Postcard from Spirit Lake in Duluth

This postcard might have been mailed 100 years ago today. The year on the postmark has worn out over time, but is clearly from the 1920s and seems most likely to be 1925. The date is Nov. 8. The image shows a view of Spirit Lake on the St. Louis River from the shores of Duluth in the Morgan Park neighborhood.

The card was mailed out of Two Harbors to Wes J. Weidiselheim … or some name resembling that. The handwriting is challenging to read.

The text of the message also has some indecipherable slop, but here’s an attempt:

“Two Harbors. Dear Lott, Got here all OK at 4:30. Had one puncture on the way. It is cold and clear tonight.

The three-letter signature appears to be something like “Lor.”

3 Comments

  1. hbh1 on November 9, 2025 at 1:00 pm

    The name is probably Weichselbaum — there was a resort in Lakeville owned by that rather large family, but I don’t find any Wes. It is probably Mrs. J. Weichselbaum, and this could be from her husband Joe. Her name was Charlotte, so I think the first line is “Dear Lott.”

    So, here would be the text, with corrections:

    Two Harbors
    Dear Lott
    Got here all OK at 4:30. Handsome picture on the way. It is cold and clear tonight.
    Joe

  2. hbh1 on November 9, 2025 at 1:13 pm

    If this was sent in 1925, Joseph would have been 55 years old and Charlotte would have been 42. They lived on a dairy farm.

    Here’s a video with his daughter Betty talking about the resort.

  3. hbh1 on November 9, 2025 at 1:42 pm

    Or it could be “had one puncture on the way” because he got a flat? Tires (and roads) were pretty bad back then, so it was much more common than now to get flats.

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