Congdon Park Posts

Straight Outta Congdon

A caller identifying as “Jebadiah from Duluth, Minn.” made it onto the Aug. 4 episode of the podcast Yo, is this Racist? The show, hosted by Andrew Ti and Tawny Newsome, answers questions from listeners about whether given subjects are an example of racism or not.

Congdon Park’s historic Millen mansion gets needed overhaul

Tom Buresh and his terrier-dachshund mix, Evealine, pose on a hill outside the historic Millen mansion on Vermilion Road. Buresh and his wife Debra purchased the home in October 2017 and are restoring the property. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske).

Tom Buresh likes to say that shortly after he bought one of the most glorious and historic mansions in Duluth a neighbor told him it came with 40 years of deferred maintenance.

Postcard from Congdon Park in 1940

The message on this postcard was composed 80 years ago today — Feb. 7, 1940. The card is postmarked the next day.

Sinclair Lewis / John G. Williams House

Cade Imaging of Maplewood provides this short, sweeping aerial video of the Duluth mansion best known as the home of Nobel-prize winning writer Sinclair Lewis during the 1940s.

Merry Christmas from Congdon Park

Duluth Photo Engraving Company holiday postcard circa 1915.

Postcards from Congdon Park

Congdon Bridge Postcard One Cent

Giant among giants slain along Congdon

October 10, 2013, I took a trip to Copper Harbor to visit the old-growth stand of white pines, many said to be saplings around the time Columbus visited America. Then while passing through Congdon Park a few days later, discovered the most amazing tree I’d ever seen appearing larger than the trees in Michigan. Looking at old photographs of the hillsides of Minnesota towns rising out of the prairies and hills of the 19th century, trees are absent throughout, scalped from the earth as far as the eye can see. Maybe some buffalo hides stacked over by the saloon, a church, a brothel, somebody feeding pigs behind the blacksmith’s shop, but no trees. This got me to wondering if Marjorie Congdon herself had protected this tree, wrapping her arms around it passionately in her lovely white dress while the press snapped photos.

There it was in the autumn light though, spiraling into the sky, a vast oasis unto itself. Through sheer fortitude, having carved its way into rock along the banks, supported precariously by one large main root, but with an all too extreme angle for its massive size. When I went down there yesterday evening, it lay a broken shattered remnant of its glorious former self.

Lost dog in Congdon Park

Small Papillon Pomeranian mix black-and-white dog ran off around 6 p.m. on Friday, June 14, in the Congdon Park area — Hawthorne Road and East Second St. She was wearing a pink collar and is chipped. She answers to the name Chloe. Please email me: kourtz at juno dot com with any information. Thanks so much!

Lost glasses on Congdon Park Trail / Tischer Creek Trail

I lost my glasses today after getting stuck in the rain on a hike and putting them in my pocket.  I took them off while on the trail but we were pretty close to the trail head by Vermilion Road / St. Marie St., by that wonky curve.  We then walked across the bridge, turned right onto Lakeview Drive, and walked all the way to Waverly Place and turned left.  If anyone has seen them, I would love to have them back, since I don’t have insurance or any money to buy new ones.  They have black frames that are white on the inside and edges.

In other news, the thimble berries on the trail are starting to ripen, and there are lots of stands of them all the way up and down the trail!

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