The Minneapolis-St. Paul line via University Avenue was always called "the Interurban". One prepares to cross Hennepin Avenue on 5th Street next to the Lumber Exchange building.
A D.M. & I.R. empty pellet train returning from Duluth to Proctor on the curve at Spirit Mountain, Minnesota. Pulled by diesel locomotives #191, 171 & 184.
A D.M. & I.R. train loaded with limestone departing Missabe Jct in Duluth headed for Proctor. Diesel locomotives 134, 144 & 143 pulling about 40 cars. I-35 is in the background.
Twin City streetcar #1136 was never modified from its original 1905 appearance, the only car in the fleet never rebuilt. It served as the supervisor office at the State Fair and spent the rest of the year sitting at Snelling Station.
Twin City streetcar #1136 was never modified from its original 1905 appearance, the only car in the fleet never rebuilt. It served as the supervisor office at the Minnesota State Fair and spent the rest of the year sitting at Snelling Station.
A Bryant LOOP car, meaning it terminated in downtown, leaves its layover point at 1st Avenue N., and turns onto 1st Street, leading to Hennepin Avenue.
D.M. & I.R. steam locomotive number 514 pulling a passenger excursion train at Iron Junction, MN. This is last steam powered train operated by the D.M. & I.R.
View in winter of the Canal Park area at the base of the bridge with the Blatnik or High Bridge in the distance. The Canal Park Marine Museum and Visitor Center is joined to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building. Both are visible just in front of the lift span in the middle of the photograph. There was a grand opening for the Museum on September 29, 1973. The brown, tall building at the right is the Paulucci building which is the common name for the Stone-Ordean-Wells building. It was built at 525 Lake Avenue south in 1915. The architect of the project was Frederick George German.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View in spring of the Aerial Bridge with the grain elevators and other harbor industrial and shipping facilities on Rice's Point. Cargill elevators B2 (far left) and B1 (built 1976) are the white structures at the top left. They are reached off of Garfield Avenue unless you approach by water. The Canal Park Marine Museum sits at the foot of the bridge's north tower. There was a ground breaking Sept 12, 1972 for the museum. It cost $283,000. The dedication was September 29, 1973. Mr. C. Patrick Labadie, native of Detroit, was hired as director in August, 1973. In 1973, it cost $40,000 annually to operate the museum. Entry had always been free to the public. The museum expansion dedication was July 5, 1979. The brown building at the right middle of the photograph is the Paulucci building, the common name for the Stone-Ordean-Wells building. It was built here, at 525 Lake Avenue South, in 1915. The architect of the project was Frederick George German.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of the Duluth harbor from just east and behind Hotel Duluth in downtown. You are looking across Superior Street down Lake Avenue. You move along Lake Avenue to approach and cross the bridge. Hotel Duluth is at the far right of the photograph. The lift span is down. Grandma's Restaurant (opened in 1976) is at the base of the north tower of the bridge and the Corps of Engineers Building is to the left of the restaurant. The blue building, a flag is to its left, and the facility stretching out from it is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessel yard at 903 Minnesota Avenue. It is on the bayside of the Point after you cross the bridge. There is a Burger King, red, sign visible at the left in front of the Corps administrative building. You can clearly see the bridge was painted silver. In September 1970, the entire structure was scraped, primed and repainted in silver, rather than its former green color. It has been silver ever since.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of the Blatnik or High Bridge within the frame of the Aerial Bridge with the lift span raised. Canal Park in the foreground is without today's familiar tourist amenities of restaurants, shops and hotels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building is in the center of this photograph. It was built in 1906. The 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. The Aerial Lift Bridge was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1973. The black and white lighthouse-type structure is to the left of the bridge's south tower. The formal name is South Breakwater Inner Light Tower and it is owned by the federal government. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tower is 67 feet tall and its light was first lit in 1901. The tower was not used for navigation for years, and was offered for sale by the government - with restrictions. The tower was bought in December 2008 by Steve Sola and Matt Kampf of Duluth. The winning bid was more than $31,000. Mr. Sola grew up on Park Point, Mr. Kamps in Hibbing, but he lived many years on Cape Cod before moving to Duluth. The tower must remain where it is. The brown, tall building at the right is the Paulucci building, the common name for the Stone-Ordean-Wells building. It was built at 525 Lake Avenue south in 1915. The architect of the project was Frederick George German.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View from the harbor looking toward the Lake with everything in silhouette. The South Breakwater Inner Light Tower is lit. Houses on Minnesota Point are visible at the far right on Minnesota Avenue. The two flags are above the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Building (built 1906). To the left is the Paulucci building at 525 South Lake Avenue.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View from a distance up the shore, probably from Leif Erikson park. Harbor facilities are in the distance at both the left and the right. Canal Park is at the right, and Minnesota Point is to the left. The very bright white structures are grain elevators. The Lake can be glassy calm, but it can alter very rapidly.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
