Help in identifying a Duluth location

Les Locklear Apr 10, 2014 7 Comments

I believe this is Garfield Avenue and Superior Street. A relative once had a grocery store directly to the left of Garfield in the photo. I’m pretty sure it is the store with the canopy or the one to the right (west) of that one. Charles Atol was the “original?” owner then later Jimmy Atol. Any information would be appreciated.

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7 Comments

Les L

about 10 years ago 

I have found another photo of the storefront. It was located at 1532 W. Superior St. The people are Charles Atol (owner) his wife Sarah, in front of them is one of their daughters Jean and to the right another daughter Ruby and her friend Dodo Gibson. Later the store was owned by Jimmy Atol (one of their sons) he used to put hubcaps in front of the store and got the nickname "Hubcap Jimmy" at that point it was a junk store, but today they would probably call it an antique store.

Dorkus

about 10 years ago 

Yes, that is most certainly Garfield and Superior St. 

I distinctly remember the white building on the corner with the round protrusion with a castle-like top to it. I think it was only torn down in the last 15-20 years.

spy1

about 10 years ago 

I did a quick Duluth newspaper archive search up to 1922 and was overwhelmed with Atol family history. Much of it solidly on the scandal sheet side of things, although much more was scandal back then, like stealing cigars. But there is child bride shenanigans, murder, interfamily thievery, and more. Ruby married a boat captain, a hero of the Eastland tragedy in Chicago. I will compile what I can and send it to you. If you want it.

Les L

about 10 years ago 

Spy1 > I would be eternally grateful for your kind offer as would relatives scattered all over the rest of the country.

Jason Mehling

about 10 years ago 

Ruby is my grandma (deceased) married to Jim "Foggy" Durfee (deceased) captain of the Essayons.  Many Pust, Durfee, Atol and other last names are related since Jim had about 14 kids, my mother being the youngest of his second wife Ruby.  I think Ruby had three siblings  Many relatives live in Duluth and the surrounding area.  My mother has this photo in her house.

Tony D.

about 10 years ago 

The photograph was taken in I believe 1905 and is owned by the Library of Congress (one of my favorites; we use it in Lost Duluth on page 79). It is actually a detail of a much larger photograph that shows a great deal of Rice'sPoint, including the second roundhouse and Duluth's first baseball diamond--with a game in progress!

The building with the turret is the 1887 Clarendon Hotel, demolished in 1942. It is prior to 1908, when the building marked "SELZ" was replaced with the first Garfield News building, so the photo was taken some time between 1887 and 1908. Duluth's first professional baseball team took the field in 1886. Duluth pro teams played their again in 1887 and 1891. Of course, the field was likely used for all sorts of amateur games. Athletic Park, near the ore docks, was built in 1903 for the Duluth White Sox. So I would narrow the date to between 1887 and 1902

You can read about the Clarendon here, the Garfield News here and the "Garfield Avenue" neighborhood, aka "Swede Town," here.

Les

about 10 years ago 

Ruby had at least seven siblings. Her older sister Helen is my maternal grandmother.

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