History
Native history
TheExploration and fur trade
Several factors brought fur traders to the Great Lakes in the early 17th century. The fashion forPermanent settlement
As European Americans continued to settle and encroach on Ojibwe lands, the U.S. government made a series of treaties, executed between 1837 and 1889, that expropriated vast areas of tribal lands for their use and relegated the Native American peoples to a number of small reservations. Interest in the area was piqued in the 1850s by rumors of copper mining. A government land survey in 1852, followed by a treaty with local tribes in 1854, secured wilderness for gold-seeking explorers, sparked a land rush, and led to the development of"The Untold Delights of Duluth"
Early doubts about the Duluth area's potential were voiced in "The Untold Delights of Duluth," a speech U.S. Representative20th century
During the 20th century, the Port of Duluth was for a time the busiest port in the United States, surpassing even New York City in gross tonnage. Lake freighters carried iron ore through the Great Lakes to processing plants in Illinois and Ohio. Ten newspapers, six banks and an 11-story skyscraper, the Torrey Building, were founded and built. As of 1905, Duluth was said to be home to the most millionaires per capita in the United States. In 1907,Immigration
Because of its numerous jobs in mining and industry, the city was a destination for large waves of immigrants from Europe during the early 20th century. It became the center of one of the largest Finnish communities in the world outside Finland. For decades, a Finnish-language daily newspaper, ''Päivälehti,'' was published in the city, named after the former Grand Duchy of Finland's pro-independence leftist paper. The Finnish community of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) members published a widely read labor newspaper ''Duluth lynchings
In September 1918 a group calling itself the Knights of Liberty dragged Finnish immigrant Olli Kinkkonen from his boarding house, tarred and feathered him, and Lynching in the United States, lynched him. Kinkkonen did not want to fight in World War I and had planned to return to Finland. His body was found two weeks later hanging in a tree in Duluth's Lester Park. Another lynching in Duluth occurred on June 15, 1920, when three innocent black male circus workers: Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie, were attacked by a white mob and hanged after allegedly raping a teenage white girl. The Duluth lynchings took place on First Street and Second Avenue East. In the late 20th century, journalist Michael Fedo wrote ''The Lynchings in Duluth'' (1970), which began to raise awareness of the event. Community members from many different groups began to come together for reflection and education. The men's unmarked graves were located and in 1991, gravestones were erected with funding from a local church. Vigils were held at the intersection where the men were lynched. In 2000, a grassroots committee was formed, and began to offer speakers to groups and schools. It decided to commemorate the event with a memorial. The Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, which includes a corner wall and plaza, was dedicated in 2003. It includes three -tall bronze statues of the three men. The CJMM Committee continues to work for racial justice through educational outreach, community forums, and scholarships for youth.1918 Cloquet Fire
In 1918, the 1918 Cloquet Fire, Cloquet Fire (named for the nearby city of Cloquet, Minnesota, Cloquet) burned across Carlton and southern St. Louis counties, destroying dozens of communities in the Duluth area. The fire was the worst natural disaster in Minnesota history in terms of the number of lives lost in a single day. Many people died on the rural roads surrounding the Duluth area, and historical accounts tell of victims dying while trying to outrun the fire. The ''News Tribune'' reported, "It is estimated that 100 families were rendered homeless by Saturday's fire in the territory known as the Woodland District... In most cases, families which lost their homes also lost most or all of their furniture and personal belongings, the limited time and transportation facilities affording little opportunity for saving anything but human life." The Minnesota National Guard, National Guard unit based in Duluth was mobilized in a heroic effort to battle the fire and assist victims, but the troops were overwhelmed by the enormity of the fire. Retired ''Duluth News Tribune'' columnist and journalist Jim Heffernan writes that his mother "recalled an overnight vigil watching out the window of their small home on lower Piedmont Avenue with her father, her younger sisters having gone to sleep, ready to be evacuated to the waterfront should the need arise. The fire never made it that far down the hill, but devastated what is now Piedmont Heights, and, of course, a widespread area of Northeastern Minnesota." In the fire's aftermath, tens of thousands of people were left injured or homeless; many of the refugees fled into the city for aid and shelter.Continued growth
For the first half of the 20th century, Duluth was an industrial port boom town dominated by its several grain elevators, a cement plant, a nail mill, wire mills, and theEconomic decline
Economic decline began in the 1950s, when high-grade iron ore ran out on the21st-century development
With the decline of the city's industrial core, the local economic focus gradually shifted to tourism. The downtown area was renovated to emphasize its pedestrian character: streets were paved with red brick and skywalks and retail shops were added. The city and developers worked with the area's unique architectural character, converting old warehouses along the waterfront into cafés, shops, restaurants, and hotels. Combined with the new rock beach and Lakewalk, these changes developed the new Canal Park as a tourism-oriented district. Duluth's population, which had declined since 1960, stabilized at around 85,000. At the beginning of the 21st century, Duluth has become a regional center for banking, retail shopping, and medical care for northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northwestern Michigan. It is estimated that more than 8,000 jobs in Duluth are directly related to its two hospitals. Arts and entertainment offerings, as well as year-round recreation and the natural environment, have contributed to expansion of the tourist industry. Some 3.5 million visitors each year contribute more than $400 million to the local economy. More recently a collection of like-minded businesses in Lincoln Park (Duluth), Lincoln Park, an old rundown blue-collar neighborhood with high unemployment and poverty rates, was cultivated by a group of entrepreneurs who have begun rebuilding and revitalizing the area. Since 2014 at least 25 commercial real estate transactions have occurred and 17 businesses have opened, including restaurants, breweries, coffee shops and artist studios. Due to the neighborhood's revitalization, many developers are also investing in housing projects in anticipation of further growth.Waterfront reclamation efforts
