On this day in Duluth in 1921, mine inspector Ed Smith reported that St. Louis County mines took the life of a man for every 1,044,822 tons of iron ore that was extracted from them. The report stated that in the previous fiscal year the county’s 102 operational mines employed 12,042 men who dug 27,165,385…

On this day in Duluth in 1941, local golfer Clint Russell squared off against Marvin Shannon of Fort Worth, Texas, at Northland Country Club to see which man played the links best. The catch? Both men were completely blind. Russell was the son of Newell Russell, the “Russell” in Duluth’s Bridgeman-Russell Creamery, the largest milk…

On this day in Duluth in 1920, former Duluth mayor Trevanion Hugo was appointed as the city’s chief executive to replace outgoing mayor Clarence R. Magney. Magney, a lawyer, had an opportunity to become a district court judge, so he resigned the mayorship to run for that office. Magney not only won the election but…

On this day in 1681, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle called Duluth’s namesake, Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Luht, the “King of the Outlaws.” du Luht had left La Salle’s company to “rescue” Father Louis Hennepin from the hands of the Ojibwe, but the missionary was a guest of the natives, not their prisoner.…

On this day in 1856 in what would become Duluth, the township of Fremont was established on the northern portion of the bay between Minnesota Point and Rice’s Point—essentially the location of today’s Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and Bayfront Festival Park. At the time the area was a marsh that included floating islands experts…

On this day in Duluth in 1928, President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge toured the Zenith City as part of their summer on the Brule River in Wisconsin. A “Summer White House” had been established at Superior’s Central High School, and the Coolidge’s spent the majority of their time at the Brule, with…

On this day in 1913, former Duluth resident Feodor Von Luerzer died in Spokane, Washington. Von Luerzer was born on February 14, 1851, in the Austrian Province of Salzburg. Following several years of service in the Austrian military he enrolled in the Vienna Art Academy to study painting. He immigrated to the United States about…

On this day in Duluth in 1929, a black bear took up an extremely brief and violent residency in the Hotel Duluth. The bear had apparently followed a truck driven by Arvid Peterson, who traveled London Road to Superior Street on his way to downtown Duluth to deliver a load a fish harvested by fishermen…

On this day in Duluth in 1916, Ira Cook was born to Barnett J. and Lillian (Cohen) Cook of 1215 Woodland Avenue. In 1934 Ira graduated Duluth Central High School, where he had been active with the yearbook, the school newspaper, and the class play; he also ran cross country and played on the golf…

On this day in Duluth Township in 1861, Sidney Luce wrote to fellow pioneer Luke Marvin, who was in St. Paul representing St. Louis County in the state legislature, that “Mrs. Luce started in a rowboat [with substitute postmaster John Smith] for Burlington bay [Two Harbors today] last Saturday. I hear they were forced by…