St. Louis County Historical Society

Our third Wednesday antique appraisal takes place tomorrow, 9.18, from noon-3 in the rotunda of the St. Louis County Depot. Limit 2 items, photographs welcome too (please register by 2:30 in order to be seen). Thanks!

Far too warm in Duluth today for this kind of heat. "Schultz Lake, 1937"

Like Eli's Farm at the Depot? Experience the real thing with the Friends of the Wirtanen Pioneer Farm at the Wirtanen Farm Fall Festival on Saturday, September 14 from 10-4pm! Check out https://wirtanenfarm.org/ for more information.

Recently posted just outside the Lake Superior Ojibwe Gallery, on the 4th floor of the St. Louis County Depot; beautiful work by Ivy Vainio

Here is the Duluth News Tribune’s recent coverage of damage to the Society’s Veterans Memorial Hall. To support our recovery efforts, go to: https://tinyurl.com/4rzb8rta

Duluth News Tribune (MN) (Duluth, Minnesota), September 4, 2024: 21. NewsBank: America's News. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=image/v2%3A16F67B67F17B6390%40NewsBank-19B6166B4084BAAF%402460558-19B6167499C88855%4020.

This morning the Erie Mining 1957 Pontiac Hi-rail car was placed front-and-center at the entrance to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. It’s website notes that the vehicle had “110,000 miles on the odometer during its 17 years of service.” Learn more about the Erie Mining Company in the St. Louis County Historical Society's award-winning publication “Taconite: New Life for Minnesota's Iron Range” available (and discounted for members) here: https://www.thehistorypeople.org/product-page/erie-mining-book-1

The Virginia Area Historical Society is hosting "Dinner & Dinosaurs" with Minnesota paleontologist John Westgaard: September 21, 2024 as part of their Fall Fest. Call 218-741-1136 or email [email protected] for more information.

The St. Louis County Historical Society seeks applicants for an Executive Director. This is a full-time position with a starting salary of $70,000-$75,000 per year plus benefits. https://www.thehistorypeople.org/single-post/employment-opportunity-apply-by-9-30-2024-for-executive-director-position

Our current newsletter is available to view online at https://www.thehistorypeople.org/single-post/rootprints-august-2024. Hard copies will be mailed to members soon!

Many thanks to Northern News Now for their coverage of our efforts to recover from recent damage to Veterans Memorial Hall. The story can be found here: https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2024/08/26/veterans-memorial-hall-temporarily-closed-due-water-damage/, and a link to how you can help: https://www.givemn.org/donate/St-Louis-County-Historical-Society?fbclid=IwY2xjawE8QYhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYB74cacBktUYZ_Dh7hiRveZ1yrq1xJOJYdn3mzADiy9tkpY_gvXKdTulg_aem_ApirfxIyfZ8q0A4meoOW3A

History Talk to focus on the Vermilion Lake Indian School - The Timberjay TOWER- Linda LeGarde Grover, professor emeritus of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, will be the featured speaker at the Tower-Soudan Historical Society annual dinner on …

Just five more days to view “Views of Duluth” on the 4th floor mezzanine of the St. Louis County Depot! Closing August 31st. Pictured here. Ralph Bowen, Bridge Operator, 1952.

Attention linguists, historians, and sci-fi fans!

The Dakota-Ojibway Tribal Council (Manitoba, Canada), Lucasfilm, the University of Manitoba, and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network have partnered to release an Ojibwe dub of "Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope." The Ojibwe dub will be shown at several Marcus theaters on August 30th. Tickets are available at: https://www.marcustheatres.com/movies/star-wars-anangong-miigaading-a-new-hope.

To learn more about Ojibwe language and other subjects, check out our free Ojibwe Learning Guides! https://www.thehistorypeople.org/ojibwe-learning-guide

Poster Courtesy of LucasFilm, Ltd.

The St. Louis County Historical Society seeks applicants for two to four temporary, part-time Collections Assistants. Each position is 10-20 hours per week with a wage of $15 per hour. The application period closes 9/20/2024 or once the position is filled. Details at the link here:

Hiring Part-Time Collections Assistants for Legacy Project "This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society."THE APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES 9/20/2024 OR ONCE POSITIONS ARE FILLED.St. Louis County Historical Society seeks applicants for two t...

Bring your antique/collectible items to the St. Louis County Depot (506 West Michigan Street, Duluth, Minnesota) for a free appraisal on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. The St. Louis County Historical Society has arranged for Denny Mager of Northern Specialty, an expert in antique appraisal, to be at your service from noon until 3 PM in the rotunda. Please arrive before 2:30 PM to register in person. Limit 2 items.

2024 REMEMBRANCE DINNER WITH COL. JEFFREY WILLIAMS US ARMY (RET.): ASTRONAUT, SPEAKER, AUTHOR, AND ARTIST

The St. Louis County Historical Society and Veterans Memorial Hall 2024 Remembrance Dinner takes place Friday, November 1 at 5pm. The night’s keynote speaker is Colonel Jeffrey Williams, US Army. COL. Williams holds the record for longest time in space for an American man, with over 534 days logged. His work includes time on the International Space Station with Expedition 13 and Expedition 21 as Flight Engineer, and Commander of Expedition 22. In addition to his time in space, Williams spent six days underwater as the commander of NEEMO 3 (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory. He is also an author and artist, having written “The Work of His Hands: A View of God's Creation from Space” (available for purchase if you’d like the work signed that evening at https://www.amazon.com/Work-His-Hands-Jeffrey-Williams/dp/0758615892). For tickets contact Shaela Peacock at 218 733.7507, or email [email protected].

Many thanks to WDIO for their coverage of our efforts to recover from recent damage to Veterans Memorial Hall. The story can be found here: https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/rebuild-of-veterans-memorial-hall-planned-after-water-damage/, and a link to how you can help: https://www.givemn.org/donate/St-Louis-County-Historical-Society.

The Society’s Ron Hein was featured on Northern News Now recently, recalling his trajectory from welder to management at the Erie Mining Company, also noting his team's book “Taconite: New Life for Minnesota's Iron Range” (available at www.thehistorypeople.org/product-page/erie-mining-book-1). You can find Dave Anderson’s report, “Holding On To History” here: https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2024/08/13/holding-history-massive-trailer-parked-housed-workers-building-hoyt-lakes-50s/

Veterans Memorial Hall is working to recover from a recent water incursion. We hope to restore the space to its full display capabilities as soon as possible, and appreciate your patience in the interim. Support our restoration efforts here, be sure to specify VMH recovery. Thank you! https://www.givemn.org/organization/St-Louis-County-Historical-Society

Happy Sunday!
Test your skills with this digital jigsaw puzzle, and help us put history back together one piece at a time! https://jigex.com/XCoFU

Pro tip: If there too many pieces (or too few), you can adjust the amount in the options bar.

📷Lyceum Theater, Hugh McKenzie, ca. 1900-1910.

Hail, a power outage, and heavy winds could not deter VMH program manager Jay Hagen from completing his presentation on Medal of Honor recipient Mike Colalillo at the St. Louis County Fair last night.

Veterans Memorial Hall Program Manager Jay Hagen will discuss local Medal of Honor recipient Mike Colalillo’s incredible story as part of The St. Louis County Fair in Chisholm, today at 5pm.

The St. Louis County Depot's current "Community Connection" newsletter is now available. Find more here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eckVILJOayJEAMOysvQTJu_H1QUz9xMC/view. The St. Louis County Historical Society's exhibition "Views of Duluth is open through August 31.

Our November 1st Remembrance Dinner speaker, Col. Jeffrey Williams US Army (Ret.) is not only an astronaut, but an artist with a unique perspective on our shared home. Here, “Mount St. Helens looks spectacular from directly above.” You can find his book at the link below. Pre-order and have it signed at our Great Hall event. More information coming soon. https://www.amazon.com/Work-His-Hands-Jeffrey-Williams/dp/0758615892

Postcards from our "Views of Duluth" exhibition, open through August 31st, are here! Look for them in the Great Hall, or stop in our offices. "Poignant insight into life of past Duluthians is captured, from quiet streets and scenic overlooks to grand theaters and exciting recreation events. Come see the places and people who have contributed to the history of Duluth."

Photo: “Minnesota’s Gateway to World Commerce.” The Duluth Public Library has archived numerous copies of the datebook “Wonderful Duluth;” a fun, sometimes high camp repository of boosterism, and the occasional natural disaster (as shared in the previous post). Find more here: https://catalog.duluthlibrary.org/polaris/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.7&pos=1&cn=18039

Nothing as dramatic as this in Duluth last night; from a 1973 date book featured scenes from three major storms that hit the area in the summer of 1972. The storms of August 16, August 20 and September 20, 1972, left millions of dollars in damage. Pictured here, 6th Ave. East and 6th Street. 1972. "Wonderful Duluth: 1973 pictorial calendar date book." Duluth Public Library, Accessed June 11, 2024. https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll6:3443

The Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship is now open! The 2024 application deadline is Monday, September 30, 2024. Stop by our offices for an application, or find it online at https://www.thehistorypeople.org/m-colalillo-scholarship

A very good friend of the Society recently sent images of paintings by their one-time art teacher Robert S. Larson, including this endearing “Goat Hill” scene. Many thanks to Peter Spooner for delving into the Duluth Public Library’s archives to find additional information re: Larson’s fine work.