Born February 11, 1847
Watertown, N.Y.
Died August 2, 1956
Duluth, Mn.
Battery C
1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery
The Last Union Survivor — — Map (db m79050) HM
In the early 1970s, sisters Caroline and Julia Marshall (of the Marshall family that founded the Marshall-Wells wholesale hardware company) purchased and gave a unique tract of waterfront land to the City "for public use and enjoyment." It was . . . — — Map (db m266692) HM
Bent Brook is one of two creeks at Glensheen. During spring runoff or heavy rains, water flow can be wild threatening to erode the landscape. To keep the brook from meandering, the waterway was lined with stones and cemented during the estate's . . . — — Map (db m266599) HM
Hesperia, the name given to the Congdon's yacht, was a family name. Registered as a yacht in Lloyd's Register of American Yachts, 1911, the Hesperia was constructed of wood with a raised deck design. The boat was powered by an internal . . . — — Map (db m26552) HM
The Congdons' boathouse is one of the few remaining on vast Lake Superior. When built, its pier was large enough to be seen on navigational maps. Of course, the pier was bigger then extending out an additional 30 feet straight into Lake Superior . . . — — Map (db m266394) HM
McQuade Small Craft Harbor is a great place to watch for interlake and ocean-going freighters ("salties"). You'll also see workboats, fishing boats, and recreational craft of all kinds. The largest inland port in the United States, . . . — — Map (db m266794) HM
By the early 1900s, the game of tennis was a bona-fide sport. Its popularity at the Olympic Games made it the darling of the country club set and so the Congdon estate required a court. However, to keep with the Northern aesthetics of the estate, . . . — — Map (db m266601) HM
Very early Duluth felt that future growth
would depend on having suitable harbor and
dockage. Winter storms wrecked breakwater and docks built outside Minnesota Point. St. Louis Bay offered a protected harbor, but access required a canal be . . . — — Map (db m2913) HM
Deck capstans were used on sailing ships centuries ago to handle anchor lines on the heaviest of the ship's tackle. This cast iron geared capstan was recovered from the sunken schooner Samuel P. Ely at Two Harbors, Minnesota, where the ship sunk in . . . — — Map (db m79002) HM
The main level sheltered the family's cows and horses. The animals were well looked after with cork tiles to protect their hooves, automatic watering devices and covered manure troughs. The manure was then mixed with creek water and used as . . . — — Map (db m266393) HM
Pictured is the south side of the Carriage House. The north side of the Carriage House was used as quarters for male employees and their families (if they had any). Between 1908 and 1915, there were at least three men living in the Carriage . . . — — Map (db m266673) HM
An event has happened, upon which it is difficult to speak and impossible to remain silent.
Elias Clayton Elmer Jackson Isaac McGhie
On June 15, 1920, following the alleged rape of a young woman, Duluth police locked up a . . . — — Map (db m46978) HM
Clifton, first townsite surveyed in the United States section of the North Shore, was platted
west of the mouth of the French River in 1855. The river was known to early explorers
as Riviere des Francais. Rumors of nearby copper deposits resulted . . . — — Map (db m43766) HM
An early spike in commercial fishing along the North Shore began in the mid-1830s, as the American Fur Company established fishing stations to meet demand for Lake Superior whitefish. Although that effort ended in 1842, travel books and visitors' . . . — — Map (db m266779) HM
The near-by canal marks the site of Little Portage on Minnesota Point crossed on June 27, 1679 by Daniel De Gresolon, Sieur Du Lhut, a gentleman of the Royal Guard of Louis XIV on his way to explore the Upper Mississippi. — — Map (db m2876) HM
In recognition of his non-tiring commitment to the maritime community and service as Duluth Seaway Port Authority executive director for 24 years, 1979-2003.
