Archive Dive: Breweries of Minnesota‘s Iron Range

This week’s dive into the ZCP archive takes us north of Duluth to Minnesota’s Vermilion and Mesabi Iron Ranges to examine the two commercial breweries that operated on the Range prior to Prohibition. It’s a brief but interesting tale, including an effort by publicly disgraced Duluth alderman Mike Fink—who started the Lake Superior Brewery and…

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Meet Luther Mendhenall

Luther Mendenhall first showed up in Duluth in 1869 along with George C. Stone and George Sargent, each holding a great deal of Jay Cook’s money (as well as their own). All three were sent to the Zenith City by Cooke to build the town’s infrastructure as Cooke’s Lake Superior & Mississippi was under construction.…

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”The Depots of Duluth” Live at the Depot!

Join us this Thursday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum within the historic 1892 Duluth Union Depot as Zenith City Press publisher presents “The Depots of Duluth: Rail-Related Architecture of the Zenith City.” Dierckins’s presentation is adapted from both his newest book, Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture, and the forthcoming Twin…

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New Book “Duluth’s Aerial Bridge” Available Now

Zenith City Press is proud to announce the release of our newest book, Duluth’s Aerial Bridge (and the Canal It Crosses)! Written by Duluth author Tony Dierckins, the book chronicles the life of Duluth’s iconic span, from its 1905 construction as an aerial transfer bridge to its 1930 conversion into a vertical lift bridge, as…

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Archive Dive: Panton & Watson, aka the Glass Block Store

Scottish immigrant John Panton met his Irish counterpart Joseph Watson in the early 1880s when both worked for the Wm. Donaldson & Company dry goods store in Minneapolis, housed in the Glass Block building along Nicollet Avenue, known for its large plate-glass windows. The pair opened a dry goods store in Duluth in 1887, and…

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Archive Dive: Fire & Ice: Duluth’s Geological History

This week’s archive dive presents an excerpt from the first chapter of Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins’s Duluth: An Urban Biography, winner of the 2020/2021 Northeast Minnesota Book Award. Titled “Formed By Fire & Ice,” the excerpt explains the geological history of the far western end of Lake Superior, including how the lake was…

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Archive Dive: The Pioneer Breweries of the Twin Ports

This week we dive into the archive to pull up some history on the pioneer brewers of Duluth and Superior. Brewing began in both communities in 1859, providing both a potent potable and jobs, as at the time the entire Head of the Lakes was struggling financially in the wake of the Panic of 1857.…

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Archive Dive: Fond du Lac Park

This week‘s dive into the Zenith City Press archive brings us to Duluth‘s far-western environs, home of Fond du Lac Park. Not only was the park once home to Duluth‘s municipal tree nursery and the seven bridges of Mission Creek Boulevard (mirroring the bridges of Seven Bridges Road nearly 28 miles to the east), but…

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Archive Dive: The Men Who Operated Duluth’s Aerial Transfer Bridge

This week‘s dive into the Zenith City Press archive takes us back to the days of Duluth‘s famed Aerial transfer Bridge to meet the men who operated the first such bridge in North America. It was often dangerous work that resulted in one operator losing his life, and it was always busy work—more and more…

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Archive Dive: The Duluth’s Polish Catholic Churches

This week’s Archive Dive takes us inside our newest book, “Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940” to tell the story of Duluth’s Polish Catholics through its three Polish Catholic churches: St. Mary’s Star of the Sea, Stes. Peter & Paul, and St. Josephat. Together their stories include mistreatment by Duluth’s Irish and German Catholics, the local…

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A Huge Thanks from Zenith City Press!

Happy 2023, everyone! I wanted to use the first Monday update of 2023 to say thanks for the tremendous support I felt from you throughout the past year. As you may recall, we had all sorts of trouble trying to get the new book, Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture, printed. First there was no paper, and…

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Holiday Sale Continues!

