Postcards Posts

Postcard from a Night Scene of Fire in Superior Milling District

Nov 09, 2022 1 Comment

A flour mill fire in Superior caused more than $2.6 million in damage on Nov. 9, 1907 — 115 years ago today. The Duluth News Tribune referred to it as “the most disastrous fire in point of property loss, and probably the most spectacular blaze ever seen at the Head of the Lakes.”

The postcard shown above was mailed nine days after the fire. It was sent by someone named Frank to Master A. Pearson of Spokane, Wash. The photo apparently shows the smoldering remains of the Freeman Flour Mills and Elevator — Franks wrote “Fremon Mill” on the back of the card.

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Postcard from Minnesota Point Lighthouse

Nov 07, 2022 No Comments

This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Nov. 7, 1912. A previous Perfect Duluth Day post featured a different version of the same card, mailed four months earlier. That post includes additional background info on the lighthouse.

Also previously noted on PDD, the remains of the lighthouse have remained in roughly the same condition for more than a century.

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Postcard from Lakeside Presbyterian Church

Oct 21, 2022 No Comments

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.

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Postcard from Skyline of Business District from Harbor

Oct 06, 2022 3 Comments

This postcard from the early-to-middle 20th century shows Duluth’s business district as seen from the harbor.

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Postcard from West Superior Street, Alworth Building, et. al.

Sep 27, 2022 5 Comments

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.


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Duluth: The Summer City of the Continent

Sep 21, 2022 No Comments

This 90-year-old postcard was mailed Sept. 21, 1932 — 90 years ago today. It boasts the principal attributes of Duluth.

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Postcard from Unloading Coal in 1912

Sep 20, 2022 No Comments

This postcard was mailed 110 years ago today — Sept. 20, 1912. The recipient was Mr. Guss Ferdettel [or Ferdellet?] of Bentley, Mich.

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Postcard from the Entrance to the Duluth-Superior Harbor

Sep 14, 2022 1 Comment

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.


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Postcards from the College of St. Scholastica

Sep 06, 2022 2 Comments

Featured here is a pair of old College of St. Scholastica postcards.

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Minnesota Point: Duluth’s Hay Fever Haven and Summer Resort

Aug 23, 2022 5 Comments

In the early half of the 20th century Duluth was often promoted as a haven for those who suffer from hay fever. Such is the case with this postcard of a trolley car on Minnesota Point, mailed Aug. 23, 1912 — 110 years ago today.

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Postcard from Gooseberry Falls and River

Aug 20, 2022 2 Comments

This postcard of Gooseberry Falls — presumably the upper falls, northwest of the Highway 61 bridge — was mailed Aug. 20, 1952. The recipient was Mrs. Lester H. Dixon of North Vernon, Ind. The sender is probably her sister, based on the salutation. The signed name is Golda.

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Jens Flaaten & the Minnesota National Guard 3rd Regt. Band

Aug 09, 2022 2 Comments

This postcard from the early 1900s has a pencil-written note on the back: “Jens Flaaten & the Minnesota band from Duluth.” As noted at zenithcity.com, Flaaten’s funeral was held 100 years ago today — Aug. 9, 1922. He died on Aug. 5 when he was struck by a motorist while crossing Superior Street at Fifth Avenue West.

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Postcard from a Bird’s-eye View of Duluth in 1912

Jul 27, 2022 No Comments

Postmarked July 27, 1912, this image shows Downtown Duluth from an Observation Hill vantage point. A different version of this postcard was posted on Perfect Duluth Day a bit more than a year ago, sparking some discussion about the vantagepoint of the image and the likelihood that it represents Duluth circa 1900. (In other words, the image likely represents a scene in Duluth from 12 years before the card was mailed.)

The card in this post is simply for the purpose of marking 110 years since it was sent and recognizing the oddly simplistic message written on the back.

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Postcard from the Elevators on Rice’s Point

Jul 20, 2022 No Comments

This undated postcard from the Rotograph Company is captioned “Elevators, Superior Harbor, Duluth, Minn.” and features a view of Rice’s Point and the Duluth/Superior Harbor.

According to an article on the Canada Lakes Conservation Association website, the Rotograph Company was based in New York City and was “a major publisher and printer of postcards from 1904-1911.”


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Postcard from Priley Fountain and the Radisson Hotel

Jul 14, 2022 No Comments

This 50-year-old postcard shows what was then the new Radisson Hotel behind the also new-at-the time Priley Fountain at the Duluth Civic Center. The message on the back of the card was written July 14, 1972, and the card is postmarked the next day.

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