Paul Lundgren
Postcard from the Spalding Hotel: “Duluth’s Popular Rendezvous”
This undated postcard, printed by Brown & Bigelow of St. Paul, depicts the Spalding Hotel in Downtown Duluth. The back of the card notes the Spalding was “Duluth’s Popular Rendezvous” and offered a coffee shop, cocktail lounge and bar.
The Spalding opened at 428 W. Superior St. on June 6, 1889 and was demolished on Sept. 25, 1963.
Soo Line Port Switcher 2118
This photo is dated Jan. 5, 1980 — 40 years ago today. It shows the Soo Line Port Switcher 2118, one of two switchers honoring the Twin Ports cities of Duluth and Superior. (more…)
View from Skyline Parkway of Downtown Duluth in 1899
Stitched together above to produced a jagged panorama are three photos by William Henry Jackson of Downtown Duluth shot just uphill from a gravel road we presume is an early version of what we call Skyline Parkway today. Below are the isolated images, which show greater detail. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: January 2020 Edition
In the past year — from January through December 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 7,937 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed.
It’s a tremendous amount of work to keep up with all the submissions from the more than 1,000 organizations that have sent us info about their concerts, plays, improv nights and snowshoe hikes. That’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
New Year Greetings from Fitger’s Brewing Co.
From the Jan. 1, 1910 issue of the Duluth Evening Herald.
2019: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
Here it is, Perfect Duluth Day’s annual collection of things that were stapled to telephone polls, taped to lavatory walls, pinned to bulletin boards and uploaded to websites. As usual, by no means is this a comprehensive collection of local rock posters, nor is it a carefully curated archive of the best. It’s just a bunch of them we noticed and didn’t lose in 2019. (more…)
Richard Lee Armstrong – “Landlord of Duluth”
Ten years ago today — Dec. 30, 2009 — Richard Lee Armstrong released the album Pretty Dream Woman, featuring the track “Landlord of Duluth.” The song tells the story of Armstrong’s claim that he technically owns part of Downtown Duluth. (more…)
Saturday Essay: Select gems from 2019
Last week we highlighted the five most-read pieces from the fourth year of Perfect Duluth Day’s “Saturday Essay” series. This week we ignore the numbers and look back at a few select essays of similar quality that might have been missed by non-compulsive followers.
In the past four years PDD has published 185 essays showcasing the work of 29 different writers, and we’re always looking to expand that roster. Anyone who has an original piece of literary excellence that seems to fit (or appropriately defy) the established format should email paul @ perfectduluthday.com to get involved.
And now, links to a few select gems from season four … (more…)
Duluth’s Christmas of 1889 was finer than ever
This Christmas card from Duluth jeweler Andrew Jackson promotes a special holiday sale 130 years ago, featuring “greatly reduced prices.” (more…)
Mystery Photo: Three Dudes in Fake Car
A recurring source of confusion in the Mystery Photo series is whether particular images that share the stamp of the Post Card Shop in Minneapolis and the Penny Arcade in Duluth were shot in Minneapolis or Duluth. Here is another such image. (more…)
The Most Read Saturday Essays of 2019
It’s an annual tradition at Perfect Duluth Day to wrap up each year of the “Saturday Essay” series with lazy top-five lists instead of arduously prepared compositions. Here we go again.
This week is part one, highlighting the essays that were read the most times according to Google Analytics. Next week is less of a popularity contest; we’ll showcase five underappreciated gems. (more…)
Bird’s-eye View of Duluth-Superior, 1908
This postcard features a drawing of Duluth, Superior and the St. Louis River, and was copyrighted by Thomas W. Wahl of Wahl Realty Co. in 1908. (more…)
Brianna Lane – “Duluth”
Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Brianna Lane released her song “Duluth” on the 2002 album On Rooftops. (more…)
Free Air Life Co. brings outdoor apparel to Lincoln Park
Free Air Life retail store marketing director Katy Rochel and co-owner Sarah Steinbach stand in front of apparel at the new Lincoln Park shop.
Another new business has opened in a revitalized Duluth building positioned to add more retail shopping to the Lincoln Park Craft District. (more…)
Postcard from Tri-Tower Apartments
This postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography offers a 1970’s-era view of Tri-Tower Apartments at 220-226 N. Second Ave. E. in Duluth’s Central Hillside. The 15-story lobes were constructed in 1972 and are operated by the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Duluth, providing low-rent living space for elderly people with limited incomes. (more…)
Bankruptcy in the West End and the Horse You Rode in On
Here’s a little something for bankruptcy law nerds and fans of commerce in western Duluth circa the early 1980s. One would pretty much have to be fanatical about both to read through the full document linked here …
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Minnesota, Fifth Division
Jun 7, 1985
52 B.R. 501 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1985)
… but perhaps the summary below will suffice for the average Duluthian. (more…)
Postcard from the Aerial Bridge in 1909
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Dec. 9, 1909. It shows the Aerial Transfer Bridge during the days when a ferry car transported people, automobiles and goods across the Duluth Shipping Canal. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: December 2019 Edition
In the past year — from December 2018 through November 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 8,022 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed.
It’s a tremendous amount of work to keep up with all the submissions from the more than 1,000 organizations that have sent us info about their concerts, plays, book sales and lutefisk dinners. That’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
West Superior Street, Spalding Hotel, Lyceum Theatre circa 1904
This photo from Detroit Publishing Company shows Downtown Duluth at Superior Street and Fifth Avenue West circa 1904. At right is the Spalding Hotel, at left the Lyceum Theatre.
Due to the clarity of this particular image, it’s possible to zoom in for some pretty clear closeups, as illustrated below. (more…)
Postcard of Foreign Ships in Duluth Harbor
Foreign Trade Zone #51 was approved by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 40 years ago today — Nov. 27, 1979. The first shipment arrived on April 12, 1983. This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography shows ships in the Duluth Harbor near the Foreign Trade Terminal. (more…)
Good Knight – “Two Eighteen (Duluth, Minnesnowta Part II)”
Duluth-based rapper Good Knight unleashed part one of this song about a decade ago on MySpace. That version was simply titled “Duluth, Minnesnowta,” and appeared on Perfect Duluth Day in 2011. Part two, featured here, has not previously been posted on PDD. It contains a sample of “Drive” by Incubus.
Both “Duluth, Minnesnowta” songs are loaded with Duluth references and appear on the album Northern Exposure / 40 Oz. Below Zero.
Postcard from a parade on Superior Street in 1909
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Nov. 23, 1909. It depicts a scene on the 300 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth that appears to be a Fourth of July parade. (more…)
Dylan Thomas – “Duluth Street”
It’s not easy to find reliable information online about musician Dylan Thomas, since he shares the name of a famous Welsh poet. But what seems to be the case is that in 2007 Thomas released the album Pieces of an Overhead View, featuring a song with Duluth in the title and the lyrics. (more…)