This post card was mailed in 1906, but the image is from an earlier year. In the 1890s commercial fishing on Lake Superior was feeding Duluth and the entire Midwest with major operators: A. Booth and Sons (whose sign is visible at the left), Lake Superior Fish Company, H. Christiansen and Sons.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The caption of this post card says Clear span, 400 feet; clear height, 136 feet; total height above water, 186 feet. This view shows the waterfront when it was warehouses and wharves, docks, railroad freight sheds and slips. This view is probably from Skyline boulevard which, at this time, would have been called Rogers' Boulevard. William Rogers was the first parks department commissioner. In December 1959 the Duluth City Council and Mayor E. Clifford Bork changed the name of Rogers parkway and Skyline Boulevard to Skyline Parkway.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The caption of this post card says The Aerial Bridge, Span 393 feet 9 inches, 135 feet high from water line. Cost $100,000. Entrance to Duluth-Superior Harbor. The white building at the left is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building constructed in 1906.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Most photographs of downtown Duluth will also capture the Aerial Bridge, and so it is with this image of Superior Street at Fifth Avenue West. The Spalding hotel was completed in June 1889. It was razed in the summer of 1963 along with many other buildings in the Gateway Renewal Project. The total cost of razing Gateway buildings was $258,000, including demolition of the Spalding hotel at the cost of $43,500.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
This photograph may have been shot from Seventh Street and about Lake Avenue. The bright narrow strip in the lower middle of the image is Lake Avenue leading to the Aerial Bridge. The rectangle and three dots parallel to the piers of the canal are the remnants of the Whitney rock crushing enterprise. The Whitney Brothers, of Superior, Wisconsin, had a sand and gravel processing business that was functioning in 1919. The concrete form that is still in the water was the dredging/crushing building. A tunnel ran from the building to the Point. There was a conveyor belt and railroad spur adjacent to the concrete building. Sand from the Apostle Islands and gravel from Grand Marais were carried to Duluth on a small vessel named Limit. The business also used a tug the William A. Whitney. The Limit was secured to the concrete building and the load of sand or gravel was unloaded into the steel hopper using a jaw-like clam shell, steam powered device. The belt conveyed the materials to shore and it dropped into a tunnel where trucks were ready. On Federal lake charts it is referred to as cribs. Telephone lines are in this photograph. In 1880, the first telephones were installed in Duluth by Walter Van Brunt for C. H. Graves and Company. In 1881, the Duluth Telephone Company was incorporated with $10,000 capital. In 1882, the first telephone directory was issued for 30 subscribers. In 1898, long distance lines between Duluth, Cloquet and Carlton were strung. In 1899, Duluth had 794 telephones. In 1900, the Zenith telephone Company (independent) started operations in competition with Duluth Telephone Company. The tower is the Central High School clock tower. The 1892 school has been the Central Administration Building for ISD 709 since the late 1970s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Chicago Shipbuilding Company of Chicago, a subsidiary of the American Shipbuilding Company, built the steamer William E. Cory for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company in 1904. The vessel dimensions are 569' X 56' X 31'. She sailed from Chicago on her maiden voyage August 12, 1905 bound for Duluth to load iron ore. The aerial bridge was new. Bids were opened March 25, 1901, but only one was received. The Duluth Canal Bridge Company was awarded the contract but abandoned the work. In February 1904, the Modern Steel Structural Company of Waukesha, Wisconsin was issued a contract. Work began July 20, 1904. On February 23, 1905, with local dignitaries at hand, the bridge was first operated. Regular service began the next day according to newspaper accounts. The city engineer's report for 1905 stated that the bridge was "completed and commenced operation on May 5, 1905, and a few problems were corrected in running the bridge over the next few days." The Aerial bridge was completed in February 1905. The aerial bridge transporter or gondola or transfer car roadway was 17 feet by 50 feet with sidewalks seven feet by 50 feet, the cabins were 30 feet long. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office building with flag above it was built in 1906. Also visible in the image are the National Biscuit Company 517 Lake Avenue South, Blanchet Hotel 520 Lake Avenue South, and Wieland Flats 502-512 St. Croix Avenue
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
On Monday, July 1, 1929, the suspended car made its last trip across the canal. The bridge's modification to operate with a lift span began on April 8, 1929, with a low bid of $448,000 by the Kansas City Bridge Company. The Aerial Lift Bridge was first operated on March 19, 1930. The bridge has a clearance of 138 feet when the lift section is completely up and when down it is 16.5 feet above the water. The length of the span is 386 feet and weighs 900 tons. The distance from the water to the lower edge of the truss is 172 feet 7 inches; to the top of the truss it is 227 feet. During the shipping season it makes about 25 lifts a day. The new bridge is owned and operated by the City of Duluth on permit authorized by Congress. The Ship Canal and grounds are under the authority of the Lake Superior Area Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
