This postcard, circa perhaps 1910, shows the western side of Downtown Duluth and the city’s hillside, with the caption “$5,000,000 Water Power.” Though the card doesn’t make it clear what that means, the logical guess is it refers to Duluth’s investment in hydraulic power at the start of the 20th century.

According to the Historic Resources Inventory for the Lincoln Park Neighborhood report:

The St. Louis River’s potential for hydraulic power was realized in 1907 by the Great Northern Power Company. President C.C. Cokefair’s company acquired the riparian rights from the Jay Cooke estate and constructed an “immense” dam, a 2.75 mile-long canal, and a powerhouse 14 miles above Duluth at a cost of $5 million.14 Pipes in the canal drew water into the powerhouse where it was converted from hydraulic into electric power. From there, the power was carried via wires strung upon steel towers to the power substation at West Superior Street and 15th Avenue West, where the high voltage was “stepped down for distribution.” Power from the plant was utilized both in Duluth and, via submarine cables, in Superior. The power operated the cities’ street cars, electric lighting, and city water pumps. In addition to public utilities, “a number of manufacturing establishments” used the power for machinery at elevators and coal docks.