Paul Lundgren
Duluth Tooth Puller Runs Amuck in 1903
Making the rounds on Facebook is this New York Times clip from March 5, 1903, reporting events from the morning of March 4, 1903. The Times and some other sources refer to the freelance dentist as “Johnson,” but his name is John Simonson in other accounts. (more…)
Postcard from Duluth Fire Department Engine House #1
This undated postcard shows Duluth Fire Department Engine House #1 at 101 E. Third St., one of the first fire houses in the city of Duluth. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. (more…)
Jenny Lewis – “Heads Gonna Roll”
Singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis mentions Duluth in the song “Heads Gonna Roll” from the new album On the Line, scheduled for release on March 22. (more…)
View from Top of Famous Incline Railway, Duluth, Minn.
This undated postcard, published by Gopher News Co. of Minneapolis, has the following text on the backside:
A novel attraction is the incline railway at 7th Ave. West and Superior Street. These cable cars connect the downtown section with Duluth Heights. In eight city blocks rise to an elevation 500 feet above lake level from where unusual views of Duluth, Lake Superior, Minnesota Point, and the Duluth Superior Harbor are obtainable.
The incline operated until 1939. More info and similar images can be found on the PDD post “Postcards from Duluth’s Incline Railway.”
The Decemberists – “Traveling On”
Portland, Ore.-based indie rock band the Decemberists refer to Duluth in the song “Traveling On,” released in November on an EP of the same name. (more…)
World War I Letter from Alvin T. Anderson of Moose Lake
One hundred years ago my maternal grandfather wrote a letter to his brother. His brother kept it, and eventually it became an item that was photocopied and dispersed to descendents. There’s nothing particularly thrilling in the letter, but it probably qualifies as having at least causal historical significance outside of family interest, so I’ll share it here. (more…)
Bargaining for love in Duluth
This undated postcard, published by Bamforth & Co., promises requited love in the flower patches of Duluth. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Duluth Album Releases in 2019
Coyote
A Different Path
(Jan. 8)
Available on Bandcamp
T. Dack
Entropic Blue
(Jan. 17)
Available on Bandcamp
Station Ident
Volume One
Xero Music (Jan. 15)
Available on Bandcamp
Monthly Grovel: PDD Calendar holds out its hand again
An important message from Perfect Duluth Day’s Redundant Department of Redundancy:
It takes a lot of geek hours to keep this website going strong. So once a month we set our dignity aside and remind readers how much we appreciate their financial support. (more…)
Postcards from Neptune
This statue of Neptune stood on the edge of Duluth’s shipping canal from 1959 to 1963. The text on the back of the postcard reads:
Neptune — Symbolic Ruler of the Sea
This statue was given Duluth by the State Fair Board and the land loaned by the Corps of Engineers at Canal Park, Duluth, Minn. to commemorate the arrival of the first deep draft ocean going vessel in to Duluth on May 3, 1959. Neptune was God of the Sea — son of Cronus and Rhea. The Greeks called him Poseidon. He was Jupiter’s brother. Neptune controlled all the waters of the earth and was worshiped by sailors. The 3 prong spear he carried was called Trident.
Duluth’s Best Website
In 2011 Perfect Duluth Day chose as its official slogan “Duluth’s Duluthiest Website.” It was a statement we felt pretty confident making. Maybe other Duluth websites are better, but certainly none are Duluthier.
But this week we’ve been wondering if PDD truly is Duluth’s best website. This line of thinking was prompted by the Duluth Reader weekly newspaper conducting a poll and ultimately publishing in its Jan. 31 “Best of the Northland” issue that PDD won the title of “Best Local Website.” (more…)
How to Change a Flat Tire
I think it’s been something like 10 years since I’ve blown a tire while driving and had to replace it with a spare on the side of the road. What’s weird about that is I remember having to change flat tires fairly often in previous years — like once every 20 months or something.
