History Posts

Whatever happened to the Canal Park Holiday Inn?

The old Holiday Inn in Duluth was located in Canal Park, just down from downtown, and this was before all the new development happened in Canal Park. In the 1980s, it had its name changed to something else. I don’t remember what that name was, or if the building is even still there. Can anyone bring me up to date?

Town of Bell Cemetery, 1902 to 1915

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bell-cemetery-44 bell-cemetery-55 bell-cemetery-66

Out in Bayfield County Wisconsin is the small town of Bell (within which is the more well-known unincorporated place of Cornucopia). Two little secret spots in Bell are the old 23-grave cemetery (photos above) and the Lost Creek Falls Trail (photos of that to come in a future post).

Minnesota Chippewa could cease to exist by 2080

I’m not sure if that headline is sufficiently dramatic, or maybe overly dramatic, but I am just having trouble wrapping my head around this chart from the September 2012 (PDF link) Fond du Lac Tribal Newspaper (Nahgahchiwanong Dibahjimowinnan).

It shows the Fond du Lac people falling into a demographic abyss. Disappearing as a people by 2080.

Duluth Album Releases in 2009

Ben Durbin’s Modern Antiques
Sweet Precious Time
(Feb. 20)
Available on YouTube


The Moon is Down
The Moon is Down’s Excellent Adventure
Automation Records Media Conglomerate (March 19)

Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank
Traveling Show
Available at consideritcorrespondence.com

Duluth Album Releases in 2008

Number One Common
Secrets Lies and Alibis
(Jan. 1)
Available on Bandcamp

Tangier 57
Last Night Never Happened EP
(March 7)
Available on Bandcamp

The Keep Aways
Decay
(March 7)
Available on Bandcamp

Two Many Banjos
Trouble in Paradise
(April 23)
Available on CD Baby

Who cares?

This Duluth campaign sign from 2001 is my all-time favorite. I think what Dan Williams might have intended to suggest was that he was the answer to the question — he cares. But no one took it that way.

Williams was running for the Fourth District City Council seat. He was knocked out in the primary by Roger Reinert and Neill Atkins. Atkins eventually won, topping Reinert by 18 votes.

Chief Osaugie Gathering on Wisconsin Point

Interview with Donna Ennis Chief Osaugie Descendant

This has come up on PDD before, but I did this interview with Donna Ennis today and I thought it was something to share. Romance, intrigue, ancient ceremonies, and even a shameful grave desecration make an appearance in just 8 short minutes of community radio.

I haven’t posted in awhile, it’s been a busy summer this gives you a little idea of where I’ve been, I guess.

New Standard Encyclopedia 1933

Duluth Album Releases in 2007

Trampled by Turtles
Trouble
(March 19)
Available on iTunes

Low
Drums and Guns
Sub Pop Records (March 20)
Available on Bandcamp

The Hotel Coral Essex
Glisten
(April 27)
Available on Bandcamp

Henry Brick

Since the subject of Henry Brick came up in the “Bring back the bricks!” post, I thought I’d offer some background by way of a retrospective article I wrote 15 years ago for the Budgeteer News.


The man who saved downtown
By Paul Lundgren
Budgeteer News
June 1, 1997

The bricking of Downtown Duluth’s First Street in 1984 created traffic problems, parking hassles and unpleasant noise and dust. Retail shoppers took their money elsewhere. Superior Street was next on the bricking list in the summer of ’85, and business owners feared the effect on business would be similarly disastrous.

Then came Mr. Henry R. Brick, clad in overalls, flannel shirt, black bowtie, hard hat and horn-rimmed glasses. He starred in 38 television commercials that summer, encouraging shoppers to “come on down and jaywalk” through torn up Superior Street. They did.

Henry Brick quickly became one of the most highly recognized people in Duluth. When the construction was finally completed and the future of downtown secure, he disappeared – like any superhero would.

The 1940s: From our floors to you

Remodeling our hillside home has been a largely subtractive process involving a complex stratigraphy of floor, wall, and ceiling coverings. Thus far, we’ve taken out carpet, panelling, linoleum, lath and plaster (fun, that), dimensional 8′ 2×4 studs that are so dried out they can’t weigh more than 5 pounds, and quite  a lot of charred stuff from at least one historical fire. We’ve also uncovered a fair number of newspapers from the late war/early prewar period. While I’m sure all of this is available in some or other archive, finding it on our floor has a magical quality I wanted to share. Enjoy, and suggestions on the non-English language are appreciated (Finnish?).

Calling All Traphagen Nerds!

ZCA_Bio_TraphagenO_001_DPL.jpgSince I am moderately obsessed with local history, I decided start up a project on Duluth architect Oliver Traphagen. While the Internet is great, I am looking for more perspectives on the man as well as some information on his personal life and ideals. If you want to share your knowledge then please contact me: romen021 @ d.umn.edu.

Duluth Button Collection

If you have a button to add, upload it to the comments. It’s one of the nice things about the Internet — we can all have a button collection without having to have a button collection.

Duluth Album Releases in 2006

Cheer Up Poems - Here Not Up ThereCheer Up Poems
Here Not Up There
Wire Heart

Sara Softich - Pipe DreamSara Softich
Pipe Dream
Available on CD Baby

Cneterville All Stars - Not Dead YetCenterville All Stars
Not Dead Yet

Happy ninth birthday to us

amy-abts august-rowley badger beer2astill BlackEyedSusans BobKaraoke brushstrokes christas-ass DaCrib dog-on-ice fitgers-beer-can FredTyson OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Geek GeekProm GoDuluth hazelsunglasses hotrod-heartthrob jerree-in-wig jjohnson louis-fire main-club-bob MrNice mvplvp pagan_cork pearl Psycho-Capone Ruvelplace ryan-van-slooten shaky-ray SHT Skateboarding borgbaci2 best ThankYouWilco BervLindsey

Perfect Duluth Day is nine years old today – Friday, June 29, 2012. We’ll be celebrating tonight at Tycoons Alehouse and Eatery (in the board room upstairs) starting at 8 p.m. There will be cake and an array of door prizes. Come on out and share in the merriment.

PDD Calendar entry | Facebook invite

What started as a fun little experiment for Barrett Chase and Scott “Starfire” Lunt in 2003 has grown into a hideous beast containing well over 10,000 posts about everything from wood ticks to roller derby. Thanks for all the support, whether you are a PDD user, lurker or just someone searching Google for karaoke photos.