Paul Lundgren
Monthly Grovel: June 2019 Edition
In the past year — from June 2018 through May 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 8,016 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed. We intend to keep up the good work, but (believe it or not) we could do better. There are still events we are missing. And we have a few assistants standing by who jump into action when donations roll in to pay for their future carpal tunnel surgeries.
So that’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
How we do things at Duluth, Minn.
It’s difficult to make out the line of red text at the top of this old postcard, but it reads: “How we do things at Duluth, Minn.” Apparently “how we do things” is we doctor images to make raspberries appear to be the size of pineapples.
The undated postcard is credited to “Johnson, Photographer, Waupun, Wis.”
Postcard from First Presbyterian Church of Duluth
First Presbyterian Church established its congregation 150 years ago today — June 1, 1869. It’s magnificent sandstone structure at 300 E. Second St. was built from 1890 to 1891. The image above is from an undated postcard published by Duluth photographer Robert B. Barrett.
KUMD station manager position still in limbo
Maija Jenson
When Maija Jenson transitions out of her role as interim station manager at KUMD in August it will mark the end of an era that started in 2008 when she was one of three major hires there. What the next era holds will likely be decided in the coming months.
The 62-year-old public radio station at 103.3 FM, operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth, is expected to learn soon whether the college will seek to hire a new general manager to guide it. Whether it does or doesn’t, KUMD will likely continue with its usual programming, but not hiring a new GM leaves its leadership in question and might put grant funding at risk.
“We have not made any final decisions yet,” UMD Marketing and Public Relations Director Lynne Williams said in a statement today. Williams is the university’s administrator of KUMD and reports to UMD Chancellor Lendley Black. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Minnesota Slip Drawbridge
This old slide image shows a cabin cruiser passing under the Minnesota Slip Drawbridge, a pedestrian bridge spanning the Minnesota Slip on the Duluth waterfront. When was this photo taken? (more…)
Duluth Urban Forest Architecture
Found under construction in the Norton Park neighborhood.
Postcards from Split Rock Lighthouse
On the list of iconic structures in the Arrowhead region, the Split Rock Lighthouse is probably #2 between the Aerial Lift Bridge and Enger Tower as the most photographed. It has been featured on an endless array of postcards over the past century. (more…)
Gallery of Defunct Duluth Literary and Arts ’Zines
In addition to the various (“legitimate,” if you will) literary and arts magazines and journals in the Duluth area, past and present, there is a long tradition of renegade ’zines circulated for short periods of time. What’s technically the difference between the two? Well, a magazine or journal tends to have a glossy cover and be governed by an institution or a nonprofit board of directors. A ’zine tends to be printed on a photocopier for limited circulation and produced by an individual or disorganized group. (more…)
The Magnolias – “Playing to Win”
Twin Cities punk band the Magnolias advise hiding away in Duluth on the song “Playing to Win” from the 1992 album Off the Hook. (more…)
Feodor von Luerzer painting of Lester River
This painting of the Lester River circa 1900 was recently sold on eBay, mislabeled as a painting of “Luster River.” (more…)
Goats in Trees – “Midnight Road to Duluth”
East Coast band Goats in Trees took the “Midnight Road to Duluth” on track five of the 2002 album Smoke and Mirrors. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Duluth Grocers
This old photo shows two men standing in a grocery store. The back of the photo indicates it’s in Duluth, Minn. and gives the names of the men. Unfortunately, the photo of the back side of this photo is blurry and difficult to read, but it looks like Gust Hjelm is one of the names. (more…)
North Country Trail in Wisconsin: Crossing the Border
This is the third chapter in my quest to hike the North Country Trail across Wisconsin, but logistically it probably should be the first. As I’ve explained in previous chapters, the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota and the North Country Trail in Wisconsin aren’t properly connected yet at the border. The best thing a purist can do to fill the gap is hike on Minnesota State Highway 23 and a pair of county roads to get to a trailhead. So that’s what I did. Because I’m an annoying purist. Sort of.
