July 2022 Posts

First time author from Duluth

My name is Nick Campanella. After ten years of typing, editing and revising, I’m proud to say I am now a published author with a successful book called Path of Affliction.

PDD Video Lab: Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, July 2022

In this edition of the PDD Video Lab we’ve taken a recently shot silent drone video by YouTube user IndyDroner and added music from Robert Plant’s 2017 album Carry Fire. The track is titled “Heaven Sent.”

Postcard from the Elevators on Rice’s Point

This undated postcard from the Rotograph Company is captioned “Elevators, Superior Harbor, Duluth, Minn.” and features a view of Rice’s Point and the Duluth/Superior Harbor.

According to an article on the Canada Lakes Conservation Association website, the Rotograph Company was based in New York City and was “a major publisher and printer of postcards from 1904-1911.”

Lake Stories: A Collaboration of Russian and Native American Students

This past winter, Native American high school students from Duluth and high school students from Petrozavodsk, capital city of the Russian Republic of Karelia, worked together to create Lake Stories, a video project that takes a poetic look at the magic of Lake Superior and Lake Onega, the great lakes that lie next to their cities. The video is presented by Duluth Sister Cities International with support from Eurasia Foundation.

More info in the Duluth News Tribune story “Northland students find freshwater bond across borders.”

Charlie Parr – “Running, Jumping, Standing Still”

Charlie Parr performed on the North Shore last week as part of the Silver Bay Music in the Park Concert Series. The song “Running, Jumping, Standing Still” is the title track to a 1969 “Spider” John Koerner and Willie Murphy album.

Mystery Photo: Cowboys and a Clown

The previous Mystery Photos post on Perfect Duluth Day featured four different fake cowboy photos shot at Owl Studio in Duluth circa 1912. Another recently popped up on ebay and quickly sold, this time with some kind of clown joining the cowboys.

PDD Quiz: Portorama

Test your knowledge of the bygone Duluth Seaway Portorama in this week’s quiz! To learn more about this festival, check out the Duluth Public Library’s Vintage Duluth blog.

The next PDD quiz sails your way on July 31; it will review this month’s headlines and happenings. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by July 27.

Lake Superior Whale Shark

 

Bike-a-Band Inaugural Ride

Tom Maloney built a rolling stage for a moving concert. Here’s a very brief montage of videos and photos from the inaugural ride of the Bike-a-Band.

Nantucket Sleigh Ride Via Loon

When I was young, my family went fishing on a lake south of Duluth. While casting our lines, we noticed a loon swimming nearby, calling in an unusual manner. As outdoorsy types, we had heard many loons before, but this one sounded more plaintive than normal, like it was in distress.

The loon kept circling near us, which was also odd for this rather standoffish species. My dad thought it needed help, so we canoed toward it.

We soon saw the problem. A homemade fishing pole crafted from a large branch trailed about fifteen feet behind the bird. My dad grabbed the pole, thinking he could just pull the loon toward us and find where the fishing hook was lodged.

Ha! He underestimated the power of the loon. Upon feeling the tug of the line, the loon took off and dove underwater. My dad kept his grip on the pole, and the loon proceeded to pull our canoe — and the three or four of us in it — through the water at a good clip.

Wholesale Flour, Feed, Grain and Hay

Recent work on the Duluth Plumbing Supply building at 322 W. Michigan St. — now SPS Companies — has made more visible the words painted on the back side more than a century ago. The bottom line reads “Wholesale Flour, Feed, Grain and Hay.” The top line originally read “Wright-Clarkson Mercantile Co.” but appears to have later been painted over with some other words.

The old-timey photo is via Shorpy and is dated “circa 1905.” St. Louis County property tax records list the building as constructed in 1910, but that’s potentially not accurate.

Selective Focus: Noihsaf Bazaar

Noihsaf Bazaar is a community-based resale marketplace focusing on independent designers and small labels. Founded in Duluth by Kate Lindello, Noihsaf has recently launched its own online platform to better provide a more curated experience for its unique community.

Duluth 2022 Primary Election Sample Ballot

Above is what the partisan side of the primary ballot looks like for Duluthians on the western side of the city. Those on the eastern side will see candidates for Minnesota State Representative for District 8B instead of 8A. The dividing line of the district is at First Avenue East and also runs north/south along Kenwood Avenue.

Postcard from Priley Fountain and the Radisson Hotel

This 50-year-old postcard shows what was then the new Radisson Hotel behind the also new-at-the time Priley Fountain at the Duluth Civic Center. The message on the back of the card was written July 14, 1972, and the card is postmarked the next day.

Monthly Grovel: July 2022

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It’s festival season and the PDD Calendar has it all sorted out — from the various outdoor concerts and art festivals to all the county fairs and neighborhood parady street-dancey things.

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

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