans across the land were glued to their TV sets seeing replays of the horror and hearing commentaries of related unfolding events as they happened, with varying degrees of accuracy but instantly. With Internet access we could also watch reactions from around the world. Information about the 1941 attack came home to us in a far different manner, as this book excerpt shows. (more…)
What will happen to old Washburn school?
Does anybody have any idea what might be in store for the old Washburn Edison Charter School at 201 W. St. Andrews St. now that it is no longer being used as a school? I have a hard time imagining it’s all that cost effective for the Duluth Bible Church to continue there alone.
Video Archive: 14-year-old Paula Shires of Bovey tears it up on Chemielewski Fun Time
It’s ladies’ night and the feeling is right.
House of Donuts
I recently recovered this photo from my attic. It’s dated July 18, 1992. That’s me on the left in my Minnesota Twins championship T-shirt, proudly raising a bag full of what have got to be bear claws. PDD co-founder Barrett Chase is on the right. In the middle, grabbing his junk, is Bob Schulte.
For most of its existence, and at the time of the photo above, House of Donuts was located just east of where the Whole Foods Co-op is now, at 624 E. Fourth St. Ronald and Michele Carter were the owners.
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WEBC — Where you’re hearing things
Another classic Duluth radio jingle from Bob Halverson’s collection:
Vintage Duluth/Superior Flickr Pool
For those of you interested in vintage images of the Twin Ports, I thought I’d share a Flickr group I started to showcase all the vintage postcards, photos, maps and images stored on that site. The vintage postcards from Superior are my personal favorites. Please peruse, join the group and add any images you might have — I’d love to see the pool grow!
Duluth’s Halloween Megastorm of 1991
For those who are too young to remember and/or didn’t live around here 20 years ago, Duluth experienced one of the craziest blizzards in history in 1991. The Halloween Megastorm was part of, or at least coincided with, what became known as The Perfect Storm, “a nor’easter that absorbed Hurricane Grace and ultimately evolved into a small hurricane late in its life cycle.”
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Chester Bowl Historical Photos
So, the brouhaha over the ski jumps reminded me about this project – some historical photos from Chester Bowl. (more…)
Halloween 1911: The Quietest in History?
From the Duluth News Tribune, 100 years ago.
The Old Brewhouse Bar
Anyone have any photos of the Brewhouse’s bar before it got remodeled into its current state? No better reason than that my nostalgia is flaring up.
Radio WAKX 1320: The Twin Ports’ pace-setting leader
Via Bob Halverson, here’s another old Duluth radio jingle.
Hey, someone had to lead at setting the pace.
Related link: Bob’s initial post about local jingles.