Postcard from a Beautiful Lake Superior Shore Line

This postcard was mailed Sept. 2, 1935 — 85 years ago today. “Lois and Ben” sent the card from Duluth to Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Jones of Highland Park, Mich.

Monthly Grovel: September 2020 Edition

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It’s been nearly six months since the day the world got canceled. At this moment in time, some events are still being canceled, but more aren’t even being planned in the first place. Still, there are hundreds of events each month that are happening as safely as possible, whether they are “virtual” events online or part of the physically distanced masquerade ball the world has turned into. For better or worse, the PDD Calendar continues to report what’s happening today, tomorrow and on into infinity … or at least into 2021.

Once a month we reach out with a beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events on Perfect Duluth Day. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account.

Searching for Oreck

My name is Steve Oreck and I am the great grandson of Louis Oreck. I am seeking information and items from my great grandfather’s store. Any help would be tremendously appreciated.

Charlie Parr – “On Stealing a Sailboat”

Duluth’s Charlie Parr has released a new video for this track from his 2019 self-titled album. The video is directed by Lance Lindahl.

Duluth Navy Meme

The Brothers Burn Mountain – “The Dark Exchange”

The second video release from the Brothers Burn Mountain‘s new album The Dark Exchange features Dawn King joining the Dermody brothers at the homestead. And the brothers are joined musically by Alan Sparhawk on electric guitar and vocals, and Brooke Anderson on vocals.

Reservoir ruins sale offers cliff views, odd history

The ruins of the 1884 Duluth Gas and Water Company reservoir can be seen from West First Street, just west of Point of Rocks. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske)

The sprawling and mysterious stand of stone and brick ruins that occupies perhaps the best clifftop view over Duluth’s harbor is for sale.

Duluth You & Me: Fourth of July Fireworks

Duluth’s 2020 fireworks were canceled … twice … so here’s the best we can do.

PDD Quiz: August 2020 in Review

Another month is nearly over, which means it’s time for the PDD current events quiz!

The next PDD quiz, on train and railroad trivia, will be published on Sept. 13. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Sept. 10.

Sharkgate: The Lake Superior Bull Shark Conspiracy

I confess to creating and posting the “Lake Superior Bull Shark Encounter” video which has rocked this community, even though, as is widely known, I have no credibility. This essay offers a full accounting of the affair, which caused a four-day firestorm as the video propagated online, through the media, and into the hallowed halls of academia.  I will debunk my own video to demonstrate it is, in fact, a poorly-made fake. In addition, I will carefully document my utter and total lack of credibility. Hopefully this will be enough to assuage an alleged army of enraged Redditors devoted to my destruction, the undead army I accidentally raised when I strapped on a toy shark fin.

My confession begins with my purchase of the toy. On Aug. 8, I posted a picture of myself wearing it on my personal public Facebook page and my public “Lake Superior Aquaman” Instagram account. The text of those posts reads, “It’s unclear where these rumors of sharks in Lake Superior originate. But I will be swimming up and down the beaches until I get to the bottom of it.” It was an open joke, a lark, an entrant to a well-established Duluth tradition of joking about sharks. You see variants on local bumper stickers such as “Shark-Free” on a map of Lake Superior. Keeping Lake Superior shark-free has even become a running joke among the mayoralty.

Postcard from Central High School in 1910

This postcard of Duluth Central High School is postmarked Aug. 29, 1910 — 110 years ago today.
The message on the back is to Miss Nevada Simpson of Crookston, Minn.

Selective Focus: Signs

This week, Portia Johnson and Cheryl Reitan provide thoughts and images regarding the often homemade signs around town supporting Black Lives Matter.

PJ CR: In Duluth, many of the signs arrived soon after George Floyd was murdered but new ones crop up from time to time. They appear on residential streets and throughfares. Most of them say, “Black Lives Matter,” but there are other words too, “No peace, no justice,” the chilling, “I Can’t Breathe,” and others.

The message appears, often hand painted and imperfect but always betraying a fierce determination. The signs make people look. They say, “this is important, Black lives matter.”

Kresge Girls’ Baseball Team of 1920

From the Aug. 28, 1920 Duluth Herald.

Potential Visit Duluth Campaign

Duluth’s North Star Festival and Golden Jubilee of 1920

The Duluth Public Library’s Vintage Duluth blog has published a feature on Duluth’s North Star Festival and Golden Jubilee, which took place 100 years ago. The events marked Duluth’s 50th year as a city.