A native of and lifelong resident of Northern Minnesota, Davis began his career as a . . . — — Map (db m5584) HM
In recognition of his non-tiring commitment to the maritime community and service as Duluth Seaway Port Authority executive director for 24 years, 1979-2003. A native of and lifelong resident of Northern Minnesota, Davis began his career as a . . . — — Map (db m266699) HM
Artist Richard Salews shows us a Great Lakes mariner steering his Mackinaw boat on a broad reach perhaps in the late 1800s. The 30-50 foot Mackinaws were used extensively on the lakes before steam and internal-combustion engines appeared. . . . — — Map (db m78875) HM
In 2005, a group of citizens from Duluth and Ohara (now Isumi City), Japan proposed to honor the Sister Cities relationships between our two cities by creating an authentic environment for the Peace Bell placed in Duluth's Enger Park in 1994. . . . — — Map (db m78732) HM
The garden celebrates Duluth's sister city relationship with Ohara Isumi-City, Japan
ダルース市 日本の平和の鐘
The Peace Bell
During World War II, the . . . — — Map (db m204681) HM
Texas artist Donna Dobberfuhl sculpted this freestanding brick relief mural as her interpretation of the history of Lake Superior's westernmost place. She chose to include historic and contemporary content, from the culture of indigenous people, . . . — — Map (db m204519) HM
Duluth-Superior harbor is the westernmost terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the world's most inland seaport. Harbor commerce began when Daniel Greysolon Sieur Du Luht portaged across Minnesota Point in 1679 where the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge . . . — — Map (db m4827) HM
Completed in 1892
Designed by
R.S. Peabody & J.G. Stearns
Boston
Listed in the National
Register of Historic Places
1971
St. Louis County
Historical Society
————————
St. Louis . . . — — Map (db m79051) HM
In 1946, Judge E. J. Ruegemer of St. Cloud, MN, who was also a leader in the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, sentenced a 16-year-old boy to memorize the Ten Commandments. This led to local chapters of the Eagles financing the construction of over . . . — — Map (db m204585) HM
This plaque is dedicated by the people of Duluth to the memory of a fellow citizen, Coast Guard Boatswains Mate First Class, Edgar A. Culbertson, who on the night of April 30, 1967 gave his life attempting to rescue three teen-age brothers . . . — — Map (db m2758) HM
Endion Station was originally located fifteen blocks to the east at 1500 South Street on the lakefront just below London Road. In June 1986, the building was moved here because it was in the path of Interstate Highway 35, then being extended into . . . — — Map (db m266400) HM
To the memory of
Bert J. Enger
1864 1931
Native of Norway
Citizen of Duluth
From Common Laborer to Merchant Prince, he demonstrated in his own life that America is a land of opportunity for the immigrant, and that her civilization . . . — — Map (db m4807) HM
This piece of float copper was dredged from the Keweenaw Waterway, Michigan, by the hydraulic dredge "New Jersey"; on May 27, 1932, while working under contract with the United States Engineers Office, Duluth. It was presented to the office by . . . — — Map (db m78985) HM
Fond du Lac was incorporated in 1857 and became a part of the City of Duluth in 1895. This is the site of a major Chippewa Indian settlement from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries and is situated on the early canoe route along the St. . . . — — Map (db m43723) HM
Site of Ojibway Village
from earliest known period
Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Luth
was here in 1679
Astor's American Fur Company
established a trading post
on this spot about 1817
First Ojibway Treaty in Minnesota
made here in 1826 . . . — — Map (db m43725) HM
Douglas Freeman's Fountain of the Wind is the artist's tribute to Lake Superior, a poem of honor, respect and gratitude. Here are some of Mr. Freeman's thoughts about this work:
Some of the images are literal. In the cascades we . . . — — Map (db m204517) HM
The estate housed three head gardeners before employing a Scotsman named George Wyness in 1921. His arrival in Duluth, along with his wife and three sons, marked the beginning of a family gardening dynasty. In 1955, George turned the position . . . — — Map (db m266391) HM
Campus Heritage Marker
University of Minnesota Duluth
Glensheen, A Family Legacy
Glensheen estate was built between 1905 and 1908 for attorney Chester Adgate Congdon, his wife Clara Bannister Congdon and their . . . — — Map (db m6603) HM
In 2018, the Minnesota state legislature recognized the value of preserving Glensheen and supported the University of Minnesota's request for $4 million in capital investment. This funding was utilized to completely rebuild the fountain pool and . . . — — Map (db m266676) HM
Located down the steps on bricked Buchanan Street Plaza, adjacent to the kiosk, Harper's five medallions show the Great Lakes and the links that connect them. Flags from the nautical alphabet spell out the lakes' names. Can you identify them? . . . — — Map (db m204518) HM
The greenhouse allowed the Congdons to enjoy what the short Duluth summers could not give them homegrown exotic fruit and flowers. Their indoor harvest included fruit from full-sized banana trees, as well as orchids, Easter lilies and poinsettia . . . — — Map (db m266602) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m266791) HM
In the late 1800s, Duluth was fast becoming an important shipping port for interstate commerce, second only to New York in cargo tonnage. Slips No. 1 and 2 (Figure 1 & 2) were built in the 1880s by the railroads operating in the area. Slip No. 1 . . . — — Map (db m266685) HM
The Duluth Rose Society in Leif Erikson Park initially began as a joint effort between the City and the Duluth Rose Society. First envisioned by Mrs. Ausma Klints, the community garden was created with the help of Mrs. Virginia Sellwood and Mrs. . . . — — Map (db m79505) HM
The first lighting was on November 20, 1970, made possible through the contributions of Duluth school children, citizens, business people and visitors.
The present dramatic lighting, first seen on July 4, 1987, is made possible through a . . . — — Map (db m2883) HM
This garden celebrates Duluth's sister city relationship with Ohara Isumi-City, Japan.
The Peace Bell
During World War II, the Japanese government instructed villages to donate metal to be melted down for ammunition. Ohara Isumi-City . . . — — Map (db m78731) HM
Perhaps no individual in the history of Duluth had such a dramatic influence on the port's infant development than Jay Cooke, a Philadelphia financier. Cooke's reign at the Head-of-the-Lakes was brief, but all-encompassing for commercial . . . — — Map (db m6379) HM
[panel 1] This wall contains more than 50 images from the photographs in the collection of the Lake Superior Maritime Museum, now housed in the library at the University of Wisconsin at Superior. Sandra and Mark Marino . . . — — Map (db m306715) HM
Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes by a lot. With a surface area of nearly 32,000 miles and areas as deep as 1,332 feet, Lake Superior could hold all the water in lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie, plus three additional Lake . . . — — Map (db m266395) HM
The Congdons hired renowned landscape architect Charles Leavitt Jr. to create a gracious formal estate, while preserving the natural beauty of the property. Mr. Leavitt took the challenge, designing the Glensheen grounds almost exclusively from his . . . — — Map (db m266398) HM
Leif Erikson
Discoverer of America
1000 A. D.
sponsored and erected by the
Norwegian American League
of
Duluth, Minnesota
and
Popular Subscription
presented to the City of Duluth, Minnesota
August 25, 1956.
Designed . . . — — Map (db m6323) HM
Honoring Lewis G. Castle
in recognition of his part as a volunteer leader in gaining the seaway and as the administer of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
The seaway, completed in 1959, represented decades of dreams, . . . — — Map (db m2910) HM
Lynching in America. Thousands of African Americans were the victims of lynching and racial violence in the United States between 1877 and 1950, including in St. Louis County, MN. Lynching of African Americans during this era was a form of . . . — — Map (db m204590) HM
Sterling Rathsack's animated grouping, while representing figures, also has the abstract form of a totem. Perched on an authentic bollard as you enter Canal Park, Man, Child & Gull welcomes you to explore the character of Duluth's downtown . . . — — Map (db m204520) HM
Unique apparatus invented by Duluth's Captain Alexander McDougall for use on his whaleback ships. About fifty appear to have been produced at the American Steelbarge Company Shipyard in Superior. This one was recovered in 1977 from the wreck of the . . . — — Map (db m79003) HM
The streets of this Duluth neighborhood are the first concrete pavements constructed in Minnesota. They were built of portland cement concrete in 1909 and 1910 and ushered in the era of modern roads and streets in the state. A distinctive feature of . . . — — Map (db m44081) HM
This Navy-style stockless anchor is the type used on all modern ships and, at 3 tons, it is typical of those carried on 8-10,000 ton freighters. A usual rule of thumb provides that a vessel's anchor chain should be three times the depth of the water . . . — — Map (db m79001) HM
This propeller wheel is typical of those used to drive Lakes freighters. It measures 14 feet 5 inches in diameter and weighs over 11 tons; being made of a special bronze alloy, its value exceeds 10,000 dollars. The propeller was removed from the . . . — — Map (db m78977) HM
Department of the Navy United States of America —
Navy Operational Support Center Duluth, Minnesota
May all who pass this memorial recognize the brave men and women who have served in the United States Navy. This memorial stands . . . — — Map (db m5818) HM
The following is a translation of the text found on the bell. This bell, The Japan-US Friendship Peace Bell, is a close replica of the bell displayed in Ohara Park in the town of Ohara, Chiba Japan. It was cast in commemoration of the Sister City . . . — — Map (db m78734) HM
Originally the area below was called Oneota, one of several early towns which survived to form modern Duluth. Oneota was the site of the first sawmill in the region, built in 1855 at the present site of the iron ore docks. Among the early . . . — — Map (db m78736) HM
Priley Fountain
In grateful recognition
to Joseph C. Priley for his
unselfish and dedicated
efforts to beautify Duluth
July 26, 1970
Duluth Civic Center
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by . . . — — Map (db m49827) HM
Before 1840, rumors of copper deposits along the North Shore's hills and streams had captured the interest of mineral prospectors. With the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe, the Ojibwe people reluctantly ceded their territories to the United States. Land . . . — — Map (db m266759) HM
Rice's Point separates Duluth-Superior's outer from it's inner harbor, and is a focal point of Duluth's industrial activity. Many of the city's bridges can be seen, among them the Aerial Lift Bridge to the left, the John A. Blatnik Bridge straight . . . — — Map (db m4965) HM
Rotary International
The first Rotary Club was formed in Chicago in 1905 by a young attorney named Paul Harris who desired to discuss areas of common concern with other local business executives. They quickly decided to contribute their . . . — — Map (db m78749) HM
The focus of this service area is youth, low income population and public service needs.
Funded improvements to the Boy Scout's Camp Lawrie (1925) and YMCA's Camp Miller (1926).
Provided summer camp scholarships for youth annually . . . — — Map (db m204945) HM
Funded and constructed a bridge connecting the highway between the U.S. and Canada near Grand Portage, MN when the two governments failed to decide how it should be funded (1926).
Supported PolioPlus, Rotary International's program to . . . — — Map (db m204944) HM
Junior Rotarian program - invited area high schools students to attend weekly club meetings and support service projects
Provided mentors for youth at Lincoln Park School.
Provided scholarships for high school students to attend a . . . — — Map (db m204943) HM
Held the first Big Brother dinner (1916).
Assigned Rotarians to be foster fathers for children at the Duluth Children's Home (1930).
Established Vocational Guidance Program for high school students (1950).
Started . . . — — Map (db m204949) HM
The Four Way Test was adopted by Rotary International in 1943 as our code of ethics.
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it . . . — — Map (db m204940) HM
Storms can quickly and unpredictably pose dangerous threats to small and large vessels on Lake Superior. McQuade Small Craft Harbor offers lake access and a safe haven for boaters and anglers along the shoreline between Duluth-Superior Harbor and . . . — — Map (db m266792) HM
This gated courtyard was reserved for the Congdons' staff. It functioned as a break space, a spot to hang laundry and the entrance point for deliveries, such as milk, ice and groceries. Perhaps most significantly, this is where the outside world . . . — — Map (db m266399) HM
As you face Lake Superior, you will find that the eastern access to the Skyline Parkway, a 30-mile drive along the rim of the hills overlooking Duluth and Lake Superior, begins here to your right on the left bank of the Lester River. As you proceed . . . — — Map (db m44599) HM
Kirk St. Maur's Spirit of Lake Superior celebrates the Anishinabe (Ojibwa, American Indian) culture.
The artist's interpretation is based on illustrations and photographs from the Minnesota Historical Society Archives, Eastman . . . — — Map (db m204516) HM
The Stone Arch Bridge over Tischer Creek was designed by famed landscape architect Charles Leavitt, Jr. His associates, Anthony Morell and Arthur Nichols, came to Duluth to oversee construction, and the pair were later hired by the city of Duluth. . . . — — Map (db m266397) HM
Formed by Forces of Fire and Ice: Massive geological forces hewed the North Shore's dramatic cliffs and rocky beaches. Approximately 1.2 billion years ago, volcanic lava poured from a gigantic rift in the continent. During the last Ice Age, . . . — — Map (db m266793) HM
At one time, the waters of Tischer Creek were diverted upstream into a 60,000-gallon reservoir built between Superior Street and London Road. From there, it was piped via a private water main to 20-plus spigots for estate use. On the west bank of . . . — — Map (db m266396) HM
Conventional ship's anchor used from about 1870 to 1910, from the Whaleback steamer Thomas Wilson, sunk a half mile outside Duluth Piers. Recovered in 1973 by the U.S.C.G. Cutter Woodrush with divers Elmer Engman, Dave Anderson, Dan Goman and Paul . . . — — Map (db m21027) HM
The United States Merchant Marine
In recognition of those who serve
their country in war and peace time
to those 250,000 who served in world war II
to those 670 who were taken prisoner
to those 6,700 plus who gave their lives . . . — — Map (db m5433) HM
Chester Congdon envisioned Glensheen as a self-sufficient estate. To help feed the family and staff, a large garden was planted from thousands of seedlings started in the greenhouse. According to family records, the plot produced many common . . . — — Map (db m266392) HM
The Congdons' guests would have entered via London Road through the magnificent West Gate. Drivers would follow the serpentine brick wall allowing passengers to take in the Stone Arch Bridge then the front of the mansion with its striking shaped . . . — — Map (db m266598) HM
At three-thirty in the afternoon of Monday, November 27th, 1905, the steamship Mataafa passed under the newly built Duluth Transfer Bridge, and onto Lake Superior. The Mataafa was towing the schooner barge James Nasmyth, bringing their loads of iron . . . — — Map (db m199138) HM