We are continuing our online Holiday Sale through the end of December—and since we no longer sell our books via Amazon.com, these are the best prices you‘ll find on the internet. All our titles are on sale and we have some great package deals when you buy our latest, Duluth‘s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940, and…

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Sale at Depot Great Hall this Saturday; Holiday Sale Continues

  Zenith City Press publisher and author Tony Dierckins will be selling and signing copies of all his books at the Duluth Depot’s Great Hall Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, we are continuing our online Holiday Sale through the end of December—and since we no longer sell our books via Amazon.com, these…

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Signing Saturday At Glensheen; Holiday Sale Continues

Zenith City Press publisher and author Tony Dierckins will be signing copies of all his books at Glensheen Historic Estate this coming Saturday, December 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, we are continuing our online Holiday Sale through the end of December—and since we no longer sell our books via Amazon.com, these are the…

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HOLIDAY SALE: 10–33% OFF ALL BOOKS!

Happy “Cyber Monday” to all! Here at Zenith City Press, we‘ll be honoring Cyber Monday every day now through New Year’s Eve—and since we no longer sell our books via Amazon.com, these are the best prices you‘ll find on the internet. All our titles are on sale and we have some great package deals when…

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Last Chance to Get Holiday Sale Deals!

It is now the final week of our Holiday Sale—and since we no longer sell our books via Amazon.com, these are the best prices you‘ll find on the internet. All our titles are on sale and we have some great package deals when you buy our latest, Duluth‘s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940, and we’ve cut…

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Small Business Saturday: Author Signing at Zenith Book Store!

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY (November 26): Zenith City press’s Tony Dierckins will be signing copies of all his books—including the new “Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940” and “Duluth: An Urban Biography” (winner of the 2020-2021 Northeast Minnesota Book Award)—at Zenith Book Store, 318 N Central Avenue, from 1 to 3 p.m.  

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This Week’s Author Events

  THIS THURSDAY (November 17): Zenith City’s Tony Dierckins will present “Duluth’s Grand Old Buildings” at the University of Minnesota Duluth Kathryn A. Martin Library Rotunda. The presentation, which is derived from “Duluth‘s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940” and introduces the audience to Duluth Landmark structures and those listed on the National Register of Historic Places,…

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This Week’s Author Events

THIS WEEKEND (November 12–13): Zenith City Press will be setting up shop at the Festival of Trees at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. Publisher Tony Dierckins will be on hand to sign all of his books, and we are offering special prices on several titles. A great way to pick up a signed copy…

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Upcoming Author Events for November

Monday, November 7: Zenith City’s Tony Dierckins will give a brief presentation on the history of ski jumping in Duluth before Minnesota author Peter Geyer takes the stage to read from his newest work, ”The Ski Jumper.” Hosted by the Bookstore@ Fitger’s, the event will take place in the Fitger Complex’s Spirit of the North…

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THIS SATURDAY: Author Signing at Bookstore@Fitger’s

This coming Saturday, October 28, Zenith City Press publisher and author Tony Dierckins will be signing copies of his books, including the brand-new Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture, at the Bookstore@Fitger’s in the Fitger’s Complex (600 E. Superior Street, Duluth) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Next Public Signing: Saturday, November 26 at Zenith Bookstore in…

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Architecture & Preservation Talk at First Presbyterian

  Tomorrow, Tuesday October 18, Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be presenting ”Duluth‘s Historic Architecture: An Introduction to Duluth Landmark Structures and those on the National Register of Historic Places’ at Duluth‘s historic 1892 First Presbyterian Church. Along the way Dierckins will discuss past preservation efforts associated with some of Duluth’s most iconic…

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THIS THURSDAY: Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture Book Launch!

  Pleas join us to celebrate the release of Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture this Thursday, October 13 at Glensheen Historic Estate. The evening includes a brief presentation  by author/designer/publisher Tony Dierckins followed by a book signing. Doors open at 6:30 and the evening starts at 7. Everyone is welcome, and the event is free. In…

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Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture Book Launch October 13!

  Please join us to celebrate the release of Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture on Thursday, October 13 at Glensheen Historic Estate. The evening includes a brief presentation  by author/designer/publisher Tony Dierckins followed by a book signing. Doors open at 6:30 and the evening starts at 7. Everyone is welcome, and the event is free. In…

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Upcoming: Whiskey Wednesday & Book Launch Both @ Glensheen!