Duluth's prominence as a port city gave it an economic advantage in its early years, but as various industries began to wane, new efforts to reclaim areas of the waterfront for public use emerged. Notable among them is the reclamation of the St. Louis River corridor, which runs along the edge of the city's western neighborhoods. Many of these sites, filled with legacy pollutants due to previous industrial use, have been or are in the process of being restored by the EPA, with several developments, such as Pier B Resort and Hotel, demonstrating the revitalization opportunity of these former industrial spaces. Other efforts to reclaim waterfront space in Duluth have been led by the Duluth Waterfront Collective. One notable example includes the Highway 61 Revisited concept, which seeks to reimagine the I-35 corridor as it runs through the city's downtown. The group's efforts have been met with interest, with the city council voting to explore options for the corridor in 2021. While the acreage of land utilizing the waterway for port-related purposes has shifted in recent years, the goods being shipped through the Duluth-Superior port have shifted to reflect a changing economy. In recent decades, declines in the shipment of coal and iron ore have been met by increases in the shipment of wind turbine components and multimodal shipping containers.Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water. It is Minnesota's second-largest city by land area, surpassed only by Hibbing, Minnesota, Hibbing. Duluth's canal connects Lake Superior to the Duluth–Superior harbor and the Saint Louis River (Lake Superior tributary), Saint Louis River. It is spanned by the Aerial Lift Bridge, which connects Canal Park withGeological history
The geology of Duluth demonstrates the Midcontinent Rift, formed as the North American continent began to split apart about 1.1 billion years ago. As the Mantle (geology), earth's crust thinned, magma rose toward the surface. These intrusions formed a -thick Sill (geology), sill, primarily of gabbro, which is known as the Duluth Complex. An intrusion of the Duluth Complex can be seen at Enger Tower, which is built on a knob of exposed gabbro. The lava flows formed the conditions for the creation of Lake Superior agates. As the lava solidified, gas trapped within the flows formed an vesicular texture, amygdaloidal texture (literally, rock filled with small vesicles). Later, groundwater transported dissolved minerals through the vesicles depositing concentric bands of fine-grained quartz called chalcedony. The color scheme is caused by the concentration of iron present in the groundwater at the time that each new layer was being deposited. The process went on until the cavity had been completely filled. Over time erosion freed the agates from the solidified lava, which is not as hard as quartz. Lake Superior agates are the Minnesota gemstone. The creation of the Lake Superior basin reflects the erosive power of Laurentide Ice Sheet, continental glaciers that advanced and retreated over Minnesota several times in the past 2 million years. The mile-thick ice sheets easily eroded the sandstone that filled the axis of the rift valley but encountered more resistance from the igneous rocks forming the flanks of the rift, now the margins of the lake basin. As the last glacier retreated, meltwaters filled the lake to as high as above the current level; the Skyline Parkway roughly follows one of the highest levels of the ancient Lake Superior, Glacial Lake Duluth. The sandstone that buried the igneous rocks of the rift is exposed near Fond du Lac. At one time a large number of quarries produced the stone, sold as Fond du Lac or Lake Superior brownstone. It was widely used in Duluth buildings and also shipped to Minneapolis, Chicago, and Milwaukee, where it was also used extensively. The weathered sandstone forms the sandy lake bottom and shores of Park Point.Climate
Duluth has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Dfb''), slightly moderated by its proximity to Lake Superior. Winters are long, snowy, and very cold, normally seeing maximum temperatures remaining at or below on 100 days (the second-most of any city in the contiguous US behind International Falls, Minnesota, International Falls), falling to or below on 38 nights and bringing consistent snow cover from late November to early April. Winter storms that pass south or east of Duluth can often set up easterly or northeasterly flow, which leads to occasional upslope lake-effect snow events that bring or more of snow to the city while areas inland receive considerably less. The average annual snowfall is 90.2 in. The lake steams in the winter when moist, lake-warmed air at the surface rises and cools, losing some of its moisture-carrying capacity. Duluth has been called "The Air-Conditioned City" because of the summertime cooling effect of Lake Superior. Using data on the minimum monthly temperature between 1981 and 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed a Comparative Climatic Data report. With a minimum average monthly low temperature of and a maximum average monthly low temperature of , Duluth was found to be the fifth-coldest city in the United States. Summers are warm, although nights are generally cool, with daytime temperatures averaging in July, with that figure being a few degrees warmer inland. Temperatures reach or exceed on average, only two days per year, while the city has officially seen temperatures on only three days, all during the 1936 North American heat wave, July 1936 heat wave, part of the Dust Bowl years. The phrase "cooler by the lake" can be heard often in weather forecasts during the summer, especially on days when an easterly wind is expected. Great local variations are also common because of the rapid change in elevation between the nearly hilltop and shoreside. Often this variation manifests itself as snow in higher elevations while rain falls near Lake Superior. The record low temperature in Duluth is , set on January 2, 1885, and the record high temperature is , set on July 13, 1936. On average, the first freezing temperature occurs on September 30, and the last on May 14, although a freezing temperature has occurred in August; the average window for measurable (≥) snowfall is October 22 through April 26.2012 flooding
From June 19–20, 2012, Duluth suffered the worst flood in its history, caused by of rain throughout the course of thirty hours. Combined with its rocky sediments, hard soil and 43 streams and creeks, the city could not handle the massive rainfall. Mayor Don Ness declared a state of emergency, asking for national assistance. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton declared a state of emergency, sending the Minnesota National Guard, National Guard and the Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts. Several sinkholes opened throughout the city, causing massive property damage. Several feet of standing water accumulated in many city alleys and parking lots. Streets were turned into rapids and many roads split apart due to the heavy flow of water. A portion of West Skyline Parkway tumbled down the hill, isolating a neighborhood. The Saint Louis River, in Duluth's Fond du Lac (Duluth), Fond du Lac neighborhood, flooded Highway 23, isolating that neighborhood as well, and damaging roadways and bridges. The Lake Superior Zoo flooded in the early hours of June 20; 11 barnyard animals drowned, as did a turkey vulture, a raven and a snowy owl. The rising waters enabled a polar bear to escape her exhibit, though she was quickly found on zoo grounds, tranquilized and moved to safety. Two harbor seals escaped the zoo grounds but were later found on Grand Avenue. All three animals were moved to Como Park Zoo in Saint Paul for a temporary, but indeterminate, amount of time. The polar bear was transferred to the Kansas City Zoo in late 2012 as part of the American Zoological Association's (AZA) Species Survival Program breeding recommendation.2012 tornado
