Here is a photo I took of the Granada Stage Bar during a snow storm in the early 1980s, a few years after moving to town. I don’t know or remember anything about it, including its actual location. In my mind I think it was on Superior St, but that organ has been wrong on a regular basis. Anybody have any knowledge of it?

Regarding the Rocket Bar renovation:

Well, folks, far-be-it from me to talk the talk and not walk the walk, but when a few hundred thousand greenbacks comprise the difference between the “talk” and the “walk,” well, shucks … it was a good run.

After receiving the initial bid from the general contractor last week, it appears we are going to have to do this in phases, if at all. The initial phase, relieving the building of a few structural ailments, will likely begin in the next month or so.

As for what will become of the place in the long run, it’s anybody’s guess. I’ve got a couple ideas, though. I think I’ll let them gestate a while, and refocus on a few things left in the wake of this, that and the other project/priority. What was that called? Oh, yeah: life.

Since this old comic was available for a quarter at the Wallace Hankins Estate Sale, I thought I’d scan and post it, in case anyone finds it interesting or knows specifically what it’s about.

I would guess it’s from the 1930s, when buses began replacing streetcars, which may have resulted in cutting trees to widen roads, or maybe the tree is simply a metaphor for how the streetcar business would be hacked to death by buses.

The headline leads me to believe this was a newspaper editorial comic that the Park Point Community Club had printed on card stock and distributed around town to raise a fuss. The signature on the comic is John Harrison.

Former PDD video intern Jamie Merideth shot and edited this video about the replica of the Lark of Duluth, “The World’s First Airliner,” being built at Sky Harbor.

There will be a Centennial event at Sky Harbor this summer from July 12-14th.

You may have seen the news story on a UWS feasibility study of a water taxi between Barkers Island and Park Point. In what’s old is new again, I remember hearing of a ferry that used to run between Superior and the end of Park Point, when a community of summer cabins existed out there. But I can’t find any information on it, such as when it operated, and where it docked on either the Superior or Park Point sides. Does anybody know where I can find any information on that?

The comments on the recent post about wine rooms as breeding places of vice in Duluth a century ago delved into the history of prostitution in Canal Park. If only someone had come up with the idea for the Lakewalk back then …
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From 100 years ago — April 17, 1913 — Duluth News Tribune:

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My students have questions about the Egyptian Theatre of the Duluth Masonic Center, 4 West Second St., Duluth. “The Egyptian Theater is a unique landmark in the city of Duluth, and its Kimball pipe organ has recently been restored.”

If you have info about construction, performances, and other historical information, please share below!

This May, the Duluth Preservation Alliance is recognizing Duluth homes which are turning 100 years old at its annual awards ceremony. The DPA is looking for applicants whose homes are turning 100 years old this year and that have retained their historic character.

If you would like to apply, or know someone who might qualify, you can download an application at duluthpreservation.org under the “Centennial Homes Recognition” tab. Applications are due April 18.

If you have any questions, please contact Bob Berg at 218-341-6143 or robert.berg @ duluth.k12.mn.ust.

In yesterday’s story in the DNT, Alan Sparhawk, sound engineer Eric Swanson, musicians Marc Gartman, Amy Abts and Tony Bennett, and Low’s former nanny Scott “Starfire” Lunt all weigh in on the band’s 20 years of music.

It’s a great conversation and it’s one I think is worth continuing here as Low commemorates its second decade in the business and its 10th studio album, which hits the shelves on Tuesday.

What are your favorite Low memories, whether you know the band or you’re just a fan of their music?

Remember two-and-a-half years ago when we speculated about bringing back the old NorShor tower?

Apparently, the speculation is over.

Developer: NorShor Theatre’s tower marquee will rise again

The story seems to indicate the tower will be built from scratch rather than refurbished, which leaves open the question of what happened to the original tower.

For a further historical refresher course:

NorShor Theatre Historical Slide Show

While watching Lost Duluth 2 on WDSE-TV (great show!), I wanted to pass along some awesome old photos that have been scanned in very high resolution and submitted to the wonderful archive site shorpy.com. Anyone who likes looking at good historic photos of Duluth will love these large images. Most of these were taken in 1905 and were published by the Detroit Publishing Co. using glass negatives.
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Recently discovered in my parents’ basement is this wooden coin from the old Sambo’s Restaurant, which was located where the Miller Hill Mall Perkins is today. Sambo’s was a chain with over a thousand locations during its heydays in the 1970s, according to the Wikipedia entry.

These coins are all over eBay, representing numerous cities, so although I don’t see any Duluth ones for sale, I assume this is not a rare item.

I remember the Sambo’s name, and I’m sure I ate there a few times as a kid, but I don’t have any specific memories. It’s interesting/upsetting to note that apparently “sambo” is a racial slur, which contributed to the demise of the restaurant chain. As the Wiki entry for the children’s book The Story of Little Black Sambo notes:

A popular U.S. restaurant chain of the 1960s and 1970s, Sambo’s, borrowed characters from the book (including Sambo and the tigers) for promotional purposes, although the Sambo name was originally a combination of the founders’ nicknames: Sam (Sam Battistone) and Bo (Newell Bohnett). Nonetheless, the controversy about the book led to accusations of racism that contributed to the 1,117-restaurant chain’s demise in the early 1980s. Images inspired by the book (now considered by some racially insensitive) were common interior decorations in the restaurants. Though portions of the original chain were renamed No Place Like Sam’s to try to forestall closure, all but the original restaurants in Santa Barbara, California had closed by 1983.

At risk of setting off an avalanche of flaming comments here on PDD I am going to post this interview that I worked on today.

The City of Duluth’s request for an appeal of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals full panel has been denied. Karen Diver came in to the WGZS studios today to discuss her take on that decision and the way forward. In addition to all of the legal wrangling and tribal sovereignty issues that she takes up in this interview, I also thought it was interesting when (toward the end) she addressed a desire to cooperate with Duluth businesses and establishments including the NorShor which is much beloved by many a PDDer. I have divided interests in this matter personally and even if I did have a fully formed opinion about what would be “right” I am not really in a position to express it here. And anyway, I don’t have a fully formed opinion. And that’s where you come in PDD:

What do you think the FDL Band should do going forward? What do you think Duluth should do?

(Please note that the video may provide some context, but really this is a radio interview, not television, the lines are blurred on social media).

A nifty animation by Dave and Jean Kirwan set to a 1961 jingle about our fair city. This took first place in the 2013 Playground Short Shorts Film Festival this weekend.

University of Wisconsin-Superior professor John Munsell died on Tuesday. He taught at UWS from 1967 to 2001 and was one heck of a character.

Speaking of his characters, one of them in April 1997 was Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, shown above.
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