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.
This 40-page book, published in 1897, describes the land and towns that lie on the route of the Saint Paul & Duluth Railroad. Chapters describe the route of the railroad; the counties the railroad passes through; various crops grown, including potatoes, grain, berries and small fruit, and dairying. The last chapter provides brief descriptions of some towns along the route, including Pine City, Hinckley, Finlayson, Rutledge, Willow River, Sturgeon Lake, Moose Lake, Barnum, Mahtowa, Carlton, Duluth, and West Superior.