Tornadoes are uncommon in Duluth, considering its latitude and location next to the climate-moderating Lake Superior. However, on August 9, 2012, at around 11 AM, a tornado touched down on Minnesota Point. It had originally started as a waterspout in Superior Bay, from Sky Harbor Airport, but briefly found its way onto the sandbar's shoreline, making it a true tornado. It quickly dissipated, but soon touched down again on Superior's Barker's Island, where it again quickly dissipated. It caused no serious damage; the tornado was categorized as an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. At the time the National Weather Service reported that it was Duluth's first tornado. Further investigation showed that more than years ago, on May 26, 1958, Duluth had a "miniature tornado" that collapsed a garage and damaged two area lake cabins. It lasted only five minutes. The ''News-Tribune'' reported a possible twister on July 11, 1935: "Swirling into the city on the wings of a torrential rain, a miniature tornado struck in the heart of the Gary-New Duluth district shortly before 8 a.m. yesterday, flattening a row of coal sheds (and) a frame garage and causing general damage to trees in the vicinity. The United States weather bureau had no means of officially recording the twister, the high wind having limited itself to the Gary-New Duluth district."Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, census of 2020, the population was 86,697. The population density was . There were 39,762 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% White (U.S. Census), White, 3.6% Black (U.S. Census), Black or African American (U.S. Census), African American, 2.6% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 1.6% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 0.8% from Race and ethnicity in the United States census, other races, and 6.5% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.4% Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race. The most common ancestries in Duluth were German Americans, German (24.0%), Norwegian Americans, Norwegian (14.2%), Swedish Americans, Swedish (10.3%), Irish Americans, Irish (9.8%), and Polish Americans, Polish (6.7%). 95.2% of residents were born in the United States, and 72.7% were born in Minnesota. 95.2% spoke only English at home, and 1.7% spoke Spanish. 94.5% have at least a high school degree, and 39.0% have at least a Bachelor's degree.2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 86,265 people, 35,705 households, and 18,680 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 38,208 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.4% White (U.S. Census), White, 2.3% African American (U.S. Census), African American, 2.5% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 1.5% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 0.3% from Race (U.S. Census), other races, and 3.0% from two or more races and ethnicities. Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 35,705 households, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were Marriage, married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 33.6 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 19.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,500 households and 19,918 families in the city. The population density was . There were 36,994 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.7% White (U.S. Census), White, 1.6% African American (U.S. Census), Black or Race (United States Census), African American, 2.4% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 1.1% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), Pacific Islander, 0.3% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population was Hispanics in the United States, Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race. Among Duluth's households, 26.6% had children under 18, 41.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were one-person households, and 13.3% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.3% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.7 males. Duluth's median household income was $33,766; median family income was $46,394. Males had a median income of $35,182, females $24,965. The per capita income was $18,969. About 8.6% of families and 15.5% of all residents were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under 18 and 9.5% of those 65 or over.Economy
Duluth is the major regional center for health care, higher education, retail, and business services not only of its own immediate area but also of a larger area encompassing Arrowhead Region, northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is also a major transportation center for the transshipment of coal, taconite, agricultural products, steel, limestone, and cement. In recent years it has seen strong growth in the transshipment of wind turbine components coming and going from manufacturers in both Europe and North Dakota and of oversized industrial machinery manufactured all around the world and destined for the tar sands oil extraction projects in northern Alberta. The Port of Duluth handles an average of 35 million short tons of cargo and nearly 900 vessel visits each year. 90% of the port's vessels are "Lakers," ships that ship goods exclusively among the upper four Great Lakes and are too large to transit the Welland Canal. 10% are "Salties", ships that can traverse the seaway all the way from the Atlantic Ocean. The Twin Ports has attracted several new engineering firms including TKDA, Barr Engineering, LHB, Enbridge and Lake Superior Consulting, as well as new start-ups in various fields, including Loll Designs and Epicurean, two sister companies that make eco-friendly furniture and kitchen utensils respectively, and microbrewery Bent Paddle Brewing Company, Bent Paddle. Women's clothing retail chain Maurices is also headquartered in Duluth, as are luggage manufacturers and suppliers Duluth Pack (company), Duluth Pack and Frost River. In 1989, the workwear and accessories brand Duluth Trading Company was founded on a barge in the city's shipping district. The company moved its headquarters to southern Wisconsin in 2000. Duluth is a center for aquatic biology and aquatic science. The city is home to the EPA's Mid-Continent Ecology Division Laboratory and the University of Minnesota–Duluth. These institutions have spawned many economically and scientifically important businesses that support Duluth's economy. A short list of these businesses includes ERA Laboratories, LimnoLogic, the ASci Corporation, Environmental Consulting and Testing, and Ecolab. The city is popular for tourism. Duluth is a convenient base for trips to the scenic North Shore via Minnesota State Highway 61, Highway 61 and to fishing and wilderness destinations in Minnesota's far north, including the Superior National Forest, Lake Vermilion and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Tourists also may drive on the North Shore Scenic Drive to Gooseberry Falls State Park, Baptism Falls (Minnesota's largest waterfall), the vertical cliff of Palisade Head, Isle Royale National Park (reached via ferry), Grand Portage National Monument in Grand Portage, and High Falls of the Pigeon River (Minnesota–Ontario), Pigeon River (on the Canada–US border). Thunder Bay, Ontario, can be reached by following the highway into Canada along Lake Superior. In 2006, a volunteer task force was formed to manage the spiraling retiree health care benefit obligations that were threatening to bankrupt the city. Mayor Don Ness called it "the single most important volunteer effort in our city's history." After reforming and restructuring the benefits and a court case that went all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court, in 2013 the liability stood at an estimated $191 million. In 2014, Ness announced "a full solution for the retiree health care issue that once threatened to bankrupt our city."Aviation
