Paul Lundgren Posts

Brianna Lane – “Duluth”

Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Brianna Lane released her song “Duluth” on the 2002 album On Rooftops.

Free Air Life Co. brings outdoor apparel to Lincoln Park

Free Air Life retail store marketing director Katy Rochel and co-owner Sarah Steinbach stand in front of apparel at the new Lincoln Park shop.

Another new business has opened in a revitalized Duluth building positioned to add more retail shopping to the Lincoln Park Craft District.

Postcard from Tri-Tower Apartments

This postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography offers a 1970’s-era view of Tri-Tower Apartments at 220-226 N. Second Ave. E. in Duluth’s Central Hillside. The 15-story lobes were constructed in 1972 and are operated by the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Duluth, providing low-rent living space for elderly people with limited incomes.

Bankruptcy in the West End and the Horse You Rode in On

Here’s a little something for bankruptcy law nerds and fans of commerce in western Duluth circa the early 1980s. One would pretty much have to be fanatical about both to read through the full document linked here …

United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Minnesota, Fifth Division
Jun 7, 1985
52 B.R. 501 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1985)

… but perhaps the summary below will suffice for the average Duluthian.

Postcard from the Aerial Bridge in 1909

This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Dec. 9, 1909. It shows the Aerial Transfer Bridge during the days when a ferry car transported people, automobiles and goods across the Duluth Shipping Canal.

Monthly Grovel: December 2019 Edition

(Enter the amount of your choice.)

In the past year — from December 2018 through November 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 8,022 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed.

It’s a tremendous amount of work to keep up with all the submissions from the more than 1,000 organizations that have sent us info about their concerts, plays, book sales and lutefisk dinners. That’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support.

West Superior Street, Spalding Hotel, Lyceum Theatre circa 1904

This photo from Detroit Publishing Company shows Downtown Duluth at Superior Street and Fifth Avenue West circa 1904. At right is the Spalding Hotel, at left the Lyceum Theatre.

Due to the clarity of this particular image, it’s possible to zoom in for some pretty clear closeups, as illustrated below.

Postcard of Foreign Ships in Duluth Harbor

Foreign Trade Zone #51 was approved by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 40 years ago today — Nov. 27, 1979. The first shipment arrived on April 12, 1983. This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography shows ships in the Duluth Harbor near the Foreign Trade Terminal.

Good Knight – “Two Eighteen (Duluth, Minnesnowta Part II)”

Duluth-based rapper Good Knight unleashed part one of this song about a decade ago on MySpace. That version was simply titled “Duluth, Minnesnowta,” and appeared on Perfect Duluth Day in 2011. Part two, featured here, has not previously been posted on PDD. It contains a sample of “Drive” by Incubus.

Both “Duluth, Minnesnowta” songs are loaded with Duluth references and appear on the album Northern Exposure / 40 Oz. Below Zero.

Postcard from a parade on Superior Street in 1909

This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Nov. 23, 1909. It depicts a scene on the 300 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth that appears to be a Fourth of July parade.

Dylan Thomas – “Duluth Street”

It’s not easy to find reliable information online about musician Dylan Thomas, since he shares the name of a famous Welsh poet. But what seems to be the case is that in 2007 Thomas released the album Pieces of an Overhead View, featuring a song with Duluth in the title and the lyrics.

Views from Duluth’s Point of Rocks circa 1898

The six photos in this post are all from Detroit Publishing Company, and appear to have been shot on the same date — unless someone with a keen eye can call out evidence to the contrary. They are generally labeled as scenes from “the Bluffs,” which is an area of Duluth that later became known as the Point of Rocks. These photos appear to have been shot in a part of Point of Rocks that is known as Central Park, at the eastern-most part of the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Monthly Grovel: November 2019 Edition

(Enter the amount of your choice.)

In the past year — from November 2018 through October 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 7,960 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed.

It’s a tremendous amount of work to keep up with all the submissions from the more than 1,000 organizations that have sent us info about their concerts, plays, bunco tournaments and lutefisk dinners. That’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support.

Darling Drive – “At a Loss”

Darling Drive, the solo acoustic music project of Enrique Aguilar, released the song “At a Loss” on the 2014 album Shipwrecked. The song mentions Duluth, and depending on how one interprets it there might also be a reference to the city of Superior or Lake Superior.

R.I.P. Merritt Park Recreation Center Building

This week the field house at Merritt Park joined the growing list of historic West Duluth buildings demolished in recent years. The 2,016-square foot building was constructed in 1939.