View of the harbor looking at the back of the Paulucci building. The Paulucci building is the common name for the Stone-Ordean-Wells building. It was built at 525 Lake Avenue south in 1915. Stone-Ordean-Wells Company was a wholesale grocery firm. Their in-house, monthly magazine, begun in 1910, was titled Ginger. Nokomis, Hiawatha, and Blue Bird were brands sold by Stone-Ordean-Wells. The architect of the project was Frederick George German. Jeno Paulucci first occupied the building in 1961. Prior to that date there was a series of occupants. Two of the Great Lakes Towing Company tugboats are at the ready because the lift span is fully up which means a vessel must be approaching. The 1901 Canal Park lighthouse is visible between the bows of the tugs. The 107-year-old lighthouse was offered for sale in August 2008 by the federal government with limitations. The formal name for this light structure is South Breakwater Inner Light Tower. It is owned by the federal government and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 67 feet tall tower's light was first turned on in 1901. It was bought in December 2008 by Steve Sola and Matt Kampf of Duluth. Their winning bid was $31,000. Mr. Sola grew up on Park Point, Kamps in Hibbing, but lived many years on Cape Cod before moving to Duluth. The light tower cannot be moved.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Bergetta Moe Bakery, 716 East Superior Street, built about 1875, has evolved over the years. Here it has green striped awnings and is the Superior Lake Gifts shop. Earlier, from about 1970 to 1989, this building held the contemporary design store called the October House. In the lower level was Martin Gould's, the owner's, architectural office. Joyce and Martin Gould also owned the brick and stone building next door. Gould made the lower level into a tiny apartment. The frame building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1976. In about 1989 Martin and Joyce Gould sold both buildings to Mark Marino. Mr. Marino added to the frame building. The Portland Malt Shoppe sells ice cream seasonally. The Malt Shoppe building was built In 1921 as a gas station for Northwestern Oil Company owned by Harry and Edith Rogers. The Rogers managed the gas station for many years. Martin and Joyce Gould, owners of the October House, had a retail dress shop featuring Finnish Marimekko garments in the building. They named their store Portland Village. Portland comes from the plat name of the neighborhood. The Goulds sold the building in 1989, and it became the Portland Malt Shoppe. These buildings are a few steps East of the Fitger's complex, a brewery turned "mall,"and a destination for residents and tourists especially in the summer. The Lakewalk is behind and below these buildings. At the middle right of the photograph are buildings at Canal Park. The Interstate or Blatnik or High Bridge is in the distance. One bridge, many descriptive names. It links Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin, thus, interstate.
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
View of the rising sea smoke at sunrise. Sea smoke is a cloud over the sea, which could otherwise be called fog, and is usually formed when very cold air moves over warmer water. We see this phenomena all the time when watching Lake Superior. Photographers capture it with delight. The brown building at the right is the Paulucci building which is the common name for the Stone-Ordean-Wells building. It was built at 525 Lake Avenue south in 1915. The architect of the project was Frederick George German. The Blatnik or High Bridge is in the distance behind the aerial bridge. Duluth-Superior High Bridge or Blatnik High Bridge or Interstate Bridge. Efforts to secure a toll-free bridge between Duluth and Superior started as early as the 1930s. Other unsuccessful attempts were made in 1940 and 1948. In 1953, approval was given for a new toll bridge, pressure from both cities demanded a toll-free unit. When Congress adopted a new system of interstate and defense highways, the bridge became part of that system and was eligible for 90% federal financing - elevating the need for having it be a toll bridge. In 1956 construction plans were delayed by disagreement over clearance height. It had been set at 100 ft. but, after much debate, increased to 120. Construction started Nov. 28, 1958, on what was the largest single highway project ever undertaken jointly by Minnesota and Wisconsin. About 1.6 million hours were worked by construction employees and 100,000 by engineering and inspection personnel. Three workmen lost their lives in the three years of construction. The bridge was formally dedicated on Saturday, Dec. 2, 1961. Mayor Lawrence Hagen of Superior, E. Clifford Mork, Duluth Mayor. It was formally named to honor John A. Blatnik Sept. 24, 1971.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
The Concord Avenue streetcar has reached the end of the line, the wye at Linden Street, the city limits separating South St. Paul from Inver Grove Heights.
The double-ended Fort Snelling shuttle streetcar that connected the historic fort with the Officers Row along Taylor Avenue is pictured next to Highway 5 near the Mendota Bridge.
A downhill Selby-Lake streetcar rolls through the concrete cut after exiting the lower portal of the Selby Tunnel, with the Cathedral of St. Paul in the background.
Streetcars from Minneapolis and St. Paul prepare to back into the Bridge Junction wye at Fort Snelling, where they will meet the Fort Snelling Shuttle.