In the summer of 1913, the world's first heavier-than-air airline service opened in the form of a biplane flying boat named ''Lark of Duluth'', offering joyrides over the Duluth harbor. Not a commercial success, the flights ended later that summer when the designer of the aircraft's engine crashed it. After being purchased and used for scheduled flights in Florida, the plane returned to Duluth and other locations for passenger flights in 1914, until it was ultimately damaged in a hard landing later that year in California and pronounced unsalvageable. A replica of the 1913 Lark of Duluth was constructed and flown by the Duluth Aviation Institute in 2013, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation. Several multinational aviation corporations operate near Duluth. Since 1994, the city has been home to the headquarters and main manufacturing facility of Cirrus Aircraft, whose 1,500-plus employees build the world's best-selling general aviation aircraft, the Cirrus SR22, SR22, and the world's first single-engine personal jet, the Cirrus Vision SF50, Vision SF50. James Fallows, national correspondent for ''The Atlantic'', said that Cirrus' rapid growth in Duluth over the years "was a major, major factor in the town's modern emergence". Former mayor Gary Doty called the arrival of Cirrus in the mid-1990s a "crucial turning point" for Duluth, and said it was "the catalyst for more positive attitudes about the city... If that hadn't happened, then we might really have been in a tailspin." The company is Duluth's largest manufacturer. In January 2012, another aircraft manufacturer, Kestrel Aircraft, maker of the Kestrel K-350, K-350 turboprop plane and later known as One Aviation, ONE Aviation, moved to the Twin Ports; and in October of that year, AAR Corp opened an aircraft repair and maintenance facility at the Duluth airport. Both companies ceased operations in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2013, the Duluth International Airport opened a new terminal, now named the "U.S. Representative James L. Oberstar Terminal" after the late Jim Oberstar. The Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing is based in Duluth and was in 2016 the city's seventh-largest employer. It is one of a handful of National Guard units with an active association, which in the 148th's case means having the capability to provide training for Air Force pilots. The 179th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the 148th.Arts and culture
The Historic Old Central High School, built in 1892 of locally quarried sandstone at a cost of $460,000, now houses an 1890s classroom museum. It features a clock tower with chimes patterned after Big Ben in London; the clock faces are each in diameter, overlooking the Duluth harbor. It is listed with the National Register of Historic Places; they begin the listing writing, "Old Central is a very fine example of that traditionally rich architectural style known as Romanesque architecture, Romanesque and is certainly the most outstanding structure of its kind to be found in northern Minnesota." With Other museums include the Duluth Children's Museum in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Founded in 1930, it is the fifth-oldest of its kind in the nation. It features interactive exhibits, educational programs, and opportunities for creative play designed for children, their families and caregivers, and school field trips. The museum also curates an artifact collection of over 25,000 objects drawn from the lives and cultures of people who have resided in the region, particularly American Indians and immigrants. Other museums include the Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. The premiere community art center is the Duluth Art Institute, with galleries, a fiber studio and darkroom in the Duluth Depot, Depot downtown and ceramic and multi-purpose studios in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. A number of local art galleries are also located downtown and in Canal Park. The Duluth Public Library has three locations. Duluth is also home to a professional ballet company, the Minnesota Ballet. Duluth shares a symphony orchestra—the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra—with Superior, Wisconsin. In summer free concerts are often held in Chester Park, where local musicians play for crowds. The Bayfront Blues Festival is held in early August. Duluth is home to several local theater companies, including The Duluth Playhouse, one of the oldest operating community theaters in the United States. Founded in 1914, the Playhouse's main offices and two of its theaters are housed in the historic Depot Building on Michigan Street. The Playhouse has a comprehensive theatrical season across multiple stages, including Duluth's Nor Shor Theater as of April 2018. It also has a renowned education program. The NorShor Theatre is a historic movie palace on Superior Street that was restored for use as a performance venue. The century-old venue is generally considered a local landmark. After 19 months of construction and renovations, the Norshor opened in 2018 with a 600-seat, stadium-style, balconied, live-performance auditorium, a bar, and a lounge. Since 2004, Duluth has celebrated Gay Pride with a Gay Pride Parade, parade on Labor Day weekend. Since 1998, the city has held the Homegrown Music Festival (Duluth), Homegrown Music Festival the first week in May. The festival features over 170 local musical acts performing across the city. The Junior Achievement High School ROCKS – Battle of the Bands showcases middle school and high school bands from central Minnesota to the Canada–US border and northern Wisconsin and takes place at the DECC in mid-April. Duluth also hosts the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards, honoring books about the region.Attractions
Canal Park is a district with recreation activities, restaurants, cafés, hotels, and shops, especially those dealing in antiques. Formerly a warehouse district, the area converted to a recreation-oriented district following the decline in manufacturing in the 1980s. A walking path offers views of Park Point's sand dunes and swimming beaches and the lighthouse pier. The path passes under the Aerial Lift Bridge, a vertical lift bridge spanning theGreat Lakes Aquarium
TheLake Superior Maritime Museum and Visitor Center
The Great Lakes Maritime Museum and Visitor Center contains historical exhibits, maritime artifacts, and a recreation of a ship's pilot house, cabins, and staterooms with life-size mannequins that speak to the visitors. In the pilot house children can pretend to command the ship using a ship's steering wheel and other instruments. The exhibits contain artifacts from the many sunken ships in the Duluth harbor. One exhibit tells the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in a November gale after departing from the Duluth Superior port. There is a small movie theater and a viewing room where visitors can watch the ships arriving in the harbor and find arrival times of the ships that will arrive throughout the day.William A. Irvin Ship Museum
After transporting coal and iron in the Great Lakes for more than 40 years, the ''S.S. William A. Irvin'' was docked in Duluth and serves as a preserved example of the shipping history of the Great Lakes. As the flagship of U.S. Steel's Great Lakes Fleet, she provided what has been called the "comfort and elegance to dignitaries and guests who traveled the Lakes with her" while hauling materials from Two Harbors and Duluth to U.S. Steel's mills of Lakes Michigan and Erie in Ohio and Indiana.Lake Superior Railroad Museum
