Postcard from Duluth’s Hill Top

Set the Wayback Machine 105 years; this postcard was mailed Feb. 3, 1913. The message on the back was written the day before, and will require a translator. Stay tuned for that. Someone will answer the call to duty in the comments eventually.

7 Comments

Ulla Melin

about 7 years ago

The text on the card is written in Swedish:

Duluth den 2/2. 1913 Tack så mycket för kortet som kom till jul. Det är roligt att höra ifrån dig. Tala om hur det är i södern och hur du likar dig (=trivs) där ! Har varit en fin vinter, inte halt och litet snö. Vi har god hälsa och önskar dig detsamma goda från din vän M Svanson, 204 Gilbert St, Dulut, Minn: Mr Karl Olsesson, Alta Crest, Greenwich, Conn
And here the translated text:
Duluth Feb. 2, 1913 Thank you very much for the card that came to Christmas. It's fun to hear from you. Tell us how it is in the south and how you like (= thrive) there! Here it has been a nice winter, not slippery and only a little snow. We have good health and wish you the same good, from your friend M Svanson, 204 Gilbert St, Duluth, Minn: Mr. Karl Olsesson, Alta Crest, Greenwich, Conn

Kodiak

about 7 years ago

Thank you Ulla for your translation. I did one of my own and but for “slippery” we arrived at the same result. I saw an extra “L” in the Swedish “halt” that isn’t there. Had it been “hallt” the meaning would have been “not very cold”.

Matthijs

about 7 years ago

Does anybody know what happened to the entirety of Gilbert Street? It is written rather clearly on the postcard and yet Google seems to know nothing of its existence in Duluth.

Kodiak

about 7 years ago

Sorry, I’m borrowing an iPad and the auto correct changed my spelling.  Thank you Apple.  Not!  I saw “kallt” in place of “halt” but the postcard wasn’t very legible on my device.

hbh1

about 7 years ago

Dickerman Avenue was once Gilbert Avenue, in part. It’s paired with Charles Avenue, and is named after Charles Dickerman. In the Cody neighborhood. Gilbert Avenue was once named for Gilbert Dickerman, Charles E. Dickerman’s son, paired with Charles, his other son. When they changed it, they got rid of the connection to the second son. Pity for him. 

Dickerman was renamed from Gilbert Avenue in May 1964. 

You can read more about the Dickermans at zenithcity.com.

Matthijs

about 7 years ago

Nice. That was a more detailed answer than I expected. Thank you.

maestro710

about 7 years ago

There was a piece of Gilbert street which existed just east of the ore docks train trestle in the West End.  It ran between 3rd and 1st street.  I'm sure it was removed years ago during the massive industrial upgrades in that area.  
I used to live near the DM&IR railroad on the tiny piece of Carlton street which exists on the west side of Wheeler Field.  There was an older couple who lived on the north side of the tracks.  They parked their car on our side of the tracks and had to cross a planked wooden walkway to access their home.  Their home was addressed "Gilbert Street" even though the street was never actually built.  You can see what was planned and never built in this 1930s Duluth street map.  
https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:2754#/image/0

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