We have two big events coming up in the next couple of weeks. This coming Wednesday, September 28, Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be presenting “Drying Out in Duluth: Prohibition in the Zenith City” at Glensheen as part of the historic estate’s Whiskey Wednesdays series.  The event is FREE. Doors open at 6, …

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Whiskey Wednesday @ Glensheen: Lost Industries of the Zenith City

This coming Wednesday, September 21, Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be presenting “Lost Industries of the Zenith City” at Glensheen as part of the historic estate’s Whiskey Wednesdays series. Come on down to Glensheen to taste and learn about some fine whiskey before Dierckins walks you through the rise—and demise—of the industries that…

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Tour Historic First Presbyterian Church

The congregation of Duluth’s 1891 First Presbyterian Church is holding a fundraiser for their historic 1889 church building, designed by Oliver Traphagen along with Francis Fitzpatrick and featuring Tiffany stained-glass windows designed by Duluth’s own Ann Weston. The event includes a tour of the church, music from the church’s three-story 1917 Skinner pipe organ, and…

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Whiskey Wednesday @ Glensheen: Robber Barons on the Iron Range

This coming Wednesday, September 14, Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be presenting “Robber Barons on the Iron Range” at Glensheen as part of the historic estate’s Whiskey Wednesdays series. Come on down to Glensheen to taste and learn about some fine whiskey before Dierckins explains how Chester Congdon built the fortune that paid…

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Sneak Peek: Duluth Bethel

This week’s sneak peek at Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 still stands and continues to serve its original purpose. You may know it as that oddly shaped building tucked under Point of Rocks as you head down Mesaba Avenue to get to Superior Street or I-35. Discover much more about the 1911 Duluth Bethel HERE.…

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Sneak peek: CSS’s Tower Hall

This week’s sneak peek from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1879–1940 started life as a private Catholic high school for girls called Villa Scholastica. Twenty or so years after it was built, it had been transformed via additions into Tower Hall—and the high school had evolved into the College of St. Scholastica. Read our history of…

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Sneak Peek: Lester River Fish Hatchery

This week’s sneak peek from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1879–1940 still stands alongside the Lester River and the shore of Lake Superior. Read the history of the 1889 Lester River Fish Hatchery once produced 150 million fish eggs per year, helping to stock fish along the Minnesota North Shore and Wisconsin South Shore of Lake…

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“Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture” Update

First the good news: All 2,000 copies of the book’s interior have been printed right here in Duluth at J. S. Print Group. Now the bad: The bindery can’t source enough structural cardboard needed to make the covers. And finally, the consequences: We honestly don’t know when we’ll have enough books to start fulfilling orders.…

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“Lost Duluth” Documentaries airing on WDSE-TV this month

The documentaries based on the Zenith City Press book Lost Duluth by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton will be airing several times in the next few weeks (dates and times below). Our newest book, Duluth’s Historic Architecture 1870–1940, (also by Dierckins and Norton) will be previewed during pledge breaks and you can get a…

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Last Chance to Get Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture for $55

The first copies of Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture are rolling off the press right here in Duluth at J. S. Print Group. We are expecting to have books by Monday, August 15. It’s been a struggle, and paper costs have raised even higher than we expected—since 2020 paper costs have increased nine times; most stock…

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Sneak Peek: Duluth Masonic Temple

After more then tens years after we began researching and writing Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture, the book is finally going to press this week right here in Duluth at J. S. Print Group. We are expecting to have books by Monday, August 15. It’s been a struggle, and paper costs have raised even higher than…

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Sneak Peek: The Myers House

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—is one of the most unique homes to ever grace the Zenith City—and it was faced with natives stone excavated to while creating nearby streets. Discover much more about the Myers House HERE. (Preview Duluth’s Grand Old…

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Sneak Peek: 1895 Board of Trade Building

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—features the 1895 Duluth Board of Trade Building. Did you know that part of this building is now a portion of the Como Park Zoo Conservatory in St. Paul? Neither did we when we started researching this…

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Sneak Peek: Glen Avon Presbyterian

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—was built of native stone quarried at nearby Hunter’s Hill. Read our history of the Glen Avon Presbyterian from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture here. Pre-order now and take advantage of our early bird specials! Just click here.