This view shows Canal Park in the right foreground and downtown Duluth behind. The railroad tracks are parallel to Superior Street and will be displaced by the I35 freeway. The flat, undeveloped areas west or to the left of the Arena-Auditorium will later become the site for Playfront Park, Bayfront Festival Park, and the Great Lakes Aquarium. In this photo, Canal Park's recent addition is the 1973 Marine Museum adjacent to the 1906 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building. Both are near the base of the North tower of the aerial lift bridge. In the middle of this view is the Arena Auditorium (opened in 1966) that will later to added to and renamed the DECC in 1987. To its right is the rectangular Pioneer Hall. Ground was broken on April 7, 1975, for the Pioneer Hall and Duluth Curling Club. It is a world-class curling facility. The Silver Broom World Curling Tournament in March 1976, drew 41,000 fans from ten countries to the new ice sheets. Grand opening celebrations were held August 30 to September 12, 1976. The Northwest Passage, a skywalk from downtown to the Arena-Auditorium through the Pioneer Hall, will be completed in 1976.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The area west of the Arena Auditorium occupied here by hundreds of parked RVs will be developed into Bay Front Park. In the summer of 1983, an Airstream rally occupied all of the Arena Auditorium parking lot and the area seen here taken by RVs. The dark rectangular building near the stern of the ore boat is the Flame Restaurant building. The slip at the far right will be filled. In the foreground the I35 freeway is under construction and building materials laid out to the right. the Ship Canal piers were being remodeled/rehabilitated in 1985-1986.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The counterweight is visible through the north tower's structural elements. Two counterweights move in opposition to the bridge. The bridge span weights about 1,000 tons. The two counterweights weigh about 500 tons each. When the bridge span goes up the counterweights go down.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
These railroad tracks are parallel to Lake Superior which is not visible at the far right. Superior Street is at the far left with an edge of the brick Minnesota Power electric company's substation building showing at Fifteenth Avenue West. Superwood Corporation hardboard manufacturers is at the right and appears to be in front of the Huron Portland Cement silos. Garfield is at about Sixteenth Avenue West behind you at you look at this shot. Superwood is at Fourteenth Avenue West and Waterfront and the Huron Portland cement silo at Ninth Avenue West and waterfront.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A night view shows the Duluth Arena Auditorium and parking facilities. The Minnesota Power and Light substation is in the foreground. There is a lighted Christmas tree surrounded by a car display at the joint entrance to the complex. The Arena Auditorium opened to great fanfare in August 1966. The arena was home to UMD hockey and seats for 8,000, and the Duluth Symphony finally had a grand hall for its performances and sat 2,400. It was renamed the DECC or Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center on August 31, 1987. It was expanded and re-opened June 18, 1990. The Harbor Side Convention Center and Parking Ramp additions were opened January 31, 2001.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A vessel enters the harbor in this view of the canal with downtown Duluth in the upper portion of the image and Minnesota Point at the bottom left. Fifth Avenue West runs directly from the St. Louis County Courthouse to the waterfront. Both the Soo Line passenger depot and its train sheds and the Union Depot and its train sheds are to the left of Fifth Avenue West. To the right of the Fifth Avenue West overpass is the Arena Auditorium complex that celebrated its grand opening in August 1966. The sand beach of Park Point is in the foreground. The Fire department headquarters building is at 608 West First Street.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of the Aerial Lift Bridge with lift span raised to allow the William B. Schiller to leave the harbor. Built in 1910, the Schiller was laid up in 1974 and sold for scrap in 1978.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Pioneer Hall will take form on this construction site adjacent to Minnesota Slip. Ground was broken on April 7, 1975, for the Pioneer Hall and Duluth Curling Club. The Silver Broom World Curling Tournament in March 1976, drew 41,000 fans from ten countries to the new ice sheets. Grand opening celebrations were held August 30 to September 12, 1976. The Northwest Passage, a skywalk from downtown to the Arena Auditorium, was completed in 1976. Eight years after the Arena Auditorium was opened in 1966, it was pumping $6 million into Duluth's economy. The annual payroll averaged $300,000 and more than 750 people were employed on either a part or full-time basis. The Pioneer Hall expansion was the first of many.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
On the morning of May 3, 1959, crowds along the north pier of the Duluth Ship Canal salute the arrival of the British-registered merchant vessel Ramon de Larrinaga, the first upbound ship to traverse the newly opened St. Lawrence Seaway. The ship loaded grain at the Peavey and Cargill elevators before departing for Montreal and a voyage across the North Atlantic.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections