about tony dierckins
Zenith City Press founder Tony Dierckins—a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Duluth resident since 1984—has written more than two dozen books, from the fun and fascinating Duct Tape and WD-40 books to critically acclaimed illustrated histories celebrating the history of Duluth, Minnesota, and the western Lake Superior Regional (listed below). Along the way Dierckins has written three Northeast Minnesota Book Award winners and two Minnesota Book Award finalists, and is a past recipient of the Duluth Depot Foundation’s Historic Preservation and Interpretation Award. He has also developed a reputation as an entertaining and engaging public speaker and has become an accomplished book designer, creating layouts for not only Zenith City Press books but also those produced by ZCP’s publishing partner, X-Presso Books.
Books by Tony Dierckins
Twin Ports Trains: The Historic Railroads of Duluth & Superior 1870–1970
(with Jeff Lemke, Zenith City Press, 2024)
Duluth’s Aerial Bridge and the Canal It Crosses
(Zenith City Press, 2023)
Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940
(with Maryanne C. Norton, Zenith City Press, 2022)
Duluth: An Urban Biography
(Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2022)
Naturally Brewed, Naturally Better: The Historic Breweries of Duluth & Superior
(with Pete Clure, Zenith City Press, 2018)
Duluth’s Historic Parks: Their First 160 Years
(with Nancy Nelson, Zenith City Press, 2017)
Glensheen: The Official Guide to the Historic Congdon Estate
(with photographer Dennis O’Hara, Zenith City Press, 2016)
Historic Glensheen 1905–1930: Photographs from the Historic Congdon Estate’s First 25 Years
(Zenith City Press, 2015)
Tall Ships in the Zenith City
(with photographer Dennis O’Hara, Zenith City Press, 2013)
Lost Duluth: Landmarks, Industries, Buildings, Homes, and the Neighborhoods in Which They Stood
(with Maryanne C. Norton, Zenith City Press, 2022)
Crossing the Canal: An Illustrated History of Duluth’s Aerial Bridge
(Zenith City Press, 2009)
Picture Duluth: Photographs of the Zenith City
(with photographer Dennis O’Hara, X-Communication, 2009)
Greetings from the Arrowhead: The North Shore & Canoe Country
(X-Communication, 2007)
Zenith: A Postcard Perspective of Historic Duluth
(X-Communication, 2005)
Greetings from Duluth Volumes 1 & 2
(X-Communication, 2003)
True North: Alternative and Off-Beat Destinations In and Around Duluth, Superior, and the Shores of Lake Superior
(with Kerry Elliott, X-Communication, 2002)
Creative Voices Page-A-Day Calendar
(Andrews-McMeel, 2002)
Coaster Books: A series of six titles of “protect & serve books” that break apart to become a set of six beverage coasters
(Running Press, 2000)
The Mosquito Book
(with Scott Anderson, Dennoch Press, 1998)
The Warning Label Book
(with Tim Nyberg & Joey Green, St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)
Bad Dog Press Books
Seven humor books co-written with Tim “The Duct Tape Guy” Nyberg between 1994 and 1998 including The WD-40 Book and When I’m an Old Man I’ll Wear Mixed Plaids.
Duct Tape books and Page-A-Day calendar series
Four books and six calendars written with Tim “The Duct Tape Guy” Nyberg, published from 1994–2000 by Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers and Workman Publishing.