Duluth, Minnesota (Images of America) [Paperback]

Maryanne C. Norton (Author), Sheldon T. Aubut (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2001

Duluth, Minnesota, "The Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas," is located on the shores of Lake Superior. Once a center for shipping, lumber, mining, steel, railroads, grain, and one of the nation's largest ports, it housed some of the wealthiest people in the country. During the 1880s, the New York newspapers believed that within 20 years it would be larger than Chicago. Due to all of this wealth, the city grew at a remarkable rate, yet it also suffered through several recessions that almost destroyed it. With many handsome houses and remarkable buildings, Duluth's architectural heritage is among the strongest in North America. At the turn of the 20th century, it boasted more park land and green space, per capita, than any other American city, and offered residents a lifestyle that was incomparable.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an excellent book for people who drive around Duluth looking at the old houses and wondering about them. -- Reader Weekly, Oct 4, 2001

From the Author

This book is intended as a celebration of Duluth's past: its talented and industrious people, its beautiful natural environment and its architecturally significant structures. There are few cities in this country with a lake such as Superior at its doorstep and steep hills where rivers and creeks tumble through canyons and over rock formations to reach the lake. Those natural features convinced early surveyors and settlers that this city could be the next Chicago, or perhaps an even more important metropolis.

The ideal location for shipping timber, grain, iron ore from Minnesota's iron ranges, and other bulk products brought great wealth to Duluth. It was often said Duluth had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States. That wealth produced the mansions in the East End and the spectacular architecture which talented Duluth and nationally known architects designed from the 1880s until 1920.

We have attempted in this book to showcase those beautiful commercial buildings, homes, bridges and the people who created them. It is not possible to picture all the great architecture, past and present, in a volume this size, and it has been difficult to choose. We hope the reader will forgive us if favorite architectural gems are not included. Research on some early buildings has been difficult, and we have had to evaluate conflicting information and to choose what seemed the most reasonable and reliable.

It is our hope that this book rekindles memories and appreciation for the treasures of this wonderful city.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (July 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738518913
• ISBN-13: 978-0738518916
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #852,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handy guide book tells Duluth's story well, September 25, 2001

By 

Mark Evans (Blackwell, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Duluth, Minnesota (Images of America) (Paperback)

Sheldon T. Aubut and Maryanne C. Nortons Duluth, Minnesota allows readers to glimpse Duluths impressive past without spending $50 to $100 on a large format coffee table book
The medium format paperback, which sells for $19.95 (part of Arcadia Publishings Images of America series), is big enough for large, clear photos that give readers an idea of the wealth and power the late 19th century Duluth leaders enjoyed. The city is broken into several sections or neighborhoods, outlining the history of each  mainly in photo captions. The authors are able to give a solid background on city history without bogging the casual reader down and without allowing large gray blocks of text to mar the book.
The stories and photos of several people who helped build Duluth and some of the celebrities who had connections with it are interspersed with historic and a few contemporary photos. President Rutherford B. Hayes owned property there and singer Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, to name two.
The captions under the historic photos tell readers what they most want to know: what the buildings were used for, what year they were built, and what became of them. The authors give enough architectural detail to help casual readers see what a Richardsonian Romanesque or Shingle house looked like, without sending one scurrying for a dictionary of architectural terms. This is an entertaining and handy little book to have, whether someone has visited Duluth or not. For someone who IS contemplating a visit, it would be an ideal guide book. I would definitely recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent look at historical Duluth, October 25, 2001

By 

John Willcox (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duluth, Minnesota (Images of America) (Paperback)

Sheldon T. Aubut and Maryanne C. Norton's 'Duluth, Minnesota' gives an inexpensive look into the history and architecture of this picturesque city. I wish it had been available before my last trip up there last year. I will definitely re-read it before my next visit. The book's easy-to-read conversational style keeps you moving through, and the photographs tell a fascinating story. Very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in this part of the country.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story Well Told..., August 3, 2002

By 

Ron Zurek (Etiwanda, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duluth, Minnesota (Images of America) (Paperback)

Sheldon T. Aubut and Maryanne C. Norton bring the history of Duluth, Minnesota's buildings to life in this book. "Duluth" starts with an early history of the Indian settlements of the Sioux and Ojibwe people, to Minnesota Point and the street car line serving both residents and businesses in the late 1800s.

Then we tour the West Downtown business district with its two-story structures where families lived on the second floor, to the West End now known as Lincoln Park. Continuing on our journey to East Downtown discovering mainly retail with fraternal organizations and theaters built in the 1870s and 1880s to the early government buildings constructed from the 1860s to 1900s and later.

Our hosts guide us through the hills, which rise from Lake Superior for a look at one of the nicest residential areas of the time. Personally, I did not know the city once had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States and this wealth produced many beautiful commercial buildings, homes, and bridges.

We then steer towards the East End, an area filled with the period revival homes that were much in vogue. Lastly, the "Streetcar Suburbs" where it was possible to live away from the crowded downtown area and commute, and Skyline Parkway, a roadway near the top of Duluth's hills.

"Duluth" is the perfect gift book for architectural aficionados and those that want to learn more about this area. The book offers a wonderful sampling of the city's significant structures and makes for enjoyable reading about its wonderful historic treasures.