History Posts

PDD Quiz: Waterfalls

Jul 09, 2023 No Comments

With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time of year to explore the outdoors. This week’s PDD quiz spotlights some of the region’s many parks that feature cascading water. Both the Zenith City website and Tony Dierckins’ Duluth Historic Parks: Their First 100 Years were valuable resources for this quiz.

The next PDD quiz will be pubished on July 30; it will review the month’s headlines and happenings. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by July 26.

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History, Outdoors

Video Archive: Tri-State Speedway, 1983

Jul 08, 2023 No Comments

This video from July 8, 1983 — 40 years ago today — features three races at Tri-State Speedway in Superior. The 3/8-mile dirt track is now known as Superior Speedway or Gondik Law Speedway.

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History, Videos ,

Mystery Photo: Third Street Patriots

Jul 04, 2023 9 Comments

This image, found on eBay and still available for sale as of July 3, has “609 W. 3rd Dr. Duluth” written on the front. It looks as if the famous Duluth Incline Railway is in the background, which would seem to verify the photo was indeed shot on West Third Street.

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History ,

Duluth Photos Featured on Twitter’s “Cars Destroyed Our Cities”

Jul 02, 2023 7 Comments

A friend let me know that Duluth recently appeared on Twitter’s Cars.Destroyed.Our.Cities (you might need to log in to see the Tweet; Twitter is undergoing some changes), an account that shows how the addition or removal of car infrastructure can dramatically change the urban environment.

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History, Photos

Postcard from the Ruins of the Chambers House

Jul 01, 2023 5 Comments

The caption on this undated postcard suggests that it shows the ruins of American Fur Company’s trading post at Fond du Lac, but it is actually the ruins of the home of Michael and Emily Chambers. (More on that in the comments.)

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History , , ,

The Fiercest Fires in Minnesota History

Jun 27, 2023 No Comments

This new Twin Cities Public Television documentary explores the state’s worst natural disasters. Host Mary Lahammer, along with historian Hy Berman, meteorologist Paul Douglas, and climatologist Mark Seeley tell the story of the deadly blazes that have taken more than a thousand lives in Minnesota.

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History, Videos , , , , ,

Sleepless in Duluth, N.D.

Jun 25, 2023 No Comments

The romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle premiered in theaters 30 years ago today — June 25, 1993. The film includes a scene in which the character Annie Reed, played by Meg Ryan, tells her fiancé Walter Jackson, played by Bill Pullman, about a guy on a radio show who lived in Duluth … which is in North Dakota according to Walter.


History, Videos

Up the Incline from Superior Street in 1913

Jun 24, 2023 No Comments

This postcard of the Duluth Incline was mailed 110 years ago today — June 24, 1913.

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History , , ,

Postcard from Bloomer’s Drive-in

Jun 21, 2023 1 Comment

Bloomer’s Drive-in was a roadside restaurant in Duluth, located near the ore docks and Wade Stadium. It opened in 1955, operated by Walter Bloomer and his younger brother Robert. It was sold in 1960.

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History, Restaurants

Nostalgia for My Great-Grandparents’ Time: Cyclone Fence

Jun 19, 2023 No Comments

A recent sale at the Duluth Public Library means that I picked up stacks of vintage magazines for cheap, and I’ve loved looking at some artful old advertisements. I especially love the ones that are in old, illustration style.

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History

The Remnants of Daniel Greysolon’s 17th Century Childhood

Jun 14, 2023 3 Comments

In two previous posts, I described how to get to the hometown of our city’s namesake, Daniel Greysolon Sieur Du Luth, and wrote about visiting his childhood home. This final post in the series shows some of the places Daniel Greysolon would have almost certainly been familiar with during his youth in the French town of St.-Germain-Laval. It concludes with a few of the more modern sites of the town.

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History, Photos

Historical Research by Accident: Nostalgic Newsstand Sale Adverts and Fisk Tire

Jun 14, 2023 1 Comment

Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale.

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History, Random

Advertisements from the Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Buying a Franklin

Jun 13, 2023 No Comments

Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale.

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History

Advertisements from the Nostalgic Newsstand Sale: Almond Truffles

Jun 12, 2023 No Comments

Here is another advert from my collection of now-recycled magazines from the Duluth Public Library’s Nostalgic Newsstand Sale. This one is too much of stretch, maybe. Norris Candies was housed in Atlanta, Ga. I love the flapper art, the art deco (or is it art nouveau) style of the ad and the fashion.

If I wanted an almond truffle today, I would visit Hepzibah’s in Canal Park, Rocky Mountain, or Duluth Candy. In Superior, I would visit Sweeden Sweets. Did I miss any source?


History

PDD Quiz: Hartley Park

Jun 11, 2023 No Comments

Test your knowledge of Hartley Park with this edition of the PDD quiz. Sources include Zenith City Online, the Minnesota Digital Library, and the Hartley Nature Center website.

The next PDD quiz, reviewing June 2023 headlines and happenings, comes your way on June 25. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by June 20.

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History, Outdoors