Calling All Traphagen Nerds!

10 Comment(s)

1. Start with zenithcity.com. Tony Dierckins a great resource and what he can’t provide he knows where it can be found. johnm | Jul 4, 2012 | New Comment

2. From Zenith City Online: Oliver Traphagen bio Here’s a few past Traphagen-related posts on PDD: Traphagen & Fitzpatrick: One sweet resume Corner of the Lake A Little Kozy History Kozy Crash Spirit Mountain’s Alpine Roller Coaster is pretty neat, but the old Duluth Skyride looks a bit more intimidating Duluth mansion demolition makes way for big-box store Paul Lundgren | Jul 4, 2012 | New Comment

3. Thanks for the plugs, Paul and John. If you are going to write about Traphagen, you just about have to include George Wirth (Traphagen’s first boss in Duluth), Francis Fitzpatrick (his partner in the early 1890s), and Frederick German, another great Duluth architect who cut his teeth working as a draftsman for Traphagen & Fitzpatrick. Duluth’s expert on Traphagen is Maryanne C. Norton, my cauthor on “Lost Duluth” (the book is full of lost Traphagen and Wirth buildings). You can find her most weekdays at the Duluth Public Library in the North Shore room, where she volunteers. Duluth’s reference librarians know a lot about Duluth history as well. It turns out that libraries are great places to do research…. Tony D. | Jul 4, 2012 | New Comment

4. If you want some up close and personal research, too, swing by HTK (the Oliver G. Traphagen House) anytime. mikeseyfer | Jul 5, 2012 | New Comment

5. It’s true. HTK is a Traphagenhaven. Mike Scholtz | Jul 6, 2012 | New Comment

6. You should shorten that up to “Traphaven,” Mike. It’s a fun word; it sort of suggests you are being held against your will at a serene refuge. If there’s ever a need to expand HTK and move to a larger office space, Redstone could be converted into an “against-your-will bed and breakfast” called Traphaven. The proprietors would kidnap people and treat them to a relaxing and luxurious weekend. Paul Lundgren | Jul 6, 2012 | New Comment

7. By the way, I forgot there is a Traphagen bio at the bottom of the HTK page about Redstone. I think I wrote it — or compiled a version of it, or something — back in 2003: Oliver G. Traphagen Sept. 3, 1854–Oct. 21, 1932 Duluth’s most renowned architect, Oliver G. Traphagen, was born in Tarry Town, New York. His parents moved to Wisconsin and eventually to St. Paul during his youth. He was not formally educated in architecture, but instead moved up from carpenter to contractor to architect through experience as an apprentice of noted architect George Wirth. He came from St. Paul to Duluth in 1881 and soon began designing both private residences and commercial buildings. He worked alone until 1885, when he formed a partnership with his mentor, Wirth. He went back to working alone in 1886. In 1890, Traphagen invited Minneapolis architect Francis Fitzpatrick to partner with him in Duluth. One of the early buildings they worked on together was the Redstone. Traphagen had lived in the Merchants Hotel (which he had designed) since around 1884. He married Amelia (maiden name unknown) in 1891 and began building his home that year. Alone, and together with Fitzpatrick, Traphagen designed a majority of Duluth’s finest buildings, many of which are still standing today. His partnership with Fitzpatrick ended in 1896, when Fitzpatrick moved to Washington, D.C. Traphagen also moved that year, to Honolulu, Hawaii. His daughter was ill and needed to live in a warmer climate. Traphagen continued to work as an architect in Honolulu, designing the famous Moana Beach Club, the first tourist hotel on Waikiki Beach. In 1907, he moved to Alameda, California. He retired there around 1925, and died seven years later. Paul Lundgren | Jul 6, 2012 | New Comment

8. The bio above states that his wife’s maiden name is unknown. From a quick search on a genealogy site, it appears to have been Regelsberger. HipCast | Jul 6, 2012 | New Comment

9. I think my project’s new working title is now going to be “Traphaven.” It is simply great. Blacob | Jul 6, 2012 | New Comment

10. There is national interest in Oliver Traphagen, and I believe a “society” of Traphagen de-vote-tees. topofthehillman | Jul 9, 2012 | New Comment

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