Postcards from Duluth’s ore docks

Duluth, MN, Mammoth Ore Docks, Aeroplane View, c1920s

Duluth’s first ore dock was built in 1893, just east of 34th Avenue West. The Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway built several docks there for loading iron ore from the Iron Range for shipment to steel plants in the East. The first five docks were built of wood, which was gradually replaced by steel and concrete.

Giant Ore Docks on Lake Superior

Ore Dock - Duluth

D.M. & N Ore Dock in 1911

Ore Docks of the D.M. & N.R.R. Co. - 1909

dockers

4 Comments

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

Duluth, Mesabe & Iron Range Railway Co. Dock 1941

Postcard text: "Sixty percent of the iron ore mined in the United States comes from the great Minnesota iron ranges just north of Duluth. This ore is brought by rail to the Duluth harbor, where it is transferred to awaiting freighters for shipment to lower lake ports."

Duluth, Mesabe & Iron Range back 1941Railway Co. Dock 1941 back

Message to Mr. & Mrs. R.J. Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa, postmarked Aug. 7, 1941:

Nice and cool here. Had to wear a coat yesterday. We had a grand fish dinner last night with Sauterne. Have no hay fever. Love, Berthe

Beverly

about 9 years ago

The first card made me curious about the word "aeroplane," which I see nowadays is found in British English and not American.

Here's a chart of "aeroplane" vs. "airplane" use in American English books over the years, according to Google. Looks like there were a lot of mentions of airplanes about 1943.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

Do they have a similar chart for skimobile?

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

1957 Ore Docks

Postcard text: This view is at the Missabe Ore Docks at Duluth, Minn. The freighter Horace Johnson is getting ready to load iron ore, and then will proceed to the steel mills in the lower lake ports. Photo by Red Peterson.

oredocksback1957

Message to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Kane and family of Cedar Radids, Iowa, postmarked July 17, 1957:

Dear friends: We are enjoying our stay here -- like it best when the sun is shining and it is warm! So far it has been below 65 degrees most of the time. The people here at the college are so friendly and do all possible to keep us busy and happy. Have had so many interesting side trips. Joe and Bill have had some good fishing. We plan to go to Lake of the Woods and Winnipeg before we come home July 26. Hope you are all O.K. Will phone you when we get home. The Stalars

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