History
Remembering the Fitzgerald
Great Lakes Now is a production of Detroit Public Television.
Duluth in Anarchy: A Journal of Anarchist Ideas
I found reference to Duluth in Anarchy: A Journal of Anarchist Ideas, issue #84, from February 1968, with a feature about something I have never heard of, the Kropotkin House. (more…)
Duluth Central High School Jazz Ensemble
The 1977 album Project Two features music by various high school jazz groups, including a track from the Duluth Central High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by James Stellmaker. The tune “All God’s Children” was composed by Dominic Spera.
Duluth Home Products Dinner of 1912
What better night than Halloween for the Duluth Rotary Club and Duluth Chamber of Commerce to hold their Home Products Dinner of 1912? Here’s the program from 110 years ago today. (more…)
Duluth Once Upon a Time: The Northern National Bank
Duluth Savings Bank was established on Oct. 30, 1902, and took the name Northern National Bank in 1909, a year before the Alworth Building, Duluth’s tallest commercial high-rise, was built. Northern National Bank occupied the main floor of the Alworth. The card above jokes that 40 years before the Alworth a two-story structure on West Superior Street was “Duluth’s First Skyscraper.” (more…)
Loaves and Fishes Zine
Last semester, my students did a research project on Loaves and Fishes. Now, a semester too late, I find this electronic archive of quarterly newsletters from 2010 to 2017.
Postcard from Lakeside Presbyterian Church
Lakeside Presbyterian Church was founded in 1890 and the building shown in this undated postcard went up at 4430 McCulloch St. in 1921, replacing the church’s previous building there. (more…)
OMG, that’s a lot of smoke in this video
I’m plunking about in the Archive.org site, and this video shows the Duluth harbor as a dystopian nightmare of smoke at about 2:30.
What an amazing transformation how we fuel our ships and how we imagine our port.
Mystery Photo: Duluth Home Builders
Who are they? Where are they? When was this? The only clues come from a few scribbles on the back of the photo. (more…)
Dick Anthony: Basement Popcorn Entrepreneur of Duluth
Dick Anthony of Duluth made popcorn in his basement circa 1952 for distribution to local stores, where it was sold in dispensers. The video clip is from the television series “Industry on Parade,” which was created by the National Association of Manufacturers and ran from 1950 to 1960. (more…)
‘The bridge between Duluth and Superior’
“The bridge between Duluth and Superior” appears at just after the 1-minute mark in the circa-1957 short film Al-Can Trailer Trek, which promotes trailer traveling. After the quick bridge shot, zoom, it’s straight to International Falls.
This bridge is the Duluth/Superior Interstate Bridge, which was replaced when the Blatnik Bridge opened in 1961. Parts of the Interstate Bridge still exist as a fishing pier on Rice’s Point. (more…)
Postcard from Skyline of Business District from Harbor
This postcard from the mid-20th century shows Duluth’s business district as seen from the harbor. (more…)
Low Concerts on the Internet Archive
There are an array of Low concerts available on the Internet archive. Joy joy joy while also vaguely restful.
The master list of recordings is at archive.org/details/lowmusic. (more…)
General Eisenhower’s visit to Duluth in 1952
Seventy years ago today — Oct. 4, 1952 — Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower campaigned at the Duluth Civic Center. He won the election a month later, becoming the 34th President of the United States. (more…)
Youth for Socialist Action of Duluth on the Internet Archive
The Youth 4 Socialist Action Membership Handbook is available on the Internet Archive. It’s part of a collection of several documents.
I’d bet there are readers of Perfect Duluth Day who know something of this organization. Maybe tell me what it was all about below?
Postcard from West Superior Street, Alworth Building, et. al.
This postcard from the early 1900s primarily shows the buildings on the 300 block of West Superior Street in Downtown Duluth. The white building with the flag is the Alworth, Duluth’s tallest building from 1910 to 2022. Construction of the new Essentia Tower is relegating the Alworth to second-tallest status.
Duluth: The Summer City of the Continent
This 90-year-old postcard was mailed Sept. 21, 1932 — 90 years ago today. It boasts the principal attributes of Duluth. (more…)
Postcard from Unloading Coal in 1912
This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Sept. 20, 1912. The recipient was Mr. Guss Ferdettel [or Ferdellet?] of Bentley, Mich. (more…)
Bank building in Lincoln Park begins its second century
When Duluth National Bank held the grand opening event for its new building on Sept. 16, 1922, newspapers touted it as “a triumph of artistic design and architecture,” and “a model and a monument to the craftsmen who planned and built it.” A century later, the structure in many ways remains in grand condition, but without a defining tenant. Titanium Partners, the building’s new owner, hopes to change that. (more…)
Postcard from the Entrance to the Duluth-Superior Harbor
This postcard of the Aerial Bridge, circa 1915-1925, notes its span is “393 feet 9 inches, 135 feet high from water line” and its construction cost was $100,000. The image shows a ferry car being transferred across the canal. The bridge’s era as a transfer bridge ran from March 27, 1905 to July 1, 1929. (more…)
History of the Minnesota Vikings, Prologue: Duluth, 1926
The history of the Minnesota Vikings begins with the Duluth Eskimos. Director and producer Fernando Camargo kicks off his seven-part docuseries with this “unofficial 0th installment,” which details Duluth’s 1926 campaign “that saved pro football as we know it.”
PDD Quiz: School Daze
Go to the head of the class with this week’s quiz, which looks at Duluth school buildings of yore. As with all topics related to local history, the Zenith City Press website and Minnesota Digital Library were indispensible resources.
The next PDD quiz will review September 2022 headlines; it will be published on Sept. 25. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Sept. 21. (more…)
Postcards from the College of St. Scholastica
Featured here is a pair of old College of St. Scholastica postcards. (more…)
Sexy 1938 Denfeld Beanie
Beanies are not likely to make any back-to-school fashion lists in 2022, but at some point in time Denfeld High School had a line of round, brimless, snug-fitting, maroon-and-gold skullcaps. (more…)