Postcard from Superior Street at Fourth Avenue West
This undated postcard shows buildings on the 300 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth. The building in the foreground is the St. Louis Hotel, which was demolished in the early 1930s and replaced by the Medical Arts Building. The trio of buildings to its left — the Torrey, Alworth and Lonsdale buildings — are all still standing.
The postcard was published by the Duluth Photo Engraving Company, which created the illustration from a photograph shot by McKenzie Photo Company.
I believe my grandfather, Nick Eacobacci, worked for Duluth Photo Engraving at one point. He was a photo retouching artist, a commercial artist and a painter. He did the retouching of my mom’s wedding announcement photo for the Tribune. I still have the original! Most, if not all, of his paintings were from Duluth and surrounding landscapes.
I have many of his paintings as do my brothers and my cousin, Suzy (Holmstrom) Johnson. I have a special place in my heart for Duluth. My mom’s familiy (Eacobaccis) grew up on Osakis Street and my dad was from Superior. My dad, Joe McFarlin, got his start in theater and broadcasting in Duluth. He was in several plays in the Duluth Playhouse. My mom joined them in the early years of their courtship. My dad, Joe McFarlin, was “Jolly Joe” and “Tolliver” on TV and worked for WDSM, KDLH and KDAL before moving to the Twin Cities for a job at KRSI and eventually WCCO. We spent many holidays and summers in Duluth at my Aunt Connie and Uncle Ev Holmstrom’s home on Owatonna. Good times and great memories.