Ripped at the Anchor Bar in 2000
[Editor’s note: For this week’s essay we’ve once again pulled out a relic from the archive of Slim Goodbuzz, who served as Duluth’s “booze connoisseur” from 1999 to 2009. The Sultan of Sot documented his experience at the Anchor Bar in the Nov. 29, 2000 issue of the Ripsaw newspaper.]
At the northern edge of the United States lies the state of Wisconsin, which leads the nation in alcohol consumption. At the northern edge of Wisconsin lies the broken-down city of Superior, which features the famed Tower Avenue, a street lined with dozens upon dozens of cheap dives. And at the northern edge of Tower Avenue lies the Anchor Bar, the Queen Mother of all dives, a place that represents everything good in the world.
The Anchor Bar is the love of my life. The beer selection is extensive, the food is excellent and both are cheaper than hell. And though all appearances indicate that it is a bar for thugs, there are no thugs there; the tough women behind the bar ran them out years ago. Fortunately, they grudgingly tolerate the hooligans and drunks, such as myself, who remain. Decorated in early pigsty, the place is dark and greasy-smelling, and is populated by the kind of people who just want to drink beer and act like real humans. (more…)
Heely Tricks with JamesG: October 2020
Another monthly installment of wheeled-sneaker stunts from former Duluthian James Geisler, also known as the hip-hop artist JamesG.
Selective Focus: Uncle Clutch’s Video Horror Shop
In the tradition of campy late night B-movie monster and horror hosts like Elvira, Svengoolie and my personal favorite from Omaha, Nebraska, Dr. Sanguinary’s Creature Feature, the Twin Ports now has a B-movie host to call its own. Joe Klander (previously on PDD) plays the part of Uncle Clutch, his pro wrestling, baby-eating alter ego. He now grumpily operates one of the last video rental stores in the world. (more…)
Minnesota Point in Winter Circa 1875
Photographers William Caswell and William Henry Davy ran a studio in Duluth circa 1870-75 and were responsible for many of the stereographs circulated during the era. The image above depicts a typical winter scene along the shore of Lake Superior. (more…)
The Slice: Zeb or Zeke and the Run Away Screamings
Makwa Ziibiins Miikana: Bear Creek Trail to Wisconsin Point
Last week Bear Creek Trail in Superior opened to hikers, bikers and snowshoers. It’s a 2.25-mile crushed-concrete pathway connecting the Osaugie Trail at Bear Creek Park to Wisconsin Point Road. An extension is in the planning stages that will create an additional trail on the other side of Wisconsin Point Road to parking lot #1. But what is already built is excellent. (more…)
Postcard from Fond du Lac Boat Docks and Steamboat Landing
This undated postcard (probably circa 1905) shows the excursion steamer Newsboy docked on the St. Louis River in Duluth’s Fond du Lac neighborhood. The card was published by the Hugh C. Leighton Company of Portland, Maine, and is brought to you compliments of Clow-Nicholson Transportation Company, with its main office at the foot of Fifth Avenue West. (more…)
Keep Duluth Clean – Volunteers Needed!
In an effort to Keep Duluth Clean, this initiative strives to promote community-motivated cleanup events and work to minimize illegal dumping, littering, and mishandling of Duluth’s ecosystem services. KDC is looking to recruit a committee of volunteers to work together to develop a strategic plan that fosters the growth of the initiative, increased awareness and education, and above all, Keeping Duluth Clean. If you are interested in becoming a committee member visit duluthmn.gov/kdc to apply. (more…)
Building Family Blankets with Blair Treuer
Bemidji-based textile artist Blair Treuer talks about her journey of discovery as she produced blankets for her children’s traditional native ceremonies. (more…)
Eric Thiegs – “Duluth”
There’s not a lot of info about musician Eric Thiegs available on the internet, but we do know a song called “Duluth” appeared on his 2005 album Distant & Clean. Maybe he’s “a boy from Duluth” singing with “a girl from the city.”
Duluth You & Me: Winter Skiing
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your coloring and drawing pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Winter Skiing
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Stormy or Calm
She called me after dinner. “I think I need to go to Bemidji. Something is wrong with Charlie.”
Charlie was her son, a slender, emo-goth kid, like I was when I was his age, but with a gregarious desire to be liked. Committed to social justice — as most middle schoolers seem to be, lately — Charlie was attending a language camp. The camp would end the next morning, so leaving that night was ahead of schedule.
“Swing by my place on the way there, and I will ride with you,” I told her.
