Opened in 1882 by the Minnesota Mining Company, Breitung pit was part of the first iron ore mine on the Vermillion Range. Ore from this pit made up the first commercial shipment of Minnesota Iron Ore out of the Agate Bay ore docks, Two Harbors, Minnesota July 31, 1884.
The Nelson Store was located on First Avenue, where the present day American Legion now stands. The N.C. Nelson General Store was the first store in Agate Bay, Minnesota, now known as Two Harbors.
Image of people lined up on dock and outside deck of Ossifrage. Large dock owned by the Weiland Family, a prosperous family that owned and operated a lumber company out of Beaver Bay (1860-1883). Steam ships would tie up to the Weiland dock, bringing passengers and supplies to the town.
A photograph of eight Lumberjacks from a lumber camp including Nels Johnson, the camp operator on the right, the camp cook, Jonas Peter Nelson and his son Gene Nelson and Arthur Deunewith holding the horse.
A view to the south along Minnesota Avenue in St. Peter. A flag flies from the Nicollet Hotel at the intersection with Park Row at right. An encampment of G. A. R. veterans was being held in the city.
Image taken from bay showing the wooden footings for the first ore dock in Agate Bay. Wooden planks are lined up along the bank, Agate Bay House is the large building in the center of the image. Construction of the ore docks began in 1883.
Image of a group of men standing outside of the Agate Bay House. Painted sign underneath the decorative peak on the covered porch. This was utilized as a boarding house for railroad workers. Also pictured is an intersection of a wooden sidewalk, one of the first built in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Managers are Brown, Butler, and Blake standing on the right side of the covered porch.
Image shows freshly cleared dirt road lined with clapboard sided single story structures. The Old Two Harbors courthouse is on the right side of the image.
Ice harvesting at Agate Bay. Bays in Lake Superior regularly froze in the cold winter months. Jacob Rafin Senior is seated on the sled. Town of Two Harbors in the background.
A photograph of a steam tractor, horses pulling a water wagon, several men, threshing machine, horse drawn buggy, team of horses pulling a grain wagon. Included in the photograph is Truman and Louis Erdahl on the water wagon.
Image of a steam powered shovel sitting on a railroad track. Land is barren, multiple tracks cross the landscape. Town of Virginia extends beyond the boundaries of the mine, separated by a fence. Note the rows of iron ore cars in the background. Oliver Mining Company owned this mine.
Image of a group of men and children standing on a wooden sidewalk outside of the Iron Port Printing Shop. Second floor contains apartments for the proprietor and his family. The Iron Port was the official paper of Two Harbors and Lake County. Founded by James Coggswell, the newspaper was first published July 11th, 1890.
Street scene taken from Old High School. Original Lake County courthouse and sheriffs residence can be seen on the right side of the image. Note the wooden sidewalks and wagon-rutted roads.
Road construction in First Avenue Business district. Note the surveyor in the right corner. People gather on the wood plank sidewalks to watch. Identified businesses include: L.A. Rose Store, Lee Kee Laundry, The Bodega, and Nordby Mercantile Company.
Duluth Missabe and Iron Range owned Edna G. Tugboat at dock (1896-1986) with Carlo passenger vessel. Note the eagle on top of the pilot house of the Edna G. Taken before the Tug was in service on the East Coast in World War One.
Interior view of clerk windows. Man stands at Money order window while woman stands at the general delivery window. Boxes appear on either side of the general mail delivery window. Elizabeth Hangartner (Billingsley) clerk and postmaster W.B. Woodward.
Interior view of female and male postal clerk in mail room. Boxes with newspapers and letters surround the pair. One gas lamp hangs from the ceiling. Elizabeth Hangartner (Billingsley) clerk and postmaster W.B. Woodward.
Group of men pose for a photograph with shovels. They stand on the clay bottom of the bay, water held back by a berm. The first wooden ore docks were built at Agate Bay in 1884. The docks were upgraded to steel beginning in 1907.
Image shows the Edna G. Tugboat moored on the dock in Two Harbors, Minnesota. The iron ore dock in Agate Bay rises up behind the boat. Note the eagle atop the pilot house and two men seated on the deck. Footings for another dock appear in the foreground.
Image shows the Ella G. Stone, predecessor to the Edna G. tugboat pulling a whaleback vessel into the ore docks at Agate Bay. Note the hatches are open on the whaleback.
Pairs of men march down the center of the street, rounding the corner with the "The Headlight" saloon at the intersection of Cedar Street and First Avenue. Each man is carrying an American Flag or small shovel. Eugene LaForce was the Proprieter of The Headlight.
Image shows a group of tourists standing and sitting on rocks near falls at Beaver River. By 1858, Beaver Bay was the only regularly scheduled steamer stop between Duluth and Grand Marais.
Looking northwest at a southbound car on Greenbrier Street. The caption reads "1880, and this is last car on Greenbrier before the line was moved to Payne Avenue" The caption appears to be incorrect as the line stayed on Greenbrier. The car depicted wasn't delivered until 1884.
Image of a group of men posing for a photograph next to a hoist and derrick system. Man standing on deck tips a steel bucket into a large pile of iron ore. Identified as hoist at Shaft Number 3 at the Cincinnati Mine, first hoist on the Mesabi Range. Mine was owned by the Standard Ore Company of Duluth. Photograph shows the first bucked of ore hoisted from the site.
Interior view of Schreiner Brothers & Moulton Company (1888-1923) interior view. Image of three men standing near a china display. An array of gas light fixtures hang from the ceiling of the store. A piano is covered in the foreground. Wooden railings frame an opening in the floor that looks down on the first level of the store. Store proprietors were E.H. Schreiner and W.N Moulton.
Interior view of Schreiner Brothers & Moulton Company (1888-1923). Image of seven men and four women standing around display cases full of merchandise. Handkerchiefs and other accessories are displayed in glass cases while skirts, scarves, and textiles are displayed along the walls and wooden shelving units holding boxed goods. Gas lights hang from the ceiling, lighting the room. Store proprietors were E.H. Schreiner and W.N Moulton.
Interior view of the County auditor's office as it was in the jail & sheriff's residence building. J.C. Marshall, L.R. Over H.C. Doms, Charles Goodwin and George Nash in doorway.
New standard gauge track was laid next to old narrow gauge track to permit continued operation during conversion from horsecars to electric cars. Printed in Germany.
Looking west on Chestnut Street across the Main Street intersection. A westbound streetcar is headed uphill in the block west of Main. Another streetcar is northbound on Main Street at right.
Set of 3 delivery wagons loading in front of J. Schriener and Company General Store (1888-1919). Called the Big Store as all merchandise was purchased in carload lots. Operated by John Schreiner and E.H. Schreiner. The business later evolved into Schreiner Brothers and Molton.
Image shows Main Street looking east. Water tower is in backround. The Power plant in the background was razed in 2013. In front of power plant is Rech & Yackley Monument Works.
Several automobiles, including Swan J. Turnblad's, second from left, at the state fairgrounds. Mr. Turnblad and his wife are in his 1899 Waverly electric car.
Looking directly up the incline from an elevated position across Superior Street. The decked roof car is on the west track, half a block up the hill. Printed in Germany.
Looking northwest at a streetcar posed with crew. Postcard message reads, "This is taken at the end of the car line on Lake Avenue close to the Aerial Bridge."