View from the Duluth harbor to the hillside and up the shore. The $283,000 Canal Park Marine Museum's (dark building under the bridge) ground breaking was September 12, 1972, followed by a dedication event September 29, 1973. In 1973, it cost the Army Corps of Engineers $40,000 annually to operate the museum which has always been free to the public. The Museum Expansion dedication was July 5, 1979. To the left of the Marine Museum is the striped awning of Grandma's Restaurant (opened in 1976) but the rest of Canal Park is still in transition. It will become a tourist destination as all of the industrial business are sold and closed and replaced by shops, restaurants, hotels, and the Lake Walk. On the shore line at the far left is Leif Erikson park.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Cornice and upper floors of Minnesota Surplus store and Mr. Nick's hamburgers, in the old Duluth Herald newspaper building, and Livingston's Big Duluth men's clothing store, on the lower side of West Superior Street.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Cornice and upper floors of Minnesota Surplus store and Mr. Nick's hamburgers, in the old Duluth Herald newspaper building, on the lower side of West Superior Street.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Archibald Mark Chisholm (1864-1933) and Lillian Cummings Chisholm house at 1832 East Second Street was given to the Duluth board of education in 1935, and converted to the A. M. Chisholm Memorial Children's Musuem which had been established in 1931 at the Salter School. The building was modified again to serve as a home for boys in this photograph. The museum changed its name and relocated to The Depot in downtown Duluth.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Bradley building was located at this Lake Avenue and Superior Street intersection of downtown Duluth. In 1924, upper floors were added making it four stories. It was razed in the summer of 1979.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The lift span is up as an ore boat of the Cleveland-Cliffs fleet approaches the canal. Pioneer Hall and the Northwest Passage skywalk link to downtown are complete. Gateway Towers and Lenox Place apartment high-rises and the new Duluth Public Library are visible. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, formerly called the Marine Museum, opened in 1973 and is seen near the north pier with Grandma's Saloon restaurant and its summertime tent visible marking the first two amenities of Canal Park that would develop into a tourist destination.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of Duluth from above Skyline Drive out to Lake Superior where laker and saltie vessels wait to come in to the harbor. There can be a pile up of vessels waiting for cargo that has not yet arrived for pick up. In this case, there was a grain millers' strike in progress. The strike, called by local 118 of the American Federation of Grain Millers lasted twelve weeks beginning July 6. You can see the orange bottoms of the vessels. They are riding high on the water without the weight of their cargos. Once filled, the vessel's weight forces the orange portion to be underwater and not visible. You can also see the cranes on the decks of the vessels. The cranes are used to transport commodities onto the vessel. Tourism is a major financial driver for Duluth. Visible are the Arena Auditorium just to the left of the Aerial bridge. The Arena is an oval shape. Opened in August 1966, the Arena Auditorium complex was altered late and finally renamed as the DECC, Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The Northwest Passage enclosed walkway parallels the Canal Park area. The walkway stretches from a bank building on Superior Street to the Arena and was completed in 1976. The Normandy Inn hotel and restaurant building stands out. The tall Steam Plant smoke stack is behind it. The Normandy, on Superior Street between Second and Third Avenues West, opened in December 1977 . It becomes the Holiday Inn in the early 1980s, a part of the Labovitz and Goldfine properties. The Normandy stands on what was called the Lyric Block named for the grand Lyric theater that occupied 75 feet of frontage on Superior Street for decades. Duluth's first Skywalk segment connected the Normandy with the First American National Bank across Superior Street. The block with the Lyric theater was razed beginning in June of 1976 for new development. The distinctively shaped, round, Radisson Hotel is further west on Superior Street. The Radisson opened in May 1970 with its restaurant on the top that slowly turns 360 degrees. The view from the restaurant is remarkable. Rooms were added in 1975. The NC sign is on top of the Alworth building. The Northern City National Bank's NC was there from 1957 to 1980 when the bank became First Bank Duluth. The Duluth Public Library is the gray oval shaped building to the left of the Radisson at 520 West Superior Street. The library opened in the summer of 1980. The turrets are visible of the 1892 Union Depot, now the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, just behind the library, at 506 West Michigan Street. This Peabody and Stearns designed building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Nearly a companion photo to 2161.6, this is an autumn day. View of Duluth from above Skyline Drive out to Lake Superior where laker and saltie vessels wait to come in to the harbor. There can be a pile up of vessels waiting for cargo that has not yet arrived for pick up. In this case, there was a grain millers' strike in progress. The strike, called by Local 118 of the American Federation of Grain Millers, lasted twelve weeks beginning on July 6. It began against two of the eight elevators in the Twin Ports, but by July 25 affected all elevators. It had nothing to do with the longshoremen. You can see the orange bottoms of some of the vessels. They are riding high on the water without the weight of their cargos. Once filled, the vessel's weight forces the orange portion to be underwater and not visible. You can also see the cranes on the decks of the vessels. The cranes are used to transport commodities onto the vessel. There is an ore boat and tug in the bay. The Arena Auditorium is just to the right of the Aerial bridge. The Arena is an oval shape. Opened in August 1966, the Arena Auditorium complex was altered later and finally renamed as the DECC, Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The Normandy Inn hotel and restaurant building