Herb Bergson holds the distinction of being the first mayor of Duluth to have already served as mayor of Superior, Wisconsin across the bay. He was born on September 16, 1956 in Duluth but became a police patrolman in Superior in 1977. He later served two terms as mayor there, returning to law enforcement in 1995. After unsuccessfully running for mayor of Duluth, Bergson was elected to Duluth's city council in 2001. He subsequently won the mayor's seat in 2003. During his single term, Bergson pledged to help Duluth's homeless and supported the gay community. He and his wife Jacqui have two adopted sons and have hosted many foster children.
A native of Duluth, Gary Doty was born on February 5, 1948 and worked as a teacher and coach in the Duluth public schools. In 1975 he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, and he served on several other boards until his election as mayor on November 5, 1991. During his 12 years in office, Doty worked to rebuild streets and sewers throughout the city. He was also a strong promoter of the Great Lakes Aquarium. The socially conservative and fiscally moderate mayor retired in 2004 and lives with his wife Marcia and their three daughters.
John Fedo, born in 1950, was one of Duluth's most active mayors. Elected in 1979, Fedo helped revitalize the lakefront, increased Duluth tourism, and launched a number of skywalk extensions, park renovations, and freeway expansions. In 1988 he was indicted on 23 charges of various financial crimes, but that didn't stop him from being remembered as one of Duluth's best mayors. He married twice and had four children with each woman. Fedo served until 1992, after which he became city administrator of Hibbing, MN.
A two-page account of the author's experience of emigrating to the United States, first to Virginia, Minnesota, and then to Duluth from Croatia in 1912.
Born April 17, 1940 in Duluth, Robert Beaudin made jobs and the economy his primary focus. Having worked for U.S. Steel at the Morgan Park plant in Duluth, he was all too aware of the effects of that plant's closure on the people of Duluth. He became mayor on January 2, 1975 when Ben Boo resigned, and he won the next election in 1976. He brought Duluth a $6 million water filtration plant as well as Cirrus Aviation, now the city's largest provider of manufacturing jobs. Beaudin died in January 2013, survived by five children and five grandchildren.
This book contains forty-eight lack and white photographs of businesses, buildings and streets in the Gary and New Duluth neighborhoods of Duluth, Minnesota, primarily along Commonwealth Avenue.
The 1977 date book featured photographs of early transportation facilities in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, including trains, streetcars trolleys, steamships, the Incline Railway, and airplanes.
Ben Boo, born January 21, 1925 in St. Paul, served in the military and fought in both World War II and the Korean War. He was elected mayor on April 4, 1967 and served until 1975. Boo boosted Duluth tourism with the creation of the local ski hill Spirit Mountain. He was a very public figure, traveling through Europe and appearing on American television to talk about common urban issues. After his tenure he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1984-1993 and worked as executive director of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District. He and his wife Mary have six children.
The 1976 date book focused on the then newly-created Spirit Mountain Recreational Area, which overlooks Duluth, Minnesota. There are photographs of facilities like tennis courts, ski trails, villas and the Chalet, as well as of people skiing, dining, and camping.
The 1975 date book featured the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, its member organizations and the cultural activities in Duluth, Superior and northeastern Minnesota. There are photographs of festivals, train cars, sculptures, local cultural buildings and other related items.
The 1974 date book featured scenes of the previous fifteen years of activity on the Duluth-Superior waterfront, after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Images include port facilities, ships, ice-coated tankers, sailboat races and more.
The 1973 date book featured scenes from three major storms that hit Duluth, Minnesota in the summer of 1972. The storms of August 16, August 20 and September 20, 1972, left millions of dollars in damage. The images include flooded streets and businesses, washed out streets, and Duluth residents working to mitigate the storms' effects.
The 1971 date book featured the "new look" of Duluth, Minnesota, highlighting new construction, additions and renovations to buildings throughout the city.
George D. Johnson was born on February 18, 1917 in Duluth. After attending several area colleges and universities, Johnson worked in the American Steel and Wire division of U.S. Steel. He served his first term as mayor from 1953-1956 under the "commissioner" model of government. When Mayor E. Clifford Mork died in office in 1962, Johnson was appointed to take his place and won the subsequent election in 1963 under the "strong mayor" government model. After his terms he rose to prominence in the United Steelworks of America, the Minnesota Mayors Association, the League of Minnesota Municipalities, and the City Charter Commission. He died in 1999, leaving behind his wife Eleanor and two children.
