Shooting the Life-Line at Duluth, Minn.
This postcard was mailed from Duluth on July 24, 1907, and arrived two days later in the mailbox of Mr. A. G. Pack, Jr. of 823 Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, Colo. It does not necessarily depict a Duluth scene; versions of this postcard exist for Wildwood, N.J.; Atlantic City, N.J. and probably other cities.
While the postcard image might not be a Duluth scene, it is intended to reference the Duluth Life Saving Station at Franklin Square on Minnesota Point. This branch of the U.S. Life Saving Service opened in June 1895, with crews ready to assist any Lake Superior vessel in distress. The facility became the Duluth Lifeboat Station in 1915. The building was demolished in the 1950s, and the playground and bathing beach known today as the “Franklin Tot Lot” were created.
For more information on this topic, consult the Zenith City Online article “From Park to Lifesaving Station Back to Park,” or wait patiently for the forthcoming book Duluth’s Historic Parks: Their First 100 Years, by Nancy S. Nelson & Tony Dierckins, scheduled for release in Spring 2017.
Leave a Comment
Only registered members can post a comment , Login / Register Here
No Comments