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Sneak Peek: Endion Elementary School

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—is one of the Zenith City’s most delightfully designed school buildings—and in Duluth, a city once filled with ornate educational edifices, that’s saying a lot. Read our history of the Endion Elementary School from Duluth’s Grand Old…

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Sneak Peek: 1892 Duluth Federal Building

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—takes us back to the 1890s, when booming Duluth got its first federal building, which served as the city’s post office, federal courts, customs office, and even weather station. The building, which stood in the heart of…

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Meet Maryanne C. Norton, coauthor of Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture

As we wait for Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture to arrive from the printer (expected in early August), I thought now would be a good time to introduce you to my co-author and mentor in researching local history, the late Maryanne C. Norton (1934–2018). Born Maryanne Chadwick in Minneapolis on September 13, 1934, she graduated Southwest…

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Sneak Peek: Soo Line Passenger Station

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—was the last train station  built in Duluth when it was constructed in 1910. By then Duluth had so many rail lines between Rice’s Point and what is now Canal Park that the railroad had to blast…

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Sneak Peek: Odd Fellows Hall

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—was built for Duluth’s Odd Fellows Lodge #28 as Odd Fellows Hall and designed by Oliver Traphagen, at the time both the most popular architect in Duluth and a member of the lodge. Read our history of…

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Join Our Pre-Publication Sales Drive!

It’s been a few weeks since we started our Pre-Publication Sales Drive for our forthcoming book, Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture. Loyal readers from across the nation have already helped us close the gap to cover increased printing costs due to paper supply shortages and skyrocketing paper prices. To date we’ve received orders from not only…

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Sneak Peek: The “Bible House” Building

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—once held one of the largest collections of bibles found anywhere on the planet, curated by Reverend Henry E. Ramsmeyer and later his daughters Pauline and Esther. The Northern Bible Society Building still stands on the outskirts…

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Sneak Peek: The Leithhead House

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton—is one of the most unique houses to grace the Zenith City, the 1902 home at 16 South 18th Avenue East built for drug-company executive Leslie Leithhead and his wife Ophelia Leithhead—and paid for by Ophelia’s father,…

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Pre-Order Duluth’s Grand old Architecture today!

After working on the project for more than ten years, we are happy to announce that Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture: 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and the late Maryanne C. Norton will be available in August. And more good news: Our friends at J.S. Print Group are expanding their operations and will now be able to…

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Sneak Peek: The Northwestern Oil Company Filling Station

You might know this week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—as the Portland Malt Shoppe, but it was actually built in 1921 as a gas station, a relatively new concept at the time. Read our history of the 1921 Northwestern Oil…

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Sneak Peek: St. George Serbian Orthodox Church

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—is a rather small church built on a grand scale, and a key element in the story of the role Serbs played in Duluth’s development. Read our history of the 1924 house of worship…

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Sneak Peek: Denfeld High School

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—is perhaps the most beloved educational edifice in the Zenith City’s history. Read our history of the 1926 Duluth Denfeld High School from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture here.

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Duluth Volunteer Fire Department’s Hall #1

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—is the first brick municipal building constructed in Duluth—and it is still standing. Read our history of the Duluth Volunteer Fire Department’s Hall #1 from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture here.

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Free History Event Wednesday at Glensheen

  This coming Wednesday, April 6, Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be speaking at Glensheen as part of the first Twin Ports Festival of History, which features 12 events at 12 different locations. Dierckins will present “Duluth, 1856–1950: From a ‘Pile of Rocks’ to a ‘Dachshund of a City.’” When first established as…

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Tonight: Public “Lyceum” at Bent Paddle

Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be speaking TONIGHT at 6 p.m. at Bent Paddle. Tonight’s event  is the first in a series of public “Lyceums” hosted locally by Northspan. The topic is “What We Can Learn from Local History.” Dierckins kicks things off with his 15-minute take on the topic, followed by 45…

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Upcoming History Events at Bent Paddle and Glensheen

Zenith City Press publisher Tony Dierckins will be speaking at Bent Paddle on Monday, March 28 and Glensheen on Tuesday, April 6. The event at Bent Paddle is the first in a series of public “Lyceums” hosted locally by Northspan. The topic is “What We Can Learn from Local History.” Dierckins kicks things off with…

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Sneak Peak: Great Northern Power Distribution Center

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—answers the often-asked question, “What’s that building?” Well, for starters, it helps provide Duluth with electricity. Read our history of the Great Norther Power Distribution Station from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture here.

