North Shore in Duluth in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Highway 61: Road to Tourism
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
1. Highway 61: Road to Tourism Marker
U.S. Highway 61 from Duluth to the Canadian border was built in the 1920s and 1930s. Originating in historic Indian trails and military roads of the late 1800s, the paved route was proudly named the Lake Superior International Highway.
Visitors soon arrived by car rather than steamship. Fishing families living along the once-isolated lakeshore found themselves sharing their scenic view with tourists. As the commercial fishing industry declined, residents catered to travelers with cabins, stores, gas stations, and fish stands. Some guided "deep sea" fishing trips on Lake Superior. Tourism still fuels a regional economy no longer based on commercial fishing.
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Souvenir Postcard, circa 1940
In 2002, Highway 61 was designated an All American Road. Elmgrens Tourist Court, Built in 1929
During the 1930s, allergy sufferers flocked to the North Shore. Elmgren's became Gardenwood Resort and Motel, located just west of present-day McQuade Harbor. The Beachway and Lakeview Castle have also been longtime local fixtures. Fish Fry Lodge at McQuade Road and Highway 61, 1950s
Fish Fry Lodge, a gas station, a store, cabins, and campgrounds anchored this bustling corner. Gilmore
this page online
In 1949, actor Paul Gilmore and his daughter, Virginia, opened a summer theatre and presented Broadway hits in a Quonset hut on Highway 61, just east of the French River. The theatre was demolished in the late 1950s. Wonderland Tourist Court and Lodge
Changing times have replaced many of these establishments with other restaurants, accommodations, and private homes.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 46° 52.874′ N, 91° 55.128′ W. Marker is in Duluth, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County. It is in North Shore. It can be reached from the intersection of Congdon Boulevard (North Shore Drive) (State Highway 61) and McQuade Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located in the McQuade Small Craft Harbor interpretive kiosk, overlooking Lake Superior. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5105 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth MN, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region and in the Iron Range. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Commercial Fishing (here, next to this marker); Safe Haven from Wild Winds and Waves (here, next to this marker); Prospectors & Settlers (here, next to this marker); Superior: One Great Lake
Louis Perry Gallagher/Minnesota Historical Society
2. Marker detail: North Shore Drive, circa 1925
Also see . . . Minnesota State Highway 61 (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The North Shore Scenic Drive is an All-American Road scenic byway that follows Saint Louis County Road 61 / Lake County Road 61 / MN 61, formerly US 61, from the city of Duluth, Minnesota, to the Canadian border near Grand Portage. MN 61, between Duluth and the Canadian border, was commissioned as part of US 61 in 1926, ready for use by 1929, and paved by 1940. The route stays close to the rocky North Shore, offering spectacular vistas of the lake to the southeast as it skirts along the foothills of the Sawtooth Range to the northwest. The roadway is located close to and in many places next to Lake Superior. Sights include forests, wildlife, cliffs, state parks, and a national monument. Highway 61 passes through the Superior National Forest and the Grand Portage State Forest in Cook County.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
3. Highway 61: Road to Tourism Marker
This is the rightmost of three panels on the north side of the McQuade Small Craft Harbor interpretive kiosk.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2024
4. McQuade Small Craft Harbor Interpretive Kiosk
The interpretive kiosk is on the south side of North Shore Drive, overlooking Lake Superior. Access to the kiosk is from the parking lot on the north side of North Shore Drive. There is a pedestrian access tunnel under the highway. This is the 3rd from the left of six interpretive panels in the kiosk.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 336 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