She drove the first leg of the trip, down Highway 2 through Proctor into Grand Rapids, where we pulled over for gas. She called the camp to get clarification about why Charlie needed to be picked up. Was he sick? Food poisoning? Running a temperature? No. He had said some words that meant he had to leave the camp; he could not spend the night. (more…)
Postcard from Duluth’s Lincoln Park in 1935
This postcard was mailed Nov. 6, 1935 — 85 years ago today. It was sent to Mrs. Lola M. Smith of South Bend, Ind., from her mother. (more…)
Mystery Photo #125: A&E Supply
Back when he was a student at East High School, Ben Marsen acquired a collection of photo negatives of scenes from around Duluth. The one above appears to have been shot on the 200 block of West Michigan Street, maybe where the rear entrances to R.T. Quinlan’s Saloon and Minnesota Surplus are located today — the proper addresses being 220 and 218 W. Superior St. (more…)
Monthly Grovel: November 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, forcing many events to “virtual” status, but there are a few in-person gatherings with varying levels of safety protocol in place. Proceed with caution and consult the PDD Calendar for the scoop on what’s happening today, tomorrow and far off into the dreamy future when we can spit on each other again.
Each month Perfect Duluth Day reaches out with one beggarly blog post to remind everyone that human beings and not machines are at work editing and publishing calendar events. So if you appreciate it, drop a few bucks in the PayPal account. (more…)
Bayfield’s Adventure Club marks a year of brewing
Wisconsin’s northernmost brewery kept a bit of a low profile in its first year. Adventure Club Brewing owner Matthew Gerdts said his small-batch operation has been “Bayfield’s best-kept secret,” but the news is slowly getting out. (more…)
Duluth 2020 General Election Results
With all 4,110 of 4,110 Minnesota precincts reporting, below are the statewide numbers for races relevant to Duluth.
FEDERAL OFFICES
United States President and Vice President
Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris | 1,714,327
Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence | 1,483,157
Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy “Spike” Cohen | 34,967
Write in | 10,009
Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker | 10,043
Kanye West and Michelle Tidball | 7,956
Brock Pierce and Karla Ballard | 5,687
Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente and Darcy Richardson | 5,620
Gloria La Riva and Leonard Peltier | 1,258
Alyson Kennedy and Malcolm Jarrett | 700 (more…)
Duluth Boat Course
The Library of Congress has three photos on file labeled “Duluth Boat Course.” Above they are stitched together in Perfect Duluth Day’s attempt to see if they were intended to be used as a panorama. It almost kind of works.
Below are the three separate images, which show much better detail on their own. The photos are attributed to Bain News Service and dated “between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920.” (more…)
Pastoret Terrace burns again
The vacant Pastoret Terrace building at 129 E. First St., condemned since a 2010 fire, once again was ablaze on Sunday. (more…)
Duluth You & Me: Wild Animals
Of course, it must be noted that some animals illustrated above are not native to Duluth or even in Duluth at present, but represent Lake Superior Zoo animals from the past.
Use the link below for a printable PDF for your puzzle solving pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Wild Animals
Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.
Duluth reference in Sarah Cooper’s “Everything’s Fine”
Fourteen minutes into the Netflix comedy special, Aubrey Plaza, playing a shopping channel host, takes a call from a QAnon follower in Duluth who wants to know what her naan order really means.
Trouble
Growing up in Alaska, the wild space around me was something invisible. I had no awareness that the world was something other than myself. My friends and I perambulated the wilderness with the careless disregard of youth, clambering to the peaks of 100-foot-high pine trees and swinging from the soft tops on dares.
There was a tree fort out in the woods that was 25 feet in the air — not even halfway up the tree. The way up was almost entirely crumbling chunks of boards nailed erratically into the trunk to form rungs. At the top, one had to stretch out and grab the floor of the fort and sort of clamber up over the lip of the platform. Conveniently, the platform was disintegrating, so the edge was rougher and shallower than it once had been, making it less a switchback climbing maneuver to swing to the platform than a lean of faith. I wonder if the kids who live in those houses now even know it’s there — some aeriform retreat hovering above the houses like a mossy cloud. (more…)
Postcard from Chester Creek Glen
This wholesome little scene is circa a century ago. The postmark on the back appears to be Oct. 31, 1915, though the year is not easy to make out. The card was sent to Miss Gertrude Fischer of Chicago. (more…)
Selective Focus: Nan Onkka
Printmaker Nan Onkka makes images inspired by scenes on the North Shore. She starts with a wood block, and step by step, removes material from the block in order to add more color to the images she prints. It’s a time consuming process, and she says it’s a lot of backward planning, but a process where you can’t step backward to change something. That challenge and risk is what draws her to the process.
NO: I am a printmaking artist who specializes in reductive woodblock printmaking. This form of printmaking involves hand carving an image into a woodblock and then printing it onto paper one layer of color at a time. I add multiple colors to the image by carving away more of the woodblock and printing the next layer of color on top. (more…)