History
The End of Salsafication in Duluth
Sept. 19, 2004 — Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurante in Duluth closed following corporate bankruptcy. It had been located in the Fitger’s Brewery Complex for 20 years. Baja Billy’s Cantina and Grill replaced it in 2005, but closed four years later. Mexico Lindo opened in April 2010 and remains there today.
R.I.P. Irving Recreation Center
Demolition of the Irving Recreation Center has been taking place this week. Above is a photo of the rubble. Below is a shot from February 2013.
Found Anthropological Artifacts from a Summer Beach Culture of Leisure
What strange, rock-skipping culture of leisure inhabits these Duluthian shorelines in the Lake Superior summers? This is a brief survey of structures and artifacts discovered in my anthropological investigations of 2013-2014.
Diving the Breakwater Wall Ruins, 9/6/14
Duluth’s outer harbor, between the Vietnam Memorial and the red buoy, hides the submerged ruins of a hundred-plus-year-old wall (essentially stacked wooden cribbing filled with rocks) that predates the lift bridge and the canal. This is what they used to park ships behind for safe harbor — before its destruction in a gale. Been waiting to return here since last summer, finally got my window. Tried early in the day but the water was too cold. So I spent the day on Park Point beach, then hit it on my way back — water had warmed several degrees. Sun was going down so I had to act quickly. Similar imagery may be seen in my video of last year, “Freediving the Ruins of Duluth’s Outer Harbor.”
This current video represents going farther from shore (maybe halfway to the buoy?), and deeper than before (up to 15 feet or so as opposed to ~10). Next year maybe I will dive the buoy chain to the bottom (30 feet). It would have been nice to do this series of dives when I was fresher earlier in the day with more direct overhead sunlight (the water was clearer too), but it was simply too cold. By the time I got to it, I had walked several miles, was hungry, and had been given a beer and a couple slugs of wine (don’t ask). So I wasn’t as hardcore as I wanted to be — had to swim out far, then deep too, without benefit of a raft or anything, so I was pooped and not willing to risk any further depth. Next time!
Duluth school principals defend short skirts
For your back-to-school reading pleasure, from the Oct. 2, 1921 Duluth News Tribune:
Gems of Itasca: The Bovey Edition
Bovey is an historical jewel on the Iron Range, known for its rich mining history in the early 1900s. It’s also the home of the world-famous 1918 photograph Grace. (more…)
Duluth Mystery Photo: Denfeld football players from 1951
Help name these Denfeld Hunters. The image above is one of three dated Nov. 29, 1951 that were listed for sale on eBay. The description read: “These three photos were of the football players from Denfeld High School in Duluth, Minnesota. The sign in the background says Public Schools Stadium. The photos are from 1951. Two of the boys are identified: Eli Miletich and Richard Wilson. Eli Miletich gained some local celebrity later in life on the Duluth Police force.”
So, who can name the other two gridiron greats from West Duluth?
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Death of Hugh A. Wetmore
The post “Buffalo Bill Cody, his little sister Helen, and their connection to Duluth” notes that Hugh Wetmore died in 1900. He did not. He died April 6, 1909 in Chicago.
What date, and in what state, if you know, did Alexander Calhoun Jester die? I have seen online at least three different dates and three different states.
Mystery Photo: BlueBird Landing on Lake Superior’s North Shore
This photo from the mid-1940s raises a few questions, and the Internet provides fast answers to many of them. (more…)
R.I.P. West Duluth Fire and Police Station / Twin Ports Amusement Building
The building at 531 Central Avenue in West Duluth was torn down on July 28, 2014. In its early years it served as the West Duluth Fire and Police Station, West Duluth Village Hall, Duluth Fire Department Engine House #8 and Duluth Police Department Station #3, among other things. (more…)
Goodbye Big Chester
The city of Duluth has determined that the ski jumps at Chester Bowl will be coming down due to safety concerns. A public meeting will be held July 31.
Remembering duluthtourism.com
It’s probably not worth remembering this, but an image from it resides in PDD’s archives and the controversy surrounding it occurred ten years ago this month, so we’ll give it passing mention.
There once was a satirical website at duluthtourism.com that was far more sophomoric than funny, but famously raised the ire of Duluth’s then-mayor Herb Bergson, who asked the city attorney to look into the legal means to have the site shut down.
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Mystery Photo #17: Residence of Luther Mendenhall
Did those asbestos shingles last a century? Is the Luther Mendenhall residence still standing? Where is it, or where was it?
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The End of Streetcars in Duluth
Streetcars ran in Duluth for the last time on July 9, 1939. Streetcar service had been gradually phased out by trolley buses for nearly 20 years before meeting its total demise.
Yoerg’s Brewery
On this date 165 years ago — July 6, 1849 — Bavarian immigrant Anthony Yoerg opened Minnesota’s first brewery in St. Paul.
Interesting side note on Yoerg’s Brewery: In 1871 the operation moved to a spot adjacent to the Lilydale caves. Yoerg used the natural caves to store his product, and added the phrase “cave-aged” to the label. There are a number of places online to read about Yoerg’s Brewery, but of particular interest is the Substreet underground history site, which profiles Yoerg’s lost cellars.
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Lost Iron Range
For your Independence Day pleasure, one hour and four minutes of Iron Range history from the fine folks at WDSE-TV.
The persecution of Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century led many to flee to a safer place where they could build a future for their families. America was the land of opportunity and Minnesota’s Iron Range in particular was booming with the mining industry. The Range was also a place where a mosaic of ethnic groups was building communities without fear of prejudice. Subsequently the Iron Range saw a large influx of Jewish settlers.
Duluth Scavenger Hunts
Above is KBJR-TV video from the Duluth Citywide Scavenger Hunt of 2004. Last month Scavaganza was put on by Youth for Duluth. What other scavenger hunts can you recall from day’s past? (more…)
Inducing the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop in Duluth
From the March 22, 1909, Duluth Evening Herald:
Auto ride for drunks
New police patrol will be in service next week
“Free ride with every jag” for every woodsmanDuluth’s new automobile police patrol wagon is due to arrive in the city next Friday. After a few trial trips on local hills, it probably will be put in active service the following Monday.
For several years past certain interests in Duluth have been trying to devise ways and means to induce the gay and frolicsome lumberjack to stop off here and spend his money. (more…)
Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse: A few pre-fire photos of the adjoining bar
The May 11 fire that destroyed the processing area of Russ Kendall’s Smokehouse in Knife River didn’t do much damage to the adjoining bar area, but nonetheless I thought I’d share some pre-fire snapshots I took of it in the fall of 2012, before it got “smoked” … so to speak. (The shot above is obviously of the fire, taken from the smokehouse’s Facebook page.)
Mystery Photo #16: Holm’s Kaffe Stuga
This photo is labeled “Holm’s Kaffe Stuga, Fond du Lac, Duluth, Minn.” From that we can assume the Fond du Lac neighborhood had a Swedish coffee cottage at some time in history. When? Where? And who is this Holm character?
Duluth Public Library dedication riot
Does anyone remember that in the early 1970s there was a dedication for the groundbreaking of the new Duluth Public Library, and suddenly a group of war protesters, marching down Michigan Street, were raided by the police.
I was about 4 years old and remember seeing the cops using their billy clubs to best long-hair teenagers.
Does anyone remember any details?