Duluth Mystery Photo #8: Darling Blond

Paul Lundgren Mar 09, 2014 7 Comments

This photo is for sale on eBay under the title “Vintage Photo Girl Child Tricycle Antique Cars Duluth Mn Houses Picture #166.”

The description notes it is “a great vintage snapshot picture of darling blond girl riding a tricycle on a street in Duluth Minnesota. Picture is from the 1920. In the background are old cars and houses. Found in a photo album of pictures of a family living in Duluth.”

Can anyone identify the house? Pin down the neighborhood? Identify the darling blond?

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7 Comments

Lawrence Lee

about 11 years ago 

The darker building over her right shoulder reminds me of a building on 4th Street in the Portland Square area on the lake side of the street, but I'd have to go and check.

DECk37

about 11 years ago 

I think I got it. Your guess was pretty close Lawrence, one block down, one block over, on East 3rd Street and N 11th Ave East. The girl is blocking 11 ave from view, but based on the house to the right of her, and the detailing of the building to the left of her, I am pretty sure that is location. Both buildings, especially the darker building, have had a lot of changes done, but house matches really well, as does the details along the roofline on the darker building.

brian

about 11 years ago 

It does indeed look like 11th Ave E and 3rd St.

DECk37

about 11 years ago 

Ah, even better than Google street view, nice Brian! I think without a doubt this is the location, the houses that are harder to see still seem to match up, and if you look over her shoulder, just to the right of her head, you can just make out part of that corner entry on that house. Speaking of which, was that a store or business of sorts? That corner entry alway made me think it must have been.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 



Above is the Google Maps view of the brick building in the background at 1102-1108 E. Third St. My Fairy Research Spy turned up a 110-year-old newspaper clipping that at first we thought was the same building, but is actually a building one block to the west. Still interesting ...



The item above is from the April 4, 1904, Duluth News Tribune. Click on it to see it bigger. The caption reads:


Construction of the two-story brick flat building by James F. Dacey, corner of Tenth Avenue East and Third Street, has reached the point where the brick work is completed and the building enclosed.

The Dacey flats, which will comprise apartments for eight families, is practically the first building of its character to be erected this spring. The structure will cost between $18,000 and $20,000 and includes basement as well as two stories above Third Street. It is 100 feet long on the street and 57 feet deep on Tenth Avenue.

N. A. Berkstrom held the contract for the masonry and brick work and Berquist Bros. will do the carpenter work.


Below is the modern Google Maps view of the Dacey flats.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Since we're pretty confident the darling blond is peddling down the 1000 block of East Third Street, we can speculate that one of her neighbors was Fred Hector, son of "The Fog King." 



The article above is from the Aug. 1, 1910, Duluth News Tribune. Fred Hector was living in his father's house by 1917.

Lawrence Lee

about 11 years ago 

That's it! I was just thinking one block up!

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