The most I have ever paid for a motor vehicle is $4,000. My current car cost $3,500. The seven others I’ve gone through over the years each cost about $1,500 or less. Every one of them was a bargain, but involved a bit more maintenance than newer cars. The well-worn tires on some of those clunkers used to give me my share of roadside adventures. I’m not sure why that has stopped in the past decade, but I’m certainly not complaining.
About 15 years ago, as a public service and also as a reminder to my future self, I compiled a list of advice about changing flat tires. I’m assuming all of it still applies to today’s vehicles and might be useful to the general public at some point in the future or me tomorrow. It’s not really technical advice, it’s more for emotional preparation. (more…)
Duluth Reference on The Passage
The latest Duluth mention on a national television show is in season 1, episode 3 of the new Fox series The Passage, which aired on Monday night. (more…)
Ten Years of Perfect Duluth Day on WordPress
Hunkered down at PDD World Headquarters, problem solving the switch to WordPress in 2009: Cory Fechner, Scott Lunt, Paul Lundgren and Barrett Chase.
Ten years ago — Jan. 30, 2009 — Perfect Duluth Day made the big leap to the WordPress publishing platform. Specifically, the upgrade was from Movable Type version 3.2 to WordPress version 2.8. These days PDD is on WordPress version 4.9.9. But enough nerdspeak. (more…)
Postcards and Relics from the Duluth Flame Restaurant
This undated postcard shows off one of Duluth’s best-remembered restaurants, the Flame, which operated off-and-on at multiple locations in various forms from the 1930s to the 1980s. At the time of the postcard above, the Flame was at 353 S. Fifth Ave. W., where the Great Lakes Aquarium is today. (more…)
Mystery Photo #84: Building near Duluth Arena
Sitting awkwardly between the Duluth Arena and the Radisson Hotel in this photo by Perry Gallagher is a seven-story building that can’t be far from demolition. What was it? (more…)
A Coaching Party on Boulevard Drive, Duluth, Minn.
Copyright 1904, Detroit Publishing Co.
Minnesota Point, 1904
This cityscape photo of Minnesota Point, shot from Duluth’s hillside, is from the Detroit Publishing Company, copyright 1904.
Postcard from U.S. Steel’s Machine Shop and Power House
U.S. Steel’s Duluth Works plant in Morgan Park had more than 50 buildings when production began in 1915. This undated postcard highlights the machine shop and power house. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Stokes or Dalgarno Family?
This mystery photo is another cabinet card from Duluth’s Zweifel Studio. Ann Ramage posted the image on Facebook, tagging Perfect Duluth Day with this message:
‘Turnip’ Found! Oh, I mean to say a family mystery photo. Perhaps Stokes family from Petrolia, Ontario, Canada — Gordon and/or Dalgarno family from Tenney, Minn? Not dated. Any feedback most appreciated!
Monthly Grovel: PDD Calendar accepting donations
Happy 2019, Perfect Duluth Day readers! It’s been almost ten years since PDD began selling sidebar advertising to support the development of the content you read here, and it’s been more than seven years since the PDD Calendar was launched. Over those spans of time, two things have become abundantly clear: 1) There is a strong demand for the content on PDD. 2) Advertising revenue doesn’t come close to paying for the human resources necessary to produce it.
So back in September we quietly put a donation bar on the page where event organizers submit PDD Calendar listings. Bits of funding began trickling in … $5 here, $30 there … and it’s been a big help. Now we’re reaching out to readers. (more…)
2018: The Year in Duluth Gig Posters
Here it is, the annual gallery o’ rock posters. As usual, by no means is this a comprehensive collection, nor is it a carefully curated archive of the best. It’s just a bunch of random 2018 concert posters. (more…)
Ten years without Bayside Market
Bayside Market at 1901 Minnesota Ave. closed on Dec. 31, 2008 after 37 years in business. Originally named Clem’s Market, it was the only grocery store in the Park Point neighborhood. (more…)
Postcard from the Sellwood Building
This postcard, mailed 110 years ago today — Dec. 29, 1908 — depicts what was then the relatively new Sellwood Building at 202 W. Superior St. in Downtown Duluth. The Sellwood still stands today, with Western Bank as its most visible tenant. (more…)