Canal Park
The Start of the Great Thaw of 2019
Dennis O’Hara presents the new Canal Cam capturing the March 12 sunrise, the beginning of the meltdown before the rain storm.
Postcards from Neptune
This statue of Neptune stood on the edge of Duluth’s shipping canal from 1959 to 1963. The text on the back of the postcard reads:
Neptune — Symbolic Ruler of the Sea
This statue was given Duluth by the State Fair Board and the land loaned by the Corps of Engineers at Canal Park, Duluth, Minn. to commemorate the arrival of the first deep draft ocean going vessel in to Duluth on May 3, 1959. Neptune was God of the Sea — son of Cronus and Rhea. The Greeks called him Poseidon. He was Jupiter’s brother. Neptune controlled all the waters of the earth and was worshiped by sailors. The 3 prong spear he carried was called Trident.
Endion Station to be converted into ‘brewtique’ hotel
A former railroad depot will soon become Duluth’s first “brewtique” hotel. (more…)
Geek out on this Canal Park history map
Students enrolled in a Fall 2018 visual journalism course at the University of Minnesota Duluth used ArcGIS software to tell stories about Canal Park using mapping technology. The collaborative project tells 25 stories spanning more than 100 years.
Link: A History of Canal Park
Students curated visual materials and other sources for this project from various places that include the UMD Kathryn A. Martin Library; UMD Archives & Special Collections; the Duluth News Tribune archives; Zenith City Press and other publicly available sources.
Aerial Bridge raised to pass ore boat into Duluth Harbor
Based on the 3-cent postage rate, this postcard must be circa 1958 to 1963. The description on the back reads:
The Aerial Bridge in raised position for an ore boat passing into Duluth Harbor. When the span is lowered traffic may move without interruption between Minnesota Point and downtown Duluth. Through this canal pass about 4500 boats in a 7-1/2 month season, carrying a total tonnage of about 17 million tons. (Average for five years.)
Duluth Harbor Basin, 1925
This photo from the National Archive was taken on an airplane from the McCook Field aviation experimentation station in Dayton, Ohio, which was flying in the region for a photographic mapping expedition of the Canadian border in October and November of 1925.
The caption on the photo reads:
Duluth Harbor Basin, the main business section and portions of Lake Superior, showing the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Aerial Bridge connecting Duluth proper with a long neck of land known as Minnesota Point, which really makes the Duluth Superior Harbor.
Mystery Photo #77: Passenger Boat arriving in Duluth
Date unknown. Photographer unknown. Name of vessel unknown.
Ready? Set? Go!
Duluth Ship Canal in Storm and Calm
This postcard is either from a century ago or last week.
Selective Focus: Canal Park, Brighton Beach and Park Point flooded
https://www.instagram.com/p/BowTvMgFDLp/
Standing water in the Canal Park business district. Debris and open manholes beneath the water. Waves pushing debris and rocks onto the Lakewalk. (more…)
Mystery Photo #69: Tall Ship
Based on fashions of the spectators, this photo appears to be circa the 1990s. Throngs have gathered to watch a tall ship sail into the Duluth Harbor. What is the name of the vessel? When precisely did this happen? (more…)
Postcard from the Canal Park Marine Museum
The Lake Superior Marine Museum & Maritime Visitor Center doesn’t look much different today than it did in this postcard, probably from the 1970s. (more…)
Duluth Screen Printing will celebrate Flagship store July 4
Anthony Rogentine, GM, chats with a group of customers as they enter the store. Photo by Alex Byom.
Duluth Screen Printing Co. recently opened a multi-purpose shop in Canal Park called Flagship. The new space is serving as a retail store and office for the company, which has its main production facility in Duluth’s East Hillside.
A launch party for the new Flagship store will be held on Wednesday, July 4. The location is 345 S. Lake Ave., between Adventure Zone and Old Chicago. (more…)
Lakewalk Galley in Canal Park officially opens Friday
Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is no longer crabby … or Bill’s. The landlocked food boat in Canal Park will officially reopen Friday, June 22, under new ownership and with a new name. Justin Steinbach of Vista Fleet is the new owner and Derek Snyder of Lake Ave Restaurant is running it. They have renamed the establishment Lakewalk Galley by Lake Ave Restaurant. (more…)
Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is now Lakewalk Galley
Fox 21 News reports the new operator of Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is Vista Fleet owner Justin Steinbach. The retired fishing vessel turned snack shack in Canal Park has been renamed Lakewalk Galley and will feature a menu of items from the nearby Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar.
Postcard from Duluth’s Shipping Canal, 1978
The message on the back of this postcard was written 40 years ago today — May 22, 1978. The card is postmarked the next day. (more…)
Selective Focus: Run Smelt Run
Sunday, May 13, is the annual Run Smelt Run Parade. If you’ve never witnessed or been a part of the parade, it’s a blend of art, absurdity, puppets, community, ecology, humor, music, dancing and things that sparkle.
The festivities begin at 3:30 p.m. near the Aerial Lift Bridge and north pier, on the lawn in front of the Maritime Museum. Look for the people on stilts. (more…)
The Ripple Bar on Lake Superior opens March 23
Maggie Gustafson – Photo by Lissa Maki
If all goes swimmingly, the Ripple Bar on Lake Superior will open on Friday at 3 p.m. A soft opening was held last night.
Margaret “Maggie” Gustafson is the new owner of the rebranded drinking establishment, formerly known as the Slip. The bar occupies a 900-square-foot space adjacent to Hoops Brewing at 325 S. Lake Ave. in Duluth’s Canal Park Business District. (more…)
Some Historical Notes on the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge
This video is part of a DVD Kenneth Newhams of Duluth Shipping News produced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Aerial Lift Bridge. It features archival video courtesy of Don Hermanson at Keweenaw Video Productions.
Warmer, Weirder Days: Robot Rickshaw Canal Park 360°
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHnyGNvJZvQ
In this video, shot back in August, Duluth artist Troy Rogers pushes his musical robot cart along the pier in Canal Park. A fully panoramic slice of life.
Video by Aaron Brossoit of Golden Shovel Agency.
Because I’m Alive
Drone footage shot by Mike Kenyanya from July to October 2017. Music by Kavulea.
Hoops Brewing named a top new brewery by critic John Holl
Craft Beer & Brewing magazine published a list of five “Top New Breweries” this month. Hoops Brewing of Duluth made the list, which was compiled by the magazine’s senior editor, John Holl. (more…)
Endion Station will remain open this winter
As most seasonal eateries wind down for the winter, Endion Station Public House is planning some changes to embrace the off season.
The pub and cider house at 200 Lake Place Drive opened in the summer of 2014. It weathered that first winter in its Canal Park location but has closed for the winter each year since.
This winter, Endion Station will be open every day at 4 p.m. Closing time is to be determined, but will be later on weekends. (more…)
Two Sweethearts and the Summer Wind
Video by Chris Bales.
PDD Quiz: Sculptures of Canal Park
As the summer winds to a close, we begin to reclaim that popular tourist destination: Canal Park. How well do you know the sculptures in Canal Park and Lake Place Park? Test your art smarts in this quiz (and look for more public art quizzes in the future)!
The next PDD quiz, reviewing August news, will be published on Aug. 27. E-mail question suggestions to Alison Moffat at aklawite@d.umn.edu by Aug. 24.