History Posts

PDD Quiz: Bakeries of Duluth

emojiDuluth likes its baked goods, as evidenced by the many bakeries dotting the local landscape. How much do you know about them? Let’s find out!

Our next quiz will be on Oct. 2 and it will be a review of September 2016. Send your suggested questions to lawrence @ perfectduluthday.com by Wednesday, Sept. 28 for potential inclusion in the quiz.

Itasca Conversations: Tales of Bovey (Part 1)

BoveyAgnes Hromyak, Lorraine Andrews, Ethel Deal, Patricia Walls and Meredith Jakovich meet at the Bovey City Hall Library to recount life growing up on the Iron Range. Video by A Plus B Productions.

Aerial Bridge and part of Wholesale Section

Aerial Bridge and part of Wholesale Section

A Dock at Duluth Where the Ore-fleet Coals

A Dock at Duluth

1909.

Lobby of the Hotel Holland

Hotel Holland Lobby

Holland Hotel with streetcarThe Holland Hotel stood at 501-503 W. Superior St., where the Radisson Hotel Duluth-Harborview operates today.

Marketed as “the only fire proof hotel” in Duluth, it included the Holland Cafe, “famous for its service, soda fountain, light luncheons and grill room.”

The Holland opened in 1910 and closed in 1961. The Radisson was built in 1970.

Old Grand Marais Photos

GrandMarais1

A collection of old Grand Marais photos. At least some of them, if not all, are believed to be shot by Milford John Humphrey.

Perspective Map of Duluth in 1893

Perspective Map of the City of Duluth 1893

Similar to the “Perspective Map of Duluth in 1887,” but more recent and from a bit different angle.

R.I.P. Monty

Monty Lee Wilkes

Monty Lee Wilkes

We mourn the passing of Monty Lee Wilkes, local boy who made good.

Then and Now: St. Louis County Courthouse

Duluth Civic Center

There is no date on the above postcard image, but it appears to be 1960s-ish. The photo below is a modern-day view.

Duluth Civic Center 2016

DuluthiLeaks: Gateway Landscape Plaza

Gateway Plaza

Sail-GatewayFor the first edition of DuluthiLeaks — Perfect Duluth Day’s new feature in which public documents are released as if they contain secret information leaked from an anonymous whistle blower — we take a look at the development of Duluth’s Gateway Plaza. The “landscaped plaza with a concrete sculptural element shaped in the form of a sail” that sits on the western edge of Duluth’s downtown was envisioned and built in the 1970s as a “landmark entrance” to the business district. Below is a look at early plans and sketches for the “well landscaped triangle.”

DTA Woodland Windjammer, Crosley Clipper, et. al.

The quest is to settle a bet. Whether there’s enough evidence so far to settle it will have to be up to the wagerers.

Former Duluthian Daniel Heinan, now living in Los Angeles, sent the following email:

My friends don’t believe that there was a DTA bus line called the Woodland Wind Jammer. There was even the Crosley Clipper. They existed in the 1980s and early 1990s. Can you help me prove them wrong?

What an inside source at the Duluth Transit Authority reports:

A long-time employee and former driver tells the tale of not just the Woodland Wind Jammer and the Crosley Clipper, but also the Proctor Pacer and the Superior Streaker. These were all express routes, designed to get people downtown as soon as possible. He thought there might have even been a contest to name them.

Alas, a search through the DTA library resulted in no physical proof, but I trust my source.

So there we have it. Anyone with hard evidence should obviously come forward, but so far the jury would have to lean heavily in favor of the Windjammer and Clipper being actual former DTA bus route names.

Mystery Photo #40: New Duluth Bus and Drivers

DTA Bus 1962 New Duluth

This photo popped up on Pinterest a while back. It’s dated 1962. Photographer unknown.

Duluth’s first diesel buses began operating in 1957 under the auspices of the Duluth-Superior Transit Company. The Duluth Transit Authority was created in 1969, so one could say the bus in the photo above is a DTA before there was a DTA.

Can anyone name any of the drivers?

NorShor Theatre circa 1960s: Recognize these kids?

NorShor kids

This photo was found in the Duluth Playhouse‘s archives. The kids, enjoying concessions at the NorShor movie theater in what appears to be the 1960s, are listed as: “Sandy Audio? Atto, Otto, Ottio? 5 years” and “Judy Hanson 8 years.”

Any German Speakers???

IMG_6512

I found this old inscription in a 1930s book. Can anyone help me understand it? It looks to be German or Norwegian and based on what I can figure out it references alligators and Lake Superior.

Duluth National Regatta of 1916

Regatta1916DNT01

One century ago, Duluth hosted the 44th annual regatta of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen. The event ran Aug. 11 and 12, 1916, with the Duluth team winning nine of the 12 events it entered.