Month: February 2024
Good boy, Jerry
The message on the back of this 113-year-old postcard reads:
Dear Edwin-
This not a very good picture of Jerry but you can tell what he looks like. -KM
Minnesota Historia: Minnesota in the Civil War
Minnesota was the first state to offer troops to the Union during the Civil War. And it was home to the last Civil War veteran when 106-year-old Albert Woolson died on Aug. 2, 1956. For a state so far from Gettysburg, Antietam and Bull Run, Minnesota’s history in the Civil War is full of surprises.
Minnesota Historia is a PBS North web series dedicated to Minnesota’s quirky past. It is hosted by Hailey Eidenschink and produced/edited/written by Mike Scholtz.
Historic Lutsen Lodge destroyed by fire
Minnesota Public Radio reports Lutsen Lodge, also known as the historic lodge at Lutsen Resort, was destroyed in a midnight fire. Resort officials say it’s a total loss. (more…)
Tim Cortes Studio West open in Duluth Heritage Sports Center
The Duluth News Tribune reports artist Tim Cortes has opened an art studio and gallery in the former warming shack at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center’s Sill Arena.
PDD Geoguessr Challenge #11: Lift Bridges
De Hef in Rotterdam carried trains until a tunnel opened in 1993. It is a now a national monument. Photo by the author.
As the principle symbol of Duluth, writing on the Aerial Lift Bridge often focuses on its uniqueness. Because it started as a transfer bridge, the top span makes it unusual for a lift bridge. But lift bridges themselves are not so unusual. Wikipedia lists 137 of them in the world. (more…)
Shane Nelson w/ Maxi Childs Trio – “Love You from a Distance”
Superior’s Shane Nelson has a new music video. The track “Love You from a Distance” is from his upcoming album The Music Saved My Life, recorded at Sacred Heart Music Center. The song features Maxi Childs on backing vocals, Steve Netzel on bass, Ron Koivisto on electric guitar and Jerry Siptroth on drums. The video is by Bo Allen of Bo Allen Productions.
U of M honoring work and legacy of George Morrison
Minnesota Public Radio reports on the new George Morrison Center for Indigenous Arts at the University of Minnesota, which serves as an “interdepartmental study center to support the creation, presentation and interpretation of Indigenous art in all its forms.” Morrison was a renowned abstract painter and sculptor, and a member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He died in 2000.
The inaugural exhibit at the center is on display in the Katherine Nash Gallery until March 16. It includes work by Duluth-based artist Jonathan Thunder.
Chester Creek Concert Series now Music in the Park, half of season will be in Lincoln Park
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation division announced today that performer applications are being accepted for the 2024 Music in the Park concert series. Formerly known as the Chester Creek Concert Series, the Tuesday-night shows will be held at Chester Park from June 18 to July 16, then at Lincoln Park from July 23 to Aug. 13. (more…)
Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards 2024 Call for Nominations
Lake Superior Writers is seeking nominations for the 2024 Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards. NEMBA celebrates books that substantially represent the history, culture, heritage or lifestyle of northeastern Minnesota.
The six categories are: nonfiction, fiction, children’s literature, middle grade / young adult, poetry and memoir. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Boy behind the wheel circa 1924
The postcard photo above is dated 1924, making it 100 years old. It shows a boy driving a car with a sign on the grill that reads “Western Steel Products Company, New Duluth, Minn.” That doesn’t technically mean the photo was shot in the New Duluth neighborhood, however, so the primary mystery of the photo’s location perhaps hinges on whether the houses in the background match any present-day Duluth homes. The identity of the people in the car is the longshot mystery to solve. (more…)