Eugene Lambert was the first mayor under a new system eschewing the "commissioner" model. He was born in Duluth on November 5, 1915. He served in the military until 1946 and worked in labor relations until his election in 1956. As mayor, Lambert emphasized long-range planning and improved communication with state and federal agencies. After his term, Lambert worked in many fields, including publishing the Duluth Herald and News Tribune until his death in 1994.
Emil Clifford Mork, who usually only used his first initial, was born in Duluth on August 22, 1905. He and his wife operated Mork Food Supply, a business started by Mork's father. Mork was also involved in the Minnesota Food Retailers Association and several other food associations before his election on April 7, 1959. He planned to run for reelection, but he unfortunately (and mysteriously) died in office on August 14, 1962.
George W. Johnson, born December 22, 1894, was a Minnesota state legislator from 1925-1937, serving as Speaker of the House for the last two years. He was elected mayor on April 3, 1945, and he served for two terms. During his time in office he worked to promote Duluth tourism and implement a social security program for the state. After his tenure, Johnson worked as a home appraiser until his death on January 20, 1974. He was survived by his wife Grace.
St. Louis County Country Club (Gilbert, Minnesota)
Date Created:
1950 - 1970
Description:
The map of northern Minnesota's Arrowhead region shows highways with inset photographs of attractions including mines, mills and picturesque streams. The reverse side includes lists of points of interest and resort accommodations and photographs
Edward Hatch, a native of Truro, Devonshire, England, came to the United States 1887 at the age of five. He worked with several mining companies in Eveleth, Minnesota before becoming postmaster there from 1911-1914. In 1917 he was elected mayor of Eveleth, and after his term there he relocated to Duluth. In 1941 he became Duluth's mayor, concentrating on job growth. He and his wife Ella had no children, and he died on September 2, 1961 in Duluth.
Industrial Committee of the Young Women's Christian Association of Duluth, Minnesota
Date Created:
1945-09
Description:
Booklet describing and summarizing a 1945 survey of Duluth employers and women employees in local manufacturing, transportation, retail and wholesale businesses, laundries, hotels, and restaurants to gather information about the workplace experiences and needs of women entering the blue-collar work force after World War II. Survey questions also addressed needs outside of work and attitudes toward unions and racial minorities.
Carl Rudolf Berghult was the first native-born Duluth mayor. Born on April 15, 1905 and elected in 1937, he was also the nation's youngest mayor of a city of over 100,000 people. As mayor, he secured government funding for the Blatnik Bridge and worked to beautify the city's public land. He also revised the city's debt structure and began several health and work programs for his citizens. After his tenure as mayor ended in 1941, Berghult joined the navy and earned recognition for his service at Normandy Beach and in Norway. He had two children with his wife Eva before his death on February 6, 2000.
Norwegian Students America Chorus; Normanna Male Chorus; Norsemen's League
Date Created:
1939
Description:
This program from a concert in Duluth on May 17, 1939, by the Norwegian Students' America Chorus from the Royal Frederick University of Oslo, Norway, includes photographs of the Norwegian chorus and of the Normanna Male Chorus of Duluth, a list of the songs performed in the concert, a greeting from Duluth Mayor Carl Rudolf "Rudy" Berghult, a short history of Duluth, and many ads from local businesses.
Map of portage routes and trails in and around Jay Cooke State Park in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The map also includes the town of Cloquet, the St. Louis River and Fond Du Lac Park.
Lowrey's Map of the City of Duluth. Included in the map: a key to city streets, the Corporate Limits of Duluth, the Lake Superior shoreline and the Duluth Harbor. Also indicated on the map are Duluth city parks including Chester Park, Enger Park, Wheeler Field, Fairmount Park, Fond Du Lac Park, Northland Country Club, Ridgeview Golf Course, and the Lester Park Golf Course.