It’s not so much that I’m determined to be annoying and pure. There are basically three reasons I wanted to hike on the roadways. 1) I know from experience that having a somewhat methodical goal inspires me to stay active. 2) If the pieces don’t all connect, it’s easy to lose track of where I’m at in the process, thereby thwarting reason #1. 3) Hiking on a trail in May is less fun anyway because of mud and ticks, so roads might be the best option anyway. (And if I were a true purist I’d strap on a backpack and hike across the whole state in a few days instead of breaking it up into numerous easy hikes.)
With all that in mind I parked my car on the side of Highway 23 near the Wild Valley Road sign and set out to connect my Superior Hiking Trail adventures to my fall 2018 North Country Trail hike at Nemadji River Valley. (more…)
Duluth Boat Club circa 1906
This photo from the Detroit Publishing Company shows the Duluth Boat Club on the bay side of Minnesota Point at South Tenth Street. A previous clubhouse existed where Bayfront Park is today, but the facility shown in the photo above was built in 1903 and was destroyed by fire in 1951. (more…)
Postcard from Thompson Hill Information Center and Rest Area
This undated postcard has the following text on the back:
The Thompson Hill Information Center and Rest Area is located at the junction of I-35 and US 2 on a 28 acre site overlooking the St. Louis River Valley and the Duluth-Superior metropolitan area. The Information Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with tourist and travel information and road condition reports available during the day as a service of the Minnesota Highway Department.
A Nice Catch of Trout from Northern Minnesota
The text on the back of this undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography reads simply: “A nice catch of trout from northern Minnesota.”
The 2019 lake and stream trout seasons open on May 11.
Thunder Bay loves Duluth
One thing this discounted T-shirt makes fairly clear: Duluth will not automatically reciprocate your love.
Thanks to Tomasz Majewski for finding it.
The Stonemans – “Two Kids from Duluth Minnesota”
“Two Kids From Duluth Minnesota” by the Stonemans first appeared as a 45rpm single on RCA Records in 1969. The following year it was included on the band’s album Dawn of the Stonemans’ Age, which was later remastered and combined with the 1970 album In All Honesty and released under the title of the latter. (more…)
Frisco or Dust Shields?
What that scribbled message on the front of this postcard is all about will have to be left to speculation in the comments. The card was mailed 110 years ago — May 4, 1909. (more…)
Postcard from Thomson Dam Hydro Station
This card is postmarked May 3, 1909 — 110 years ago today. Edis Johnson sent it from Duluth to Mr. H.T. West of Toronto, Canada. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: So many events, so little time
In the past year — from May 2018 through April 2019 — the PDD Calendar published 7,925 Duluth-area events. Each one was edited by a human being before the “publish” button was pushed. We intend to keep up the good work, but (believe it or not) we could do better. There are still events we are missing. And we have a few assistants standing by who jump into action when donations roll in to pay for their future carpal tunnel surgeries.
So that’s why once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
Duluth Broadcast Television Station Guide for 2019
Changes to broadcast television channel offerings used to be rare. From 1966 to 1999, Duluth had four channels. From 1999 to 2009, there were five. In the ten years since the switch from analog to digital channels, the total has climbed to 18. (more…)
Homegrown Music Festival 2019 Primer
Duluth’s 21st annual Homegrown Music Festival is upon us, spanning April 28 to May 5. There is a 100-page Homegrown Field Guide available at locations all over town with the details. Updates and peripheral tidbits can be found below. (more…)
National Bank Notes of Duluth
There are still a few national currency bank notes with Duluth bank names floating around, mostly held by collectors. This type of currency was eliminated in the 1930s. The note above is from Northern National Bank of Duluth and was issued in 1908. In the portrait is U.S. Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch, who also named the streets in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood, including one after himself. (More on McCulloch in the comments.) (more…)
Mystery Photo #90: Duluth Photo Engraving Company
This old photo is from the Duluth Photo Engraving Company. Is that stage recognizable? Is this the cast of a play? What’s the deal with this image?