Duluth Minnesota

Today I was inspired by a reader who is purchasing their own house in Duluth Minnesota.  If you've ever visited I don't need to explain it to you.  For those of you who haven't visited this charming town let me set the scene.  Imagine driving 2 1/2 hours north of Minneapolis/ St. Paul on essentially flat landscape with nothing to see but lots of tall trees.  The scenery on the trip up is nice, but nothing terribly unique.  After a comfortable but extended drive you find there are no more trees and the view begins to open up.  Soon you realize it looks as if you're about to drive off the edge of a cliff into a valley, which  overlooks beautiful Lake Superior.  You see the hills dotted with houses, churches and buildings from the last 100 years nestled into the gradual slope of the rocky hills .  Imagine if you will San Francisco, with snow.  Duluth's golden age was in the late 19th and early 20th century.  Duluth was one of the main hub towns for Northern MN and WI and the city grew many millionaires from fur, lumber and mining.  This great wealth left a lasting impression on this charming town.  The town was thriving until around the end of WW II when mining began to decline and when the steel works plant closed in 1981 this really put Duluth in some harsh times.  This is when Duluth decided to start promoting  tourism and what an idea!  The town has everything from the famous Tiffany Minnehaha window as well as the Congden Mansion, nature and lots and LOTS of beautiful Victorian architecture hugging a rocky cold coastline of Lake Superior.  The economic depression following the war and then the early 1980s allowed much of the town to remain unchanged and preserved its character and gilded charm. Winter is tough here, but it's tough everywhere in Midwest. Besides it makes us stronger and our cheeks rosier .

Minnehaha Tiffany Window:

Here's a few historic photos of Duluth:

                                               Residence of O.G. Traphagen

                                  Residence of William C. Sherwood

                          Residence of D. Clint Prescott, West Duluth 

Unknown Residence.

Superior Street downtown complete with streetcars. c 1910:

Central High School built in 1892 for $460,000 with a 230 foot clock tower.  Still standing and in use it has the most charming bells on the hour.  It gives the town a really authentic feel as if people have been waking up and doing their business to those bells for over 100 years.  

T

Depot:

Depot Today:

The incline railway was from Superior street at 7th Ave west to Skyline Drive. This ran from 1891-1939:

Masonic Temple/ Opera House:

Built in 1889 as a six story building it was a stunning piece of architecture.  In the early 1940's the top 3 levels were removed as they blocked the view of the new Northshore Theatre that was then torn down in the 1960s. 

Photo from: http://www.cityhistory.us/duluth/architecture/temple.htm

Congden Mansion now a museum:

Photos from Minnesota Historical Society

So if you're even in Minnesota make a trip up to Duluth.  It's well worth it!

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