This is a collection of postcards with images from Duluth and northern Minnesota, and advertisements representing Duluth and area businesses, from about the 1930s. Some of the postcards are of Enger Park Municipal Golf Course, St. Mary's Hospital, Boulevard Drive, the Duluth Boat Club, Northland Country Club, the Hotel Holland, the Duluth Armory, and the steamship Juniata in the Duluth-Superior harbor. Business advertisements represented include Griffith's Interior Design, Enger & Olson Inc., Duluth Ice and Fuel Co., Hansen Fish Co., Peerless Laundry, Lundmark-Olson Co., Duluth Poultry Co., Gershgol's Economy Markets Inc., and the Shrine Auditorium Garage.
Andreas Mitchell Miller, born on July 16, 1839 in Copenhagen, Denmark, was the first mayor of the village of Duluth after the city lost its charter in 1877. As such, much of his two-year term was concerned with reassessment of Duluth's assets and activities. After leaving office in 1879, Miller moved to New York with his wife Anneliza and two children. He died there on May 22, 1917.
This book contains descriptions, photographs, and maps of some canoe trip routes in Minnesota, including the Arrowhead Country, Lac La Croix District, North of Grand Marais, the St. Crois River, the Minnesota Divide, and the Kawisiwi-Isabella Trip.
This 1926 book contains 14 photographs of scenes on the highway between Fort William, Port Arthur, Canada, and Duluth, Minnesota, United States of America. Photographs include the High Falls at Pigeon River, the Tofte Tourist Campground, the Temperance River, the Manitou River Bridge, and Silver Creek Cliff.
Jerome Cooley headed north from Minneapolis in about 1869. On his way north, he stopped in Hinckley for about two and a half years, started the community of Barnum, and made it to Duluth in the spring of 1873. This 99-page memoir comes from his recollections and stories he had heard about the early history of Duluth. He covers subjects such as the digging of the ship canal, sailing the north shore in the early days, Duluth hotels, early industries, the volunteer Duluth Fire Department, real estate, mayors, the election of 1876, schools, and some early characters.
Norwegian Students America Chorus; Normanna Male Chorus
Date Created:
1925
Description:
This program is from a concert in Duluth on June 1, 1925, at the Armory, by the Norwegian Students' America Chorus from the Royal Frederick University of Oslo, Norway. The program includes greetings from Duluth's Mayor Samuel F. Snively, photographs of the chorus and of the Normanna Male Chorus of Duluth, a brief history of Duluth, information on the Duluth-Superior Harbor, photographs of some Duluth landmarks and of the Duluth homes of some Norwegian-Americans, and many interesting ads from local businesses.
"Doc" John A. McCuen, born on July 17, 1864 in Guelph, Ontario, was better known as the St. Louis County Coroner than as mayor. Elected in 1912, McCuen was the last mayor under the old aldermanic system of government. He declined to run for a second term, since that would have meant serving under the new commissioner model with less power. He remained active in civic affairs until his death on November 4, 1927.
Map of Minnesota's St. Louis County showing land Department Holdings, The Duluth & Iron Range Rail Road Company, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. Shows railroad land holdings, roads, trails, railroads, electric lines, forest reserve, hydrography, and survey grid. Scale: 1 inch = 3 miles.
This 1921 street map of the Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, area includes streetcar lines, railroads, parks, schools, farms, cemeteries, docks, grain elevators, the Duluth-Superior Ferry Line, the Duluth Boat Club, and other details. There is a separate index for both Duluth and Superior.
Clarence Magney is better known as a judge than a mayor. Born January 11, 1883 in Wisconsin, he was a successful lawyer until his election as Duluth mayor in 1917. During his stint as mayor, Magney worked to preserve and increase Duluth's parkland and parkways. He resigned from this office on September 15, 1920 in order to take a post as judge of the District Court, where he served for 23 years. He then served as associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1943-1953. He died on May 15, 1962, leaving behind his wife Lillian and their three children.
This booklet describes the steel and wire-making process at the Minnesota Steel Plant in Morgan Park in the 1920s. Topics include raw material for wire making, the galvanizing department, the barb wire and woven fence department, the wire nail department, and the steel plant. The booklet includes photographs of Morgan Park homes, the Lake View Store in Morgan Park, and one of the community's infant playgrounds. A small map of Morgan Park shows locations of steel plant offices, the school, churches, the hospital, and community garages.
