West Duluth 100 Years Ago
The photo above is from 1910. It was almost certainly shot from North 59th Avenue West, near where Tacony Street intersects it. I tried to replicate it with the modern shot below, but trees, fences and houses kept me from shooting at the same spot, and the view is much more limited.
Behind all the trees across the street is a rock outcropping that matches the one in the 1910 photo.
Also, I’m pretty sure these are the same houses on West Eighth Street:
1910
2010
And this row of houses on Elinor Street appears similar, although some are missing in the modern photo:
1910
2010
These posts are awesome – thanks for sharing! 😀
Wish I knew who the people were crossing the street in the old photo.
The gentleman has his coat over his arm. The woman has a baby in a carriage and quite a fancy hat.
Very awesome.
Nice post
Agreed. These posts are awesome, Paul. Thanks.
Paul, I didn’t grow up here, but your posts help me feel like a local. Thanks.
Whenever I look at a comparison of streets, I wonder if the people 100 years ago would be disappointed with our “overgrown” trees now. I mean, I look at old Duluth and think it looks scalped. But people were so interested in Conquering the Wilderness, then. They wanted to tame it and bring it under control in a Great Civilization.
So, would our modern Duluth–with forest regrown in some places, tall tansy and ghost parks like the forgotten park up above the West End–be seen as a regression to them? Would Duluthians of 100 years ago see us collectively as lazy bastards who don’t mow enough? Who let the trees grow too wild and cover too much in front of the house?
I grew up playing on those rocks. My family lived on West 8th behind the rocks. It was the best of playgrounds.