Paul Lundgren
Duluth You & Me: Golf Courses
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Golf Courses
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Mystery Photo #123: Duluth Public Library Reading Room
At one time for sale on Amazon, but now marked “currently unavailable,” is this photo labeled “Reading Room, Duluth Public Library, 1890-1930, Minnesota, MN, Chairs, People, Books.” (more…)
Twenty Years on the Superior Hiking Trail: Ely’s Peak Loop
The laziest and slowest record in endurance-sports history has been broken. Again. By me. Again.
As documented in numerous essays, I started hiking the Superior Hiking Trail on Sept. 23, 2000 and finished the 310-mile trek from the Canadian border to Jay Cooke State Park on Nov. 5, 2015. Obviously I took a lot of breaks along the way. Then, in 2016, I hiked new parts of the trail that hadn’t been built when I first went through, thus breaking the record I already held for the slowest unsustained complete traverse of the Superior Hiking Trail.
Was that an official record? Well, no organizational body really keeps track of such things. But I stand firmly in my declaration that no one who has hiked the entire Superior Hiking Trail has taken longer to do it than me.
And now I’ve taken even longer.
In the summer of 2018 a new loop trail was built at Ely’s Peak in Duluth. It was kind of late in the hiking season when I heard about it, so I planned to do it in 2019. Then I kind of forgot about it and got distracted with other things. I had also started a new quest to hike the North Country Trail through Wisconsin. I’m still barely started on that.
Anyway, this past July I drove out to the Ely’s Peak area with the intention of knocking out the new last bit of trail, but as I started walking it occurred to me that if I waited until Sept. 23 to do this loop my Superior Hiking Trail story would span a perfect 20 years. So I hiked other trials that day and saved the loop for the perfect day. (more…)
Zinsmaster Bread Company of Duluth
This undated photo shows the Zinsmaster Wholesale Bakery facilities at 2831 W. Superior St. in Duluth. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: October 2020
Whether or not 2020 has already been scary enough, October is here and Halloween will soon be upon us. The PDD Calendar is already sorting out the Halloween events, so everyone will know whether their plans should involve one mask or two.
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 events on Perfect Duluth Day. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Postcard from the Aerial Bridge in 1905
This postcard from the V.O. Hammon Publishing Company features an image copyrighted in 1904 by Crandall & Maher (presumably Robert S. Crandall and James Maher). The card was mailed out of Duluth on Sept. 29, 1905 and arrived in Ohio on Oct. 2. It was sent to Miss Emily Booher of Mt. Gilead. The sender’s name is not on the card but the message scrawled on the front reads:
“It was midnight on the ocean and a storm was on the lake.” Remember.
Duluth You & Me: Bear Invasion
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Bear Invasion
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Postcard from Downtown Duluth circa 1975
This undated postcard of Downtown Duluth shows off three buildings that were somewhat new at the time of the photo. In the foreground is the Gateway Tower apartment building at 600 W. Superior St., built in 1972. Shown most prominently at left is the Radisson Hotel at 505 W. Superior St., built in 1970. The Ordean Building, at 424 W. Superior St., was built in 1973. (more…)
Potato and molasses home brew odor vile
According to an article in the Sept. 22, 1920 Duluth Herald, the combination of potatoes and molasses in a home brew can be “quite potent.” The paper notes that Anthony Fiskett, Duluth’s acting chief of police at the time, might have needed to have his headquarters fumigated after hauling in an evidential keg of the pungent concoction. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Enger Tower
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Enger Tower
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Bulk Freighter Maricopa, circa 1900-1910
This Detroit Publishing Company photo of the bulk freighter Maricopa comes with little information. The Library of Congress dates it as “between 1900 and 1910.” There’s no photographer name and no location. It’s even filed as “S.S. Merick [sic] of Duluth,” for some reason. (more…)
Postcard from the Duluth Auditorium
The Duluth Auditorium — now known as the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center‘s Symphony Hall — opened in 1966. It has hosted an extensive variety of musicians, comedians, theatrical companies and other entertainers over the years and is the home stage of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra and Minnesota Ballet. Seating capacity is 2,221. (more…)
Mystery Photo #122: La La
Yes, it’s another car-prop photo from either the Post Card Shop in Minneapolis or the Penny Arcade in Duluth. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Hawk Ridge
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Hawk Ridge
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
North Country Trail in Wisconsin: Town of Summit
One nice thing about hiking on county roads is that if a deer fly is pestering you and you happen to walk by a freshly killed skunk, the fly will transfer to the skunk and leave you to hike in peace.
There are also fewer ticks on roads than on trails, and you are less likely to get lost. But the benefits of a trail instead of a highway are obvious and substantial. In particular: the natural beauty of the land is a bit less interfered with on a trail, there are no motorized vehicles to watch out for, and on hot days there is usually some protection from the blistering sun.
Those are the basic pros and cons as I hike through the town of Summit in my quest to follow the North Country Trail through Wisconsin. As I’ve explained in previous essays, the trail isn’t built yet in the area near the Minnesota border, with the exception of the Nemadji River Valley, so there is a road route connecting sections of the trail.
Last summer I hiked county roads W and B to Pattison State Park. So far in 2020 I’ve hiked from Pattison to the border between the towns of Summit and Gordon. All of this has happened without any overnight camping or serious day of dedicated hiking. It’s just casual car trips to walk the road in there-and-back stretches. (more…)
Postcard from Enger Memorial Tower in 1950
This postcard was mailed 70 years ago. The date on the postmark is not clear, but it looks like July 8, 1950. The signature of the sender is also not entirely clear, but it appears to be Helen Lold. The recipient is Henry Maursey of Midland, Mich. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Weather
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Weather
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Stewart Shoe Company of West Duluth
One hundred years ago the Stewart Shoe Company was on its way out and American Bakery Company was on its way in at 324 N. Central Ave. in West Duluth. The building there was constructed in 1894 and today is occupied by Wussow’s Concert Cafe, which opened under the name Beaner’s Central in 1999. (more…)
Minnesota Point Lighthouse has been old for a long time
This ad appeared in the Duluth Herald newspaper on Sept. 4, 1920. The Minnesota Point Lighthouse was built in 1858, and it seems its deterioration happened largely in its first 62 years. (more…)
Postcard from a Beautiful Lake Superior Shore Line
This postcard was mailed Sept. 2, 1935 — 85 years ago today. “Lois and Ben” sent the card from Duluth to Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Jones of Highland Park, Mich. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: September 2020 Edition
It’s been nearly six months since the day the world got canceled. At this moment in time, some events are still being canceled, but more aren’t even being planned in the first place. Still, there are hundreds of events each month that are happening as safely as possible, whether they are “virtual” events online or part of the physically distanced masquerade ball the world has turned into. For better or worse, the PDD Calendar continues to report what’s happening today, tomorrow and on into infinity … or at least into 2021.
Once a month we reach out with a beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events on Perfect Duluth Day. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Fourth of July Fireworks
Duluth’s 2020 fireworks were canceled … twice … so here’s the best we can do. (more…)
Postcard from Central High School in 1910
This postcard of Duluth Central High School is postmarked Aug. 29, 1910 — 110 years ago today.
The message on the back is to Miss Nevada Simpson of Crookston, Minn. (more…)
Kresge Girls’ Baseball Team of 1920
From the Aug. 28, 1920 Duluth Herald.
Postcard from Jay Cooke State Park
This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography shows a waterfall and the famous swinging bridge on the St. Louis River at Jay Cooke State Park. (more…)