Fort William, Canada Civic Tourist Bureau; Port Arthur, Canada Chamber of Commerce
Date Created:
1920 - 1929
Description:
This circa 1920s map of the Lake Superior International Highway between Duluth, Minnesota, United States, and Port Arthur and Fort William, Ontario, Canada, provides brief descriptions of towns and geographic features along the route, including Two Harbors, Silver Creek Cliff, Lutsen, Grand Marais, and Kakabeka Falls. The map includes photographs of sites such as Split Rock Lighthouse, Cross River, Arrowhead River, the Port Arthur Hotel, and Mt. McKay.
This 64-page booklet, published by the Minnesota State Board of Immigration, extolls the value of Northeastern Minnesota as a land ideal for agriculture and livestock. The booklet describes a fertile new country with unique conditions unparalleled elsewhere." It also describes "established railways and rich markets within its own borders; contiguous to the most populous cities between Chicago and the North Pacific Coast. The booklet describes the various crops that can be raised successfully and the projected profit per acre. Includes numerous photographs of farms and livestock.
Born in Camden, Ohio on October 11, 1867, William I. Prince was a very successful banker in Bessemer, Michigan. He was later elected mayor of Bessemer for three terms, after which he relocated to Duluth, Minnesota in 1902 to organize the City National Bank. In 1913 Prince became Duluth's first mayor under the "commissioner" model, which Prince helped to establish. His single term as mayor was unremarkable, after which he was heavily involved in the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. He died on November 11, 1941, leaving behind his wife Mary and two sons.
This book provides a history of West Duluth before 1916 and a detailed look at business and industry active in West Duluth at that time. It includes many photographs and brief biographies of early settlers and photographs of homes, buildings, and industrial facilities, including the Zenith Furnace Co., the Island Creek Coal Dock Co., the Union Match Co., the Diamond Caulk Horse Shoe Co., the People's Brewing Co., and the Berwind Fuel Co.
This typescript was copied in November 1926 from Alfred Merritt's original 1915 manuscript. The author described his family's experience on the north shore of Lake Superior from the time of their arrival via steamboat in 1856 until the year 1894, including accounts of pioneers, settlers and land claims, and the discovery of iron ore on the Mesaba Range. Merritt also addressed the creation and demise of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad.
This history of the Duluth Diocese of the Catholic Church, which was formed in 1889 and embraced the counties of Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Clay, Cook, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Lake, Marshal, Norman, Pine, Polk, and St. Louis, includes short biographies of early missionaries in Northern Minnesota. It also has histories and photographs of some early Catholic churches, schools, orphanages, and hospitals, information on Indian missions and on the Sisters of St. Benedict, who founded Duluth's St. Mary's Hospital and four other hospitals in the diocese. The book also provides a list of priests who worked in the diocese from 1889 to 1914.
This 1912 atlas provides eleven detailed plat maps showing Duluth streets, divisions, tracts, and additions. A key map in the beginning shows the location of each of the plat maps.
This report of the Board of Commissioners for Duluth, Minnesota, describes the city's parks, including improvements made during 1911 and planned improvements. The book includes photographs of some parks, including Lincoln Park, Congdon Park, Lake Front Park, Fairmont Park, and Chester Park.
Born on Oct. 20, 1844 in Schleswig, a Danish territory, Henry Truelsen worked in a variety of trades before entering political life. As president of the Duluth Board of Public Works, he led a battle for public ownership of the city's water supply at a reasonable price. This role contributed to his populist candidacy for Duluth mayor and was referenced in a plaque affixed to the portrait's frame which read "Henry Truelsen, mayor of Duluth, 1896-1900. Through whose untiring efforts Duluth obtained its water and gas plant. Presented to the city by Thomas A. Merritt. The portrait was painted by David Ericson (1869-1946), a renowned portrait and landscape artist who lived in Duluth. In 1910 Ericson was commissioned to travel to Zenith, North Dakota, Truelsen's new home, to paint the mayoral portrait. Truelsen died on Dec. 4, 1931, in Los Angeles, California.