Skyline Parkway Posts

Postcard from a Rest Point Overlooking the St. Louis River

The text on the front of this undated postcard, found listed for sale on eBay, reads: “St. Louis River from Beautiful Rest Point 1/2 mile from Kum Bak Tourist Camp, Duluth, Minn.”

Anyone who has ever heard of Kum Bak Tourist camp, please enlighten in the comments.

Postcard from Boulevard Lake

This postcard was sent from Scanlon by someone whose name looks something like “Alianine.” It was mailed on Jan. 21, but the year is not visible on the postmark. Clearly it’s about a century old. It shows what must be what is called Twin Ponds today, but is dubbed Boulevard Lake on the postcard.

Postcard from a Coaching Party on Boulevard Drive

This postcard bears the date of Aug. 31, 1906 — 115 years ago today. It shows horse-drawn carriages on “the Boulevard,” now known as Skyline Parkway. The illustration might be an interpretation of the Twin Ponds area; it’s not clear. The artist apparently felt the popular scenic byway’s gravel surface should be green.

The handwritten message on the card reads, “Will leave here to-day for home,” and the sender’s name looks like “Smith.”

Duluth You & Me: Skyline Drive

Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Skyline Drive

Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.

Grant secures 44 acres of western Skyline Parkway land

Postcard from the West End of Duluth

This postcard was mailed Sept. 2, 1939, to Donna Buhler of Toledo, Ohio. Her parents had just arrived in Duluth.

Mystery Photos #85-87: Probably Skyline Parkway in the 1920s

An early 20th Century family photo album was recently unearthed in the Nicklawske archive room and I discovered some old Duluth photographs. I pulled three pictures from the book that included images of an automobile trip my grandfather and his sister made to Duluth in the 1920s. My grandfather, Jim Nicklawske, lived in St. Paul at the time and his sister Mae was visiting from her home in Great Falls, Mont. It appears they traveled to Duluth with a third, unidentified person who made pictures of the event.

A Coaching Party on Boulevard Drive, Duluth, Minn.

Copyright 1904, Detroit Publishing Co.

New sign celebrates Snively Monument

A new informational sign will be installed at the recently refurbished Snively Monument on West Skyline Parkway. The Duluth Preservation Alliance will hold a sign dedication ceremony on Monday, Aug. 13, 3 p.m., at the Snively Monument, located just east of the Stewart Creek Bridge on the scenic roadway.

Postcard from Skyline Drive at Night

This postcard image looking out from Skyline Drive at the city’s hillside, downtown, Aerial Lift Bridge, Minnesota Point, Lake Superior and so on has been used a few times as Perfect Duluth Day’s cover photo on Facebook, and more than once has been met with the question, “Who did this painting?” The answer is, we don’t know. Old postcards rarely credit the artist. But maybe someone out there knows.

Rare Duluth Skyline Postcard

A rare Skyline postcard by Chester Klock, an artist who worked a very short spell at the Duluth Herald in 1942 drawing a feature cartoon called “Plumb Local.” The job was cut short when America entered World War II, and Klock moved to Wisconsin to contribute to the war effort by working for Allis-Chalmers. After the war, Klock moved to Denver where he drew cartoons for the Denver Post until 1953. He finished out his career in California.

Postcard from Duluth’s Skyline Parkway

This postcard image of Duluth from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography appears to be circa 1970. The card is not dated and was never mailed.

The view from Duluth’s “House of Rock”

View of Duluth and Lift Bridge from Skyline Parkway

Perhaps second only to Glensheen Mansion in fame among Duluth homes is the Arthur and Ella Cook House at 501 W. Skyline Parkway. For those who have looked at the property and wondered what the view of the city is like from that bluestone stairway, the postcard above offers an illustrated perspective from roughly the 1930s.

Merry Christmas: Greetings from Duluth, Minn.

merry-christmas-duluth

Boulevard Lake, Duluth, Minn.

boulevard-lake-duluth-mn-postcard

This undated postcard must be showing one of what Duluthians call the “Twin Ponds” these days. Skyline Parkway was commonly referred to as “The Boulevard,” short for Rogers Boulevard, before taking its modern name in 1929.