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is in the Duluth Union Depot. It has seven steam, 14 diesel, and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock. The collection includes the William Crooks (locomotive), William Crooks, the first locomotive to operate in the state of Minnesota, and the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Number 227, a 2-8-8-4, "Yellowstone" locomotive that was among the largest steam engines ever. Only 18 Yellowstones were ever built, and Duluth exhibits one of the three that remain.North Shore Scenic Railroad
The North Shore Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway, heritage railroad that operates between Duluth and Two Harbors, Minnesota. It is owned by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and offers several different types of passenger excursion trains between May 28 and October 15 each year. The railroad was started in 1990, using the Lakefront Line once owned by the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway.Fitger's Brewery
The Fitger's Brewing Company, original brewery was built in 1857 on a stream that came to be known as Brewery Creek; it was purchased by Michael Fink in 1881 and moved downstream to its present location on Superior Street. Fitger Brewing Company, Fink's Lake Superior Brewery hired a new brewmaster, August Fitger, a graduate of one of Germany's premier brewing schools, and the brewery was renamed A. Fitger & Co. / Lake Superior Brewery. The brewery was successful and stayed in operation even through prohibition but finally closed in 1972 after 115 years of continual operation, making it the oldest business in Duluth. The complex was reopened in 1984 and contains a Microbrewery, craft brewery, several restaurants, hotels, shops, and a museum. Fitger's Brewery Complex is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.Glensheen Mansion
The Glensheen Historic Estate, on the shore of Lake Superior, was built as the family home for wealthy businessman Chester Adgate Congdon. Glensheen sits on of lakefront property, has 38 rooms and is built in the Jacobean architecture, Jacobean architectural tradition, inspired by the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts styles of the era. The building was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr., with interiors designed by William French. The formal terraced garden and English-style landscape was designed by the Charles Wellford Leavitt firm of New York. Construction began in 1905 at a cost of $854,000 (about $ in dollars), and was completed in 1908. Aside from its architectural significance, Glensheen is noteworthy for the murders of Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse on June 27, 1977. The mansion is open to tours year-round.Lake Superior Zoo
The 16-acre Lake Superior Zoo offers year-round recreational activities and features animals from around the world, including Amur tigers, snow leopards, African lions, brown bears, kangaroos, gray wolves, and a variety of birds, reptiles, primates and barnyard animals. The zoo offers learning programs and regularly features special events.Enger Tower
Enger Tower is an , five-story blue stone observation tower atop Enger Hill in Duluth. The tower provides panoramic views of the Twin Ports from lookouts accessible by stairs, and a green beacon is mounted atop the tower.Hawk Ridge fall raptor count
Duluth is in the path of many avian flyways and migratory birds, which pass over the area in great numbers. Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Hawk Ridge, on Skyline Parkway, is ideal for viewing migratory Bird of prey, raptors. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Hawk Ridge has attracted visitors from all 50 states and 40 countries, from Labor Day through October. Volunteers and licensed bird banders capture raptors in nets and band them while large crowds gather to observe the capture and release.Gichi-Ode' Akiing
Just off the Lakewalk is a park named Gichi-Ode' Akiing, Ojibwe for "a grand heart place." The Duluth City Council approved the name change from Lake Place Park in 2018. A memorial to Kechewaishke, also known as Chief Buffalo, honors his symbolic petition carried to president Millard Fillmore in 1849. Kechewaishke signed the Treaty of La Pointe#1854 Treaty of La Pointe, 1854 Treaty of La Pointe a year before his death, with the provision that of land at the corner of Lake Superior be given to his adopted son Benjamin G. Armstrong. Known as the Buffalo Tract, Armstrong's land comprised part of today's downtown Duluth.Events
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
The John Beargrease Dog Sled Race, John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, named for winter mail carrier John Beargrease, is an annual sled dog race that runs from Duluth to Grand Portage. Beargrease and his brothers were among the first to carry mail between Two Harbors and Grand Marais, Minnesota, Grand Marais, going by dogsled, boat, and horse for almost 20 years before the towns were connected by road. Competitors can choose between two distances: a round trip between Duluth and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and a course from Duluth to Tofte Township, Minnesota, Tofte. The race begins at Billy's Bar in northeastern Duluth. Run every January since 1980, it is regarded as a training ground for Alaska's larger and more elite Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.Magic Smelt Parade
In May, Duluthians celebrate the annual Smelt (fish), smelt run with the Magic Smelt Parade along the city's lakewalk. It is a family-oriented affair conducted in the manner of a New Orleans Second line (parades), Second Line Parade, with a "Main Line" led by a small brass band followed by the "second liners", who walk and dance behind the band. The Smelt Parade's second liners wear silver hats, capes, and other costumes related to smelt. A Smelt King and Smelt Queens also take part in the parade.Grandma's Marathon
Since 1977, Duluth has played host to Grandma's Marathon, held annually in June. Named after its original sponsor, Grandma's Restaurant, it draws runners from all over the world. The course starts just outside Two Harbors, Minnesota, runs down County Road 61 (St. Louis County, Minnesota), Old Highway 61 (the former route of Minnesota State Highway 61, Highway 61 along the North Shore ofChristmas City of the North Parade
Each year in November, the Christmas City of the North Parade takes place in Duluth. The parade dates to 1957, when the holiday shopping season ran particularly short. Wanting to extend Christmas shopping days, Bob Rich, who at the time owned the former WDSM-TV, now KBJR-TV, came up with the idea. Since then, the parade has marched through downtown Duluth annually on the Friday night before Thanksgiving. The event has survived pouring rain, snow and frigid cold. Even in years when instruments were too cold to produce music, the bands became choirs, using their voices to entertain the crowd. Recorded by Merv Griffin in 1962, the "Christmas City" song is the parade's signature sound. According to Rich's grandson, the song was written by a local resident and his grandfather asked his friend Griffin, at that time not the well-known TV personality he later became, if he would sing the song and put it to music.Grandson of Christmas City Parade Creator Shares History , Christmas City of the North ParadeBentleyville Tour of Lights
Since 2009, the Benlyville Tour of Lights decorates the Bayfront Festival Park during November and December with over 5,000,000 lights. It has been called the United States' "largest display of Christmas lights that patrons can walk around".Sports
Professional sports history