stands out with its red name on a white wall. The Normandy, on Superior Street between Second and Third Avenues West, opened in December 1977 . It becomes the Holiday Inn in the early 1980s, a part of the Labovitz and Goldfine properties. The Normandy stands on what was called the Lyric Block named for the grand Lyric theater that occupied 75 feet of frontage on Superior Street for decades. Duluth's first Skywalk segment connected the Normandy with the First American National Bank across Superior Street. The block with the Lyric theater was razed beginning in June of 1976 for new development. The distinctively shaped, round, Radisson Hotel is obscured by trees. You can just see the top of it. It is further west on Superior Street. The Radisson opened in May 1970. The NC sign is on top of the Alworth building. The Northern City National Bank's NC was there from 1957 to 1980 when the bank became First Bank Duluth. The smokestack at the left is part of the Duluth Steam Cooperative that supplies heat to many downtown buildings.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of the St. Clair, 770-foot vessel, passing under the bridge's lift span into the harbor. To handle Great Lakes cargo, a special type of vessel has evolved, the North American "laker," the largest being 1,013 feet long, capable of carrying up to 70,000 tons of iron ore or 1,700,00 bushels of grain in one trip. On any given day during the sailing season, the vessels of the U.S. and Canadian fleets are in continuous motion carrying a wide range of cargos. Thanks to a career spent primarily in freshwater, the average life expectancy of a laker is 40-50 years, compared to about half that for saltwater vessels. Downtime during winter lay-up allows ample opportunity for maintenance, another key factor in a laker's long lifespan and enviable safety record.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
When it gets very cold and the water of Lake Superior is warmer than the air, the lake "smokes" as seen here. The smokestack at the left is the Duluth Steam Plant that provides heat to hundreds of downtown businesses. The Duluth business district's tallest building is the Alworth shown here just in front of the Aerial Lift Bridge. The 16 story Daniel Burnham designed Alworth was built in 1909 in nine months opening August 30, 1910. Pioneer Hall is behind the Alworth. 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 in Pioneer Hall.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
This autumn aerial view is one of many taken by Wayne Gatlin. Enger park is at the left and Enger Tower in the midst of it. The park acquired partly by gift from J. B. Enger, was acquired by the city of Duluth between 1891 and 1928. Enger Tower cost $30,000 to build, is built six stories high, 70 feet tall, and 583 feet above Lake Superior. You can see 31.4 miles on a clear day. It has a 10 foot conical shaped beacon at the top with 32 vertical tubes. One third of the $185,000 Enger estate, $61,000, was to be used for a civic memorial. Canal Park is to the left of the aerial bridge and Minnesota Point stretches to its right. Sailboats are in the harbor. The Duluth Public Library is under construction and will have its dedication in the summer of 1980. Duluth-born Mr. Gatlin enlisted in the aviation cadet program in 1942. Later he flew 55 combat missions for the 360th Fighter Group in England and downed an ME-262 jet fighter. In 1948, he joined the Texas Air National Guard but eventually transferred to Duluth, where he became operations officer for the 179th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Gatlin flew jet fighters while stationed at Duluth during the Korean War. He was the high individual scorer at the 1954, 1955 and 1956 National Air Guard gunnery meets. Gatlin served as commander of the Air Technician Detachment at Duluth, wing commander, group commander and finally chief of staff for the Minnesota Air National Guard. He logged over 6,700 military flying hours during his career. Gatlin studied photography over the years and his marvelous portraits of Guard aircraft have appeared in many publications and journals.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range ore docks are the two reddish brown linear structures in the foreground. Ore boats are pulled between the docks by tugboats. Railroad cars loaded with ore or taconite pellets move along the railroad tracks on the top or the length of the dock. A chute or steel pocket beneath the tracks is lowered to the open cargo hatch and a door at the bottom of the pocket opens, allowing the pellets to run into the ore boat that moored parallel to the dock. Four hours is typical for loading ore. Loading is the responsibility of the First Mate. It is important to load the ore in a proper sequence to avoid over stressing the boat unevenly. Each chute (or drop of pellets) is about 20 tons.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Jan Murillo awards Virginia Stebner a prize at the dedication celebration for the Meridian Apartments, held at the Normandy Inn. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A living room at the new Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
An unidentified woman looks out of the window of an apartment in the new Meridian Apartment complex. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A bedroom at the new Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A barrier-free bathroom at the new Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A barrier-free shower at the new Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A barrier-free shower at the new Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
A resident of the Meridian Apartment, identified only as Susan, walks through a paper banner, with assistance from Goldie Karon, at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Meridian Apartments. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Mel Saari is outside the door to the community room at the Meridian Apartments. People in the room are gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Sportscaster Marsh Nelson speaks from the head table at a dedication event held at the Normandy Inn celebrating the opening of the Meridian Apartments. Nelson is introducing guest speaker former Minnesota Vikings player Karl Kassulke, left. The 39-unit Meridian Apartments, developed by United Cerebral Palsy, opened in Duluth in 1978 and offered barrier-free living for people with disabilities.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections