Duluth Central High School class of 1924: Mixers, fussers, boosters and bluffers
These snippets are from the 1924 edition of The Zenith, Central’s yearbook. If you wish to read the text and find it too small, click on any image to see it bigger.
These snippets are from the 1924 edition of The Zenith, Central’s yearbook. If you wish to read the text and find it too small, click on any image to see it bigger.
I Google-mapped Duluth East High School today for various reasons and found that the corner of E. Eighth St. and N. 26th Ave. E. is “Minnesota’s oldest concrete pavement.”
Is that the cobblestone-y stuff back there, and is it seriously the oldest?
I was reading this month’s new FDL Band Newspaper (PDF) and about halfway through I found a breezy little history piece on Chief Buffalo: Hero of the Lake Superior Ojibwe by historian Christine Carlson. The article was already interesting, then I notice mention of Duluth’s Point of Rocks which has been discussed extensively here on PDD. It sounds like the area surrounding Point of Rocks was selected by Chief Buffalo as part of one of the articles of the Treaty of 1854. The area would have also included Wisconsin Point and much of what is now considered Downtown Duluth and West End/Lincoln Park.
“Take Me Out To The Ball Game” was written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer in 1908. These images were shot the same year to help sell the song to the public.
The singer in the video is Edward Meeker, one of Thomas Edison’s technicians. This is how they sold music (sheet music, specifically) back in the day — kind of an early form of music video. These were called illustrated songs. An “illustrator” would stand on stage and sing the song while glass slide images portraying the song’s storyline were projected on a screen. Anywhere from 12 to 16 slides were produced for a song. The last slide was usually the chorus text so audience members could sing along. In this version, I’ve enhanced the chorus with slides from other baseball songs. Illustrated songs were often part of vaudeville and early movie theater programs. Notice the giant wad of Cracker Jacks Katie Casey is enjoying. That’s how it was sold back then.
REBUILDING IS FUTILE!!!
Did you know that Lake Superior was considered for a nuclear power plant site, near Knife River, in the 1960s? It’s scary to think what might have been … but it happened. Check out Jim Heffernan’s blog to learn more.
The following is from an email by Eric Swanson, Program Coordinator at Sacred Heart Music Center (emphasis added)
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Music Center,
I am writing you today because of your past support of the Sacred Heart Music Center as either a patron, a donor, a performer or a volunteer. It is through your efforts and contributions that Sacred Heart has been able to continue to provide Duluth with a unique venue for music and the arts and we want you to know how much that support is appreciated.
Now we would like to ask you to lend your voice to our cause and here is how you can help.
On Tuesday, March 22, 2011 the Community Development Committee of the City of Duluth will consider a request from Sacred Heart for a Community Development Block Grant. We are applying for this grant to help pay for major repairs needed to the steeple and roof of the SHMC.
I first took notice of this graffiti in the late 1980s. It’s on the side of the old West Duluth Hotel building, which for many years now has been home to the Italian Village, along with various other businesses.
I just wanted to put a general question out there for those that know the city better than me:
What are some existing abandoned buildings you know of in Duluth? (Including places that are in the works of being renovated, or even really unique, big interior spaces that aren’t abandoned).
Well, they have begun to tear down the mansion to make way for the mega Walgreens. Some other houses will be torn down, too. See my post The Last Mansion Between Kitchi Gammi Club and 14th Ave. East.
After a hiatus of a couple of years, the Duluth Public Library Reference staff has begun posting again on its blog Reference @ Duluth.
Library staff will be providing local history articles and information about reference services at the library.
You can check out the blog at dplreference.wordpress.com or go to the library’s home page duluth.lib.mn.us and click on Local History Blog.
In the Ojibwe tradition there are hundreds of stories, some as old as the earth itself. Traditionally, these stories can only be told when there is snow on the ground. This Saturday about a dozen storytellers will be at the Sawyer Center to share some of these amazing stories. Everyone is welcome, the cost is free, but they are asking people to pre-register at the site.
Here’s a schedule
Fond du Lac Sawyer Center
February 19 1pm-6pm
Free Registration starts at 12:15 pm
3243 Moorhead Road, Sawyer, Minnesota
Here’s Jana Peterson’s article about this event from the Cloquet Pine Journal