Amateur sports
Hockey
The University of Minnesota Duluth Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, Bulldog ice hockey, hockey games are televised nationally and attended by thousands in person at the Duluth Entertainment Center, Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). A new hockey arena, Amsoil Arena, opened December 30, 2010, adjacent to the DECC. Several Bulldogs, including hockey great Brett Hull and Matt Niskanen have gone on to success in the National Hockey League. On April 9, 2011, the Bulldog Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey, men's team defeated University of Michigan, Michigan to win their first national championship in school history. They won the championship again in 2018 and 2019. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey, UMD women's ice hockey team has won five NCAA Division I national championships (2001–03, 2008, 2010). The 2010 title game against Cornell University lasted through nearly three full overtimes and was the longest women's ice hockey championship game in NCAA history. The 2003 women's Frozen Four tournament was played at the DECC with the Bulldogs claiming their third consecutive national title by defeating Harvard University via a dramatic double-overtime goal by Nora Tallus in front of a sellout home crowd. The 2008 Frozen Four tournament was also held at the DECC and saw the Bulldogs claim their fourth national title with a 4–0 shutout of the Wisconsin Badgers. The Women's Frozen Four was held in Amsoil Arena in 2012.Baseball
The Duluth Dukes were an amateur baseball team that played its home games at Bulldog Park on the campus of the University of Minnesota Duluth and at Wade Stadium. The Dukes were composed of current and former college players and former professional players. The Dukes competed in two leagues: the Arrowhead League of the Minnesota Baseball Association, and the Upper 13 League of the Wisconsin Baseball Association. The Duluth Xpress are an amateur baseball team that plays its games at the Ordean Middle School baseball field. The team is made up of current and former college players and former professional players. The Xpress compete in the Arrowhead League, a class B league in Minnesota Town Team Baseball, town team baseball. The Duluth Huskies are a college summer wood bat league baseball team based in Duluth and playing in the Northwoods League. The team plays its home games at Wade Stadium. The roster includes some of the top college baseball players in the country. The Huskies play 34 home games each summer between June and August. The Twin Ports North Stars are an amateur baseball team that plays its games at Ordean Field at Duluth East High School. The North Stars are composed of current and former college and professional baseball players who reside in the Twin Ports area. As of 2013, the North Stars compete out of the Arrowhead League, a Class B league in the Minnesota Baseball Association. High school teams in the Duluth area include Denfeld High School, Duluth East High School, and Duluth Marshall School.Rowing
Rowing has a long history in Duluth. The Duluth Boat Club was established in 1886 near the site of the present-day Great Lakes Aquarium. Between 1911 and 1923, Duluth won 20 national championships with several players going on to win perfect scores and remain undefeated in national and international competitions. Today, club membership remains strong, with members competing in regional and national regattas.Soccer
The National Premier Soccer League team Duluth FC plays its home games at Denfeld High School's Public Schools Stadium.Bandy
Bandy is a team sport similar to ice hockey. All American Bandy League matches are played at Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval in Roseville, Minnesota, Roseville. In 2012, the Duluth team Dynamo Duluth finished second in the league. and in 2013 they became champions for the first time. In 2009 they won North American Cup, which is rink bandy.Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction (counter-clockwise) around a track. The Harbor City Roller Derby, an 18+ league, was founded in 2007 and is Duluth–Superior's first women's flat-track roller derby league.Curling
The Duluth Curling Club was founded in 1891 and has met in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center since 1976. The club fielded the Curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics, 2018 men's Olympic curling gold medal team.Parks and recreation
Duluth has numerous parks, including six parks on Lake Superior: Leif Erikson Park, which includes a lakeside rose garden; Brighton Beach Park; Canal Park, on Park Point; the Lakewalk (connecting Canal Park and Leif Erickson Park via the lakeshore); and Lafayette Park, on Park Point. The Park Point Recreation Area near the end of Park Point has a community center, numerous pavilions, a swimming beach, sand volleyball court, picnic tables and grills, and a boat launch. Park Point Pine Forest, at the tip of Park Point, is popular for bird-watching in the spring and fall when shorebirds use the area as a resting point during their migration. A shipping schedule of ships entering the harbor is available as well as five live cams including a cam of the canal, the lift bridge, and the beach. Other parks include historic Lester Park, one of Duluth's most popular parks. Just upstream from where Amity Creek joins the Lester River, a large, deep pool has formed that attracts cliff diving. Amity Creek is the site of The Seven Bridges Road, a four-mile section of Skyline Parkway where it follows Amity Creek from the top of the bluffs down to Lake Superior. The 400-foot drop has resulted in a long cascade of waterfalls. Duluth's other parks include Congdon Park, Hartley Park, Chester Park, Bayfront Festival Park, Cascade Park, Enger Park, Lincoln Park, Brewer Park, Fairmount Park, Indian Point Park, Magney–Snively Park, and Fond du Lac Park, as well as some small neighborhood parks and athletic fields. Lester Park, Congdon Park, Hartley Park, and Chester Park have trail systems, and three of these parks—all but Hartley—also have waterfalls, as does Lincoln Park. Hartley Park also has a nature center. Lester Park and Enger Park have public golf courses. Fairmount Park has the Lake Superior Zoo. Jay Cooke State Park is a List of Minnesota state parks, Minnesota state park about southwest of Duluth. The park is along the Saint Louis River (Lake Superior tributary), Saint Louis River and is one of Minnesota's ten most visited state parks.Leif Erikson Park
For many years the ''Leif Erikson (ship), Leif Erikson'', a Viking ship that was built in Norway by local boat builders to replicate the type of ship sailed by Leif Erikson who arrived in North America around 997 A.D. was on display in the Leif Erickson park. The vessel is long, has a beam and draws of water. The Dragon's Head and Tail are considered by architects to be masterpieces. The ship was invited to Duluth by Norwegian-American immigrant and businessman H.H. Borgen. When the crew landed in Duluth on June 23, 192Recreation
Duluth offers numerous outdoor activities including fishing, hiking, skiing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, trail running and mountain biking. In addition to the two public golf courses at Lester and Enger Park, golfers can play at the Northland Country Club and the Ridgeview Country Club. Duluth has five public tennis courts and 63 private tennis club courts. The city has many indoor and outdoor ice rinks, including curling facilities. The University of Minnesota Duluth Recreational Sport Outdoor Program offers classes in kayak, stand-up paddleboarding, or canoe whitewater river running, and they hold the Annual St. Louis River Whitewater Rendezvous Slalom & Sprint Races in July. The program also provides sea kayaking and rock climbing lessons for individuals and families.Superior Hiking and Piedmont Mountain Biking trails