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Sneak Peak: Duluth’s 1914 Zelda Theater

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—was built in 1914 as a small vaudeville house, but many Duluthians likely best remember the building as the longtime home of the Peterson-Anderson Flower Shop. Read our history of the Zelda Theater and…

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Sneak Peek: The Barnes-Ames Building

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—was built across the street from Duluth Central High School to serve the Duluth Y.M.C.A.’s Boys Department. Minnesota YWCA State Secretary E. W. Peck called the building “the most practical, most satisfactory and complete…

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Sneak Peek: Stewart Creek Bridge

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—is the magnificent Picturesque Stewart Creek Bridge, which carries West Skyline Parkway over the Stewart Creek east of Bardon’s Creek, one of over a dozen bridges, lighthouses, and park structures found in the book.…

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Sneak Peek: The Panton /Sellwood House

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—is the magnificent Neoclassical Style home Sophia and John Panton built at the northwest corner of Nineteenth Avenue East and Second Street in 1903, designed by renowned Minneapolis architects Cobourn & Kees. John Panton…

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Sneak Peek: The 1873 Hunter Block

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—was one of the first ornate brick buildings constructed in Duluth and first held a bank and hardware store operated by early Duluthian John Hunter, whose sons and son-in-law developed Hunter’s Park. The building…

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Sneak Peek: First Church of Christ, Scientist

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—served as the church of Duluth’s First Church of Christ Scientist for 87 years and has been home to Karpele’s Manuscript Museum since 1999. Read our history of Duluth’s First Church of Christ, Scientist…

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Sneak Peek: 1892 Duluth Central High School

We’ve picked a masterpiece for this week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022): Duluth’s beloved 1892 Central High School, a celebration of brownstone and Richardsonian Romanesque Architecture whose future now seems secured as developer Saturday Properties purchased the school in 2021…

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Sneak Peek: U.S. Weather Bureau Station

This week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—helped Duluthians predict the local weather from 1905 to 1959 and still stands today as a private home Read our history of the U.S. Weather Bureau Station from Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture here.

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Sneak Peek: Stone-Ordean-Wells Mills

You might know this week’s sneak peek at our newest book—Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (coming summer 2022)—as the home of Duluth’s Ikonics Company, which makes products that are quintessential to the image-transferring industry. But did you know that this building, the 1924 Stone-Ordean-Wells Mill, once roasted and…

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Sneak Peek: Astoria Hotel (aka Loeb Block)

Happy 2022! On Mondays throughout 2022 we will be giving you a sneak peek at our newest book, Duluth’s Grand Old Architecture 1870–1940 by Tony Dierckins and the late Maryanne C. Norton. We’re hoping to release the book in June, but meanwhile you can find out more about it here. For our first sneak peak…

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What Sunday Liquor Ban?

Duluthians have been enjoying the legal right to purchase beer, booze, and wine on Sundays going on three years now, following the repeal of an 1856 law banning sales of liquor on Sunday throughout the state of Minnesota. But a quick look at the city’s history—particularly its first forty years—show that the Zenith City often…

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Archive Dive: Lester Park

First called Stearns Park, Duluth’s Lester Park was a gift to the city form the developers of Lakeside and Lester Park, which were annexed by Duluth in 1893. But Duluthians had been enjoying picnics, fishing, and much more along the Lester for many years before that. Read the history of what the the Duluth News Tribune…

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Archive: Duluth’s Lost Jobbing Industry

If you’ve ever enjoyed a craft spirit at Vilkre Distillery inside the Gowan-Lenning-Brown building or a craft beer at Hoops Brewing inside the old Marshall-Wells Hardware office/warehouse, then you have visited most of what remains of Duluth’s once-thriving Jobbing industry, which today would likely be called “wholesaling.” Duluth once had a city of warehouses along…

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Archive Dive: Wally Gilbert, Duluth’s “Greatest Athlete”

The archive delivered a gem this week: A biography of Duluth-native Wally Gilbert, who played professional basketball, was a star on the legendary Duluth Eskimos of the early NFL, and was named the all-time best third basemen who ever suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Read about the man the Duluth News Tribune once called…

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From the Archive: Great Lakes Passenger Steamers

Thoughts of passenger steamships often conjure images of luxurious crossings of the Atlantic by the well-to-do, and perhaps the poor immigrants crowded in the steerage compartment on there way to make new lives for themselves in America—or perhaps the tragic ends to the Titanic and Lusitania. But if you lived close to any of the…

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From the Archive: The Torrey Building

In 1892 retired U. S. Cavalry officer Robert Augustus Torrey arrived in Duluth and promptly proceeded to pick out a lot on the lower 300 block of West Superior Street, hire Duluth’s premier architects, and build the Zenith City’s first “skyscraper”—a building that has continuously served Duluth for 122 years, and for about 30 years…

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Great Deals on Our Line of Historic Duluth Designs!

Fine Art America and Pixels.com—the folks who make our line of products featuring vintage Duluth images—are offering a series of specials from now until the end of November so you can get them in time for the Holiday gift-giving: November 17th: 25% Off Home Decor (Throw Pillows, Duvet Covers, Shower Curtains, Bath Towels, Coffee Mugs,…

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Duluth Boxer Turns Hitman

This week we dredged the archive to pull up a story from David Ouse’s tales of “Forgotten Duluthians,” who reminds us that not all famous former Duluthians were known for celebrated accomplishments. Some, like Norman Mastrian, are known for much more notorious achievements—like being convicted of “one of the most famous crimes in Minnesota history.…

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Archive Dive: Lincoln Park

One of Duluth’s oldest public greenspaces, Lincoln Park was established in 1889 as the western anchor in the city’s plan to connect corridor parks created along streams and rivers with a carriage path along what was once the beach of ancient glacial Lake Duluth. (The eastern anchor was Garfield Park, known since the 1890s as…

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Meet Frederick Buckingham, Namesake of Buckingham Creek

Most Duluthians and plenty of visitors are familiar with Twin Ponds just east of Enger Park, but few realize they were engineered in the 1890s by damming Buckingham Creek. Fewer still know who Buckingham Creek was named for. Like most of Duluth’s creeks, Buckingham was named for an early resident who lived on or adjacent…

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Archive Dive: Wisconsin’s Fight to Close Duluth’s Ship Canal

Duluth’s tourism industry began with and is hinged upon the city’s iconic Aerial Bridge, but what is often lost on visitors is that if there was not a ship canal to cross, there would be no bridge. If the people of Superior, Wisconsin, in the 1870s had their way, the canal would not exist. Read…

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From the Archive: Bell & Eyster’s Bank

You may recognize the little building pictured below, which has stood at 3 West Superior Street since 1883 and received a restorative facelift just a few years ago. It was built as Bell & Eyster’s Bank, and while that institution has long since gone out of business, the  building remains as a reminder of the…

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Archive Dive: Casualties of Duluth’s Aerial Bridge

Duluth’s aerial bridge has been a tourist draw since the day it first opened as a transfer bridge in 1905, but few people who come to take a look at Duluth’s novel engineering marvel realize that iconic structure’s history is laced with tragic incidents, which you can read about in this week’s dive into the…

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Archive: Meet the Man Who Dreamed Up Duluth’s Remarkable Park System

In the 1870s, the melancholic William K. Rodgers left Duluth to serve as the personal secretary of his friend and mentor, president Rutherford B. Hayes. He would return to the Zenith City in 1889 after laying out his vision for the nation’s most remarkable urban park system and became the controversial first president of Duluth’s…

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From the Archive: Iron Range Ghost Towns

The fluctuating iron mining industry has left its mark on Minnesota’s Iron Range, from lakes that were once pit mines, mini-mountain ranges of pile overburden, and abandoned towns that were once filled with miner’s and their families. This week we revisit the archive to pull out a story from contributor Dan Turner about many of…

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Archive Dive: The Story of Storey Taxidermist

Duluthians who often use Sixth Avenue East to get from the hillside to Central Entrance (or vice versa) have likely taken note of the tiny building on the west side of the road between Sixth and Seventh Street marked with the sign Storey Taxidermists. It was built by the son of Thomas H. Storey, a…

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Historic Congregation’s History Bookended by Lightning Strikes

This past August 28 lightning stuck the western steeple of Duluth’s historic St. Josephat’s Polish National Church, built in 1908 at 417 N. Third Ave. E. The building was recently purchased by Hope City Church, which has been using it for the past few years. St. Josephat’s congregation still survives, having merged with Minneapolis’s Sacred…

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From the Archive: The 1892 Duluth Union Depot

As the home to the North Shore Scenic Railroad and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Duluth’s 1892 Union Depot sees a lot of tourist traffic throughout the summer, but we wonder: How many visitors—or Duluthians, for that matter— know the history of that remarkable building? And so we’ve selected it as this week’s selection from…

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From the Archive: Barnstorming the Aerial Bridge

Over the years several people have claimed that World War Two flying ace Dick Bong once flew his P-38 under the top span of Duluth’s famous Aerial Bridge, but did he? Likely not—there is no hard evidence that he ever did. But we do know of others who flew planes “through” the bridge—and once, a…

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Archive Dive: Congdon Park

Summer is an especially buy time for Glensheen, the historic Duluth state along Tischer Creek and the Lake Superior Shore built by Chester and Clara Congdon between 1905 and 1909. One of the often overlooked stories of Glensheen is why Chester Congdon purchased and donated land along the creek above his estate to the city…

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Archive Dive: Duluth’s Lost Lumber Mills

From the early 1880s until about 1910, the nation’s lumber industry was centered on Duluth and Superior. In the mid 1890s thirty-two lumber mills operated along both sides of the St. Louis River in the Twin Ports. But by 1920, only one mill was operating in Duluth. How did the local lumber industry get its…

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The Namesakes of LaVaque Road

Have you ever wondered who LaVaque Road is named for? Heidi Bakk-Hansen did, so she researched Duluth’s pioneering LaVaque brothers and wrote a wonderful history of their lives in early Duluth. It’s this week’s selection from the Zenith City Archive, and you can read it here.

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Duluth’s Lost Outer Harbor

In 2006 a large piece of wooden cribbing washed up at the very northwest corner of Lake Superior in Duluth. Cribbing used in the 19th century was essentially a wood frame made of heavy timber that was sunk and filled with rocks to provide a foundation for docks, canal piers, breakwaters, and other structures. The…

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The Alworth: Duluth’s Tallest Building

Built in 1910, Duluth’s Alworth Building was the tallest building in the state of Minnesota. Named for the man who financed its construction and designed by renowned Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, the Alworth  remains today the tallest building in the Zenith City. Read a history of the Alworth here.

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Archive Dive: Bear & Drunk Square Off at Hotel Duluth

This week’s dive into the archive pulled out a notorious tale of an event that took place within Duluth’s landmark Hotel Duluth. It was August 1929 when a hungry black bear entered the hotel to enjoy a quick snack, but was interrupted by a heroic but inebriated Duluthian who was determined to keep the bruin…

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From the Archive: Enger Park & Twin Ponds

If you’ve enjoyed Chambers Grove in Fond du Lac in the past few years, you may have walked the new interpretive trail takes you through what’s left of You say you’ve never heard of Duluth’s Grand Mountain? Well I bet you have—in fact, I bet most Duluthians have been there—but you likely know it better…

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From the Archive: Duluth’s Lost Brownstone Industry

If you’ve enjoyed Chambers Grove in Fond du Lac in the past few years, you may have walked the new interpretive trail takes you through what’s left of Michael and Emily Chambers’ brownstone quarry. It was one of three operating near Fond du Lac from the 1870s to about 1910, producing stone that faced building…

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From the Archive: Meet the Hunters of Hunter’s Park

John Hunter came to Duluth in 1869 to open a hardware and mercantile store and within a year found himself the Republican candidate in the new city’s first mayoral election. He and his family thrived in Duluth, and his sons went on to develop Duluth’s Hunter’s Park neighborhood. Read a history of the Hunters of…

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From the Archive: History of Duluth‘s Ship Canal

If Duluth didn’t have its Ship Canal, it wouldn’t have its iconic Aerial Bridge—and it likely wouldn’t have become a great commercial shipping center nor enjoy today’s thriving tourism industry. From it’s legend-inspiring digging in 1870, the ship canal has shaped the city, and together with the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad was the key…

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From the Archive: Lester River Fish Hatchery

The Lester River Fish hatchery—that old Victorian building at the mouth of the Lester River—has caught the eye of many a passerby over the years, but few  know its history. It was the brainchild of Dr. Robert Ormsby Sweeney, a true Minnesota pioneer and somewhat of an eccentric renaissance man who not only dreamed up…

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Archive Dive: Duluth’s park system once had its own police force

In 1890, Duluth’s Board of Park Commissioners laid down the law, passing a resolution that read in part “that the President of the Board is hereby authorized to request of the proper city authorities the appointment of two policemen to patrol…public grounds…to the strict enforcement of the police regulations of the City therein.” It essentially…

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