January 31: 1893: The Spalding Hotel hosts the first banquet of the Duluth Real Estate Exchange

On this day in Duluth in 1893, the first banquet of the Duluth Real Estate Exchange was held at the Spalding Hotel. “Aha!” the reader exclaims, “you’ve finally run out of interesting things to write about—a real estate banquet? C’mon!” Well, in 1893 real estate was where it was at as far as business goes—and the sale of what is now West Duluth from Oneota to New Duluth was making many men wealthy. Invitations to the 1893 banquet were sent out to real estate investors far and wide, including St. Paul and Tennessee, and more than 200 tickets to the event presold the first day they were available. At the banquet, Duluth Mayor Charles D’Autremont spoke on “Future Greatness,” Luther Mendhenhall explained how building a street railway would increase home sales, and Robert Denfeld touted Duluth’s school system. Between their presentations the Duluth Glee Club performed songs. With industry and infrastructure and the recent opening of the Mesabi Iron Range, Duluth and West Duluth’s futures could not have been brighter. But later that year came the Panic of ’93, a financial crisis that sent the nation into an economic depression and pretty much shut down Duluth—particularly the West Duluth metal manufacturing industry. In fact, because of the Panic, the village of West Duluth would soon merge with Duluth to ensure its financial survival, and swell both the cities boundaries and population. The 1893 gathering was not only the group’s first annual banquet, but its last as well.

The Spalding Hotel photographed in the 1890s. (Image: Duluth Public Library)