Duluth hosts a segment of the Superior Hiking Trail, which is also part of the North Country National Scenic Trail – the nation's longest hiking trail. This trail segment passes through Jay Cooke State Park, Ely Peak, Bardon Peak, the Magney–Snively old growth forest, Spirit Mountain, Enger Park, Point of Rocks, the Lakewalk, Chester Park, UMD's Bagley nature trails, and Hartley Park. It features views of the Saint Louis River, the Twin Ports, the Aerial Bridge, and Lake Superior. The hilly, Piedmont mountain biking trail crosses numerous bridges and offers scenic views of Duluth and the bay. The trail is recommended for both beginner and intermediate riders.Skiing
With a vertical elevation of approximately , Spirit Mountain (ski area), Spirit Mountain is Minnesota's second-highest ski hill. The park includes jumps ranging from to over , and numerous rails, boxes, and other jibs. Spirit Mountain opened an alpine coaster in 2010 and in 2011 announced plans to add a zip line, miniature golf, and snow tubing. In 1995 the mountain completed its first NORBA application and in 2012 work began on downhill mountain bike trails. The Duluth area also has a large and active Nordic skiing community, with many parks providing excellent Nordic skate skiing as well as classic cross-country skiing opportunities. Chester Bowl, off Skyline Parkway in Chester Park, Duluth, Chester Park, is a city-owned park with a chairlift, and has the lowest daily lift ticket prices in the nation, at only $6. For decades, Chester Bowl was also known for its ski jumps, which were removed due to safety concerns in 2015.Sailing and rowing
Duluth has both a yacht and rowing club. Since 1969, the Trans Superior Race has run every other year from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to Duluth. At a distance of almost , it is said to be "the world's longest known freshwater sailboat race". Duluth has been holding the Tall Ships festivals since 2008. The events are held every three years and estimates of 250,000 have crowded the shoreline to watch the vintage ships enter the harbor.Surfing
Surfing is a popular Duluth recreation on Lake Superior shores when conditions are right for producing high waves. A new documentary film will premiere in 2022 about Duluth's surfing community. UMD offers a course on learning to surf as part of their Recreational Sports Outdoor Program. The instructors say that when the wind blows from the Northeast "Duluth becomes a legitimate surf town." They list Park Point, Lester River and Stony Point as "local hot spots."Hunting for agates
The Minnesota state gem, the Lake Superior agate, can be found on the shores of Lake Superior, in the streams that run into it, and in gravel pits and road cuts. Duluth's Park Point is an excellent area for hunting. Shorelines and beaches are replenished each year because winter ice and storms push new material up on the shores. Books are available in Duluth to help amateur rock hounds learn more about agates and how to locate them.Government
Duluth is in Minnesota's 8th congressional district, represented by Pete Stauber of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. It has a Mayor–Council form of government. The mayor isEducation
Local colleges and universities include the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD); the UMD campus includes a medical school. The Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey, UMD Bulldogs won the Division I National Hockey Championship in 2011, 2018 and 2019. Other schools include College of St. Scholastica, The College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College, and Duluth Business University. The University of Wisconsin–Superior and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College are in nearbyMedia
Local newspapers include the monthly ''BusinessNorth'' and the twice-weekly ''Duluth News Tribune''. Free newspapers include the ''Transistor'', ''The Zenith'', and ''The Reader Weekly''. Locally based nationally distributed magazines include ''Lake Superior Magazine'' and ''New Moon Magazine''.Infrastructure
Transportation
The Duluth area marks the northern endpoint of Interstate 35 in Minnesota, Interstate Highway 35, which stretches south to Laredo, Texas. U.S. highway, U.S. Highways that serve the area are U.S. Route 53, U.S. Highway 53, which stretches from La Crosse, Wisconsin, to International Falls, Minnesota, International Falls, and U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota, U.S. Highway 2, which stretches from Everett, Washington, to St. Ignace, Michigan, St. Ignace, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The southwestern part of the city has Thompson Hill, where travelers entering Duluth on I-35 can see most of Duluth, including theMajor highways
* Interstate 35 * Interstate 535 * U.S. Highway 2 * U.S. Highway 53 * Minnesota State Highway 23 * Minnesota State Highway 61 – North Shore * Minnesota State Highway 194 – Central Entrance – Mesaba Avenue * Minnesota State Highway 210 * St. Louis County Road 4, Saint Louis County Road 4 – Rice Lake RoadPort of Duluth-Superior
At the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the Duluth–Superior port is North America's largest and farthest-inland freshwater port. By far the largest and busiest on theUtilities
Duluth gets electric power from Duluth-based Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of ALLETE Corporation. Minnesota Power produces energy at generation facilities located throughout northern Minnesota and a generation plant in North Dakota. The latter supplies electricity into the MP system by the Square Butte (transmission line), Square Butte HVDC line, which ends near the town. Minnesota Power primarily uses western coal to generate electricity, but also has a number of small hydroelectric facilities, the largest of which is the Thomson Dam (Minnesota), Thomson Dam southwest of Duluth on the Saint Louis River. In December 2006, Minnesota Power began purchasing all the energy generated from the new 50-MW Oliver Wind I Energy Center built by NextEra Resources near Center, N.D. In 2007, Minnesota Power entered into a second 25-year wind power purchase agreement with NextEra. A 48-MW facility was built adjacent to the initial Oliver County wind farm, and the new generators began commercial operation in November 2007. Construction began in 2010 on the 76-MW Bison Wind I Energy Center near New Salem, N.D. Bison I represents the first wave of Minnesota Power-constructed wind farms that will be built in south central North Dakota and linked to Minnesota. by way of a direct current (DC) transmission line. ALLETE finalized an agreement January 1, 2010 to purchase a 250-kilovolt DC line between Center, N.D. and Hermantown, Minn. (near ALLETE headquarters in Duluth) and phase out a long-term contract to buy coal-generated electricity now transmitted over the line. Because of wind energy demand, Duluth has recently become a port for wind energy parts shipments from overseas and the Midwestern hub for shipments out to various wind energy sites. Duluth's water supply is sourced from Lake Superior and treated at the Lakewood Water Treatment Plant. The plant's oldest structure, the Lakewood Pumphouse, was built in 1896 in Romanesque Revival architecture, Romanesque Revival style, replacing older facilities that had been unable to prevent a Typhoid fever, typhoid epidemic. It was designed by William Patton. A 42-inch original Water distribution system, main from 1896, one of two leaving the facility with clean, treated water, is still in use today. The system supplies approximately 100,000 people in Duluth and nearby towns. Throughout its history, Duluth's sewers have overflowed when it rained, causing untreated sewage to flow into Lake Superior and the Saint Louis River. For example, in 2001 alone the overflow amounted to over . Over the past five years the City of Duluth has taken extraordinary measures to eliminate sewage overflows and in 2013, the improvements are three years ahead of schedule.Fire department
The city of Duluth is protected by 132 paid, professional firefighters of the city of Duluth Fire Department. The Duluth Fire Department responded to 12,231 fire and emergency medical calls in 2015. The Duluth Fire Department operates out of eight fire stations throughout the city, under the command of an Assistant Chief, Squad 251. The department also operates a fire apparatus fleet of six engines, one tower ladder, two quints, one heavy-duty rescue, two light medical response vehicles, and numerous other special, support, and reserve units.Notable people
Duluth innovations
Duluth Pack portage packs
A Duluth pack is a traditionalPie à la Mode
The dessert pie à la Mode, a slice of pie topped by a scoop of ice cream, was first invented and named by John Gieriet in Duluth in 1885. But Charles Watson Townsend's 1936 ''New York Times'' obituary claimed that he was the inventor, and a controversy developed. A ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' reporter read Townsend's obituary and realized that the ''Times'' had incorrectly attributed the invention to Townsend. Wanting to set the record straight, on May 23, 1936, the ''Pioneer Press'' ran a story about how the dessert was really invented at a Superior Street restaurant in Duluth in the 1880s, and indicated that the restaurant served ice cream with blueberry pie specifically. This was over a decade before Townsend first ordered pie with ice cream in New York, making Duluth the true birthplace of pie à la Mode.Electric elevator
In 1887, inventor Alexander Miles of Duluth patented an electric elevator. Although not the first elevator, the design was important for improving the method of opening and closing elevator doors, as well as closing the opening to the elevator shaft when an elevator was between floors. At that time, elevator patrons or operators were required to manually shut a door to cut off access to the shaft, and Miles created an automatic mechanism that closed that access.First mall in the United States
The Lake View Store was the first modern indoor Shopping mall, mall in the United States. It was built in 1915, and is in the formerChun King, Jeno's Pizza Rolls, and Bellisio Frozen Foods
Duluth was the home of food magnate Jeno Paulucci. While working as a wholesale grocer in Hibbing in the late 1940s, Paulucci noticed a growing market for prepared Chinese food. Borrowing $2,500 from a friend (c. $30,000 in 2020), he started canning chow mein "seasoned to [his] own Italian taste", and selling it to retailers under the label Chun King. Chun King came to encompass an entire line of prepared Chinese food, at that time not available in grocery stores. In 1966, he sold his enterprise for $63 million ($509 million in 2020). In 1968 Paulucci founded Totino's, Jeno's Inc., a company that sold frozen pizzas and a variety of other "Italian" foods. The most notable of these was the pizza roll, a snack food consisting of Italian filling in an egg roll wrapper. In 1985, Paulucci sold Jeno's Inc. for $135 million ($329 million in 2020). In the 1990s, he started Bellisio Foods, a leading diversified frozen food company named after Paulucci's familial home village in Bellisio Solfare, Italy.First whole-plane parachute system on a certified aircraft
In association with southern Minnesota company Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS), Duluth-based aircraft manufacturing company Cirrus Aircraft developed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), the first whole-plane, emergency parachute recovery system to be installed on a line of type certification, type certified aircraft, the Cirrus SR20 and Cirrus SR22, SR22. A solid-fuel rocket housed in the fuselage is used to pull the parachute out from its housing and deploy the canopy full within seconds. It is designed to save the pilot and passengers by lowering the entire aircraft down to the ground in case of an emergency or structural failure. To date, CAPS has saved over 150 lives. The Cirrus management and design teams have won many awards for their efforts, including the 2016 Joseph T. Nall Safety Award. CAPS was conceived by Cirrus founders brothers Klapmeier brothers, Dale and Alan Klapmeier after Alan survived a deadly mid-air collision in the mid-1980s, which inspired them to develop the device. It was first tested over the high desert of southern California in 1998 by the late author, Cirrus test pilot and Minnesota Air National Guard pilot Scott D. Anderson. Anderson died the following year when his plane crashed about 400 meters from the Duluth International Airport during an experimental test flight assessing changes Cirrus planned to use in production. The plane he was testing was the first off the production line and had not yet been equipped with CAPS. Anderson was posthumously inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010.In popular culture
* F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel ''The Great Gatsby'' (1925) has scenes that take place in Duluth and on the shores of Lake Superior. * ''Minnesota: Land of Plenty'' (1942) – documentary short film by James A. FitzPatrick. * ''You'll Like My Mother'' (1972) – feature film shot in and around Duluth, principally at Glensheen Historic Estate. * ''Far North (1988 film), Far North'' (1988) – feature film, directed by Sam Shepard and starring Jessica Lange, shot in and around Duluth. * ''Iron Will'' (1994) – Walt Disney Pictures movie filmed in Duluth substituting for 1917 Winnipeg. * The short-lived television sitcom ''The Louie Show'' (1996), starring comedian Louie Anderson, is set in Duluth and features downtown Duluth buildings in its opening title sequence. * A series of suspense novels by author Brian Freeman (psychological suspense author), Brian Freeman (starting with ''Immoral'' in 2005) take place in and around Duluth and feature real locations from the city. * The sports comedy film ''Leatherheads'' (2008), co-starring George Clooney and Renée Zellweger, is set in Duluth and features a fictitious 1920s pro football team partially based on the Duluth Eskimos. * The first season of the FX TV series ''Fargo (TV series), Fargo'' (2014), inspired by the Fargo (1996 film), 1996 film of the same name, is mainly set in and around Bemidji and Duluth. * ''Merry Kiss Cam'' (2022) – romantic comedy film set and shot entirely in Duluth.Sister cities
Duluth has five sister cities: * Isumi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan * Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Karelia, Russia * Ranya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq * Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada * Växjö Municipality, Växjö, Kronoberg, SwedenSee also
* Darling's Observatory * Duluth model * Federal Prison Camp, Duluth * Oliver G. Traphagen HouseNotes
References
Further reading
* Bartlett, Elizabeth Ann. ''Making Waves: Grassroots Feminism in Duluth and Superior'' (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2016). xvi, 325 pp. * * Macdonald, Dora Mary (1950). ''This is Duluth''. Central High School Printing Department. Reprinted by Paradigm Press (1999). *External links