The Glass Lens

William Irvin

2007-01-23T15:52:00.000-06:00

Sorry if I have posted this before...

Jay Cooke State Park

2007-01-18T02:21:00.000-06:00

In 1915, 2,350 acres of land was donated to Minnesota by the St. Louis River Power Company. The State of Minnesota continually bought land in the surrounding area until it reached it's current size of 8,818 acres.

Named after famed 1800's financier Jay Cooke, who was best known locally for bringing the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad to Duluth from St. Paul to Duluth. Cooke, who worked tirelessly to turn Duluth into the next Chicago, would lose his fortune in the Panic of 1873.

Located off Minnesota Highway 23 on the St. Louis River, this park is located in both St. Louis and Carlton Counties. The dam you see above is the Thomson Dam, which is located on the east side of the park.

W.J. McCarthy Part 2

2007-01-17T22:28:00.000-06:00

Again the site didn't let me update. I am contemplating changing servers, but until then, three cheers for The Glass Lens, mate!

W. J. McCarthy

2007-01-15T00:15:00.000-06:00

The American Steamship Company's Walter J. McCarthy loads at the Burlington Northern #5 in Superior. Her primary cargo is low sulfur western coal, which is usually loaded at Midwest Energy on the St. Louis Bay and brought to St. Clair, MI, but she occasionally picks up cargoes such as taconite as seen here.

Built in 1977, the McCarthy was originally named Belle River, but changed her name to reflect the honor of the former Detroit Edison chairman Mr. Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. At 1000 feet long, four General Motors 3500 h.p. diesel engines push 80,900 tons of cargo along the lakes.

Rushing River, Part 2

2007-01-14T23:35:00.000-06:00

Sorry, the site was down when I tried to update it, and I didn't get back to update it til now.

Winter Rush

2007-01-08T23:04:00.000-06:00

In rural Douglas County, WI, this river continues to defy winter, rushing its way to nowhere.

AT&T...Old and New

2007-01-05T11:06:00.000-06:00

On November 21, 2005, AT&T officially unveiled it's new logo, thus retiring the previous logo which had been in place for twenty two years. Both the old and the new design can be seen on Duluth's tallest building.

United States Steel, Part 2

2007-01-04T10:25:00.000-06:00

Here are the aforementioned sprockets that silently guard the entrance to the former Duluth Works plant.

United States Steel

2007-01-03T00:51:00.000-06:00

If you venture past west Duluth, you will come to a section of Duluth that played a prominent role in Duluth's history. Traveling westbound on Grand Avenue, you see streets named "Hulett" and "Bessemer", names associated with the once fluorishing iron ore industry. Just a few miles further and you reach a section of town called "Morgan Park", named after financier JP Morgan. This section of town, like most of the steel towns US Steel was involved in, was developed for the welfare of the employees, and included a school, church, hospital, and townhomes (which still stand today) built for them. The neighborhood, instead of steelworkers, now boasts blue collar workers of other trades. Just past Morgan Park is another neighborhood, Gary-New Duluth, which bears the name of Judge Elbert Gary, the first president of United States Steel.

In 1915, US Steel built the "Duluth Works" plant, and it would remain in operation for sixty four years, closing in May of 1979. The plant, which also included the American Steel and Wire Co., produced coke and steel, among other products, for America. In it's prime, US Steel employed 2,500 people.

Next to the Duluth Works property is the former Universal Atlas Cement Company, which comprises 65 acres of now brown grass,

As I took these photos, I could almost hear the plant coming back to life. In the distance, a train eerily rumbled down the tracks and blew it's whistle. This continued for the duration of my presence on the property. The gates and the signs almost seemed to imply that the closure was temporary, that the plant was in the midst of a slowing economy and would soon be bustling with men making steel, steel that makes America. The five foot tall sprockets in the entrance also were welcoming, giving vitality to a property that was so lifeless, so hopeless. I was jolted back to reality by a warm breeze, a breeze that spoke silently, yet so loudly, saying that the plant would never again rumble with men and steel.

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T00:40:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

Guess what time this pic was taken. Do not read further unless you don't feel like guessing.

And the answer is....just past 12:15AM. That's right, just after midnight. The night was completely clear with just a full moon illuminating the area.

Where is Winter?

2006-12-27T23:28:00.000-06:00

In case you missed it, two pictures from this site made it on the Duluth Seaway Port Authority's magazine for this quarter. They can be viewed by clicking on the magazine cover on the homepage.

Sorry, I have been working six day weeks most of the month. I haven't been out taking pictures, and the one day I tried to, I ended up sitting at the shop with my car for five and 1/2 hours, so that took care of that day! I am going to try (honestly!) to shoot a slew of pics over the next week.

Clyde Iron

2006-12-13T08:18:00.000-06:00

The building that once housed the industrial giant Clyde Iron stands silently, a testimony to the company that once helped create the industrial United States. Formed in the early 1900's, the Clyde Iron Works made cranes, hoists, and derricks for industrial use. The silence that occupies the structure will soon be replaced with the sounds of hockey sticks, skates and laughter as the Duluth Hockey Heritage Center will be occupying the building after renovations are complete.

Lake Superior's Furious Shore

2006-12-12T23:20:00.000-06:00

Lake Superior is not a warm lake. Especially in winter. I got a little too close to shore and got my feet washed.

Portraits of a Pug

2006-12-01T00:49:00.000-06:00

It's the Christmas season. You want to make sure that your tree is up, your house is decorated and your animals are festive. Wait, animals? Well, Pat and Meghan decided that their pug needed to be decorated as well. The top photo is the pug at it's best; the bottom shows what happens when a pug decides his modeling career is about to end.

Barker...Part 2

2006-11-30T00:16:00.000-06:00

Well, December is almost here. You know what that means! 7 months until summer!!!!! :) I went outside to take some pics today and almost froze!!!!!! The windchill plus low temperatures = very few pictures.

No Title

2006-11-29T11:28:00.000-06:00

Duluth Harbor

2006-11-27T00:20:00.000-06:00

Self Portrait

2006-11-26T00:53:00.000-06:00

Oh the ideas that come to you late at night. I decided to start taking pics of my dog at 11:30PM. Poor girl. 1 hour and three bones later, she was done. (Around fifty pics in all). I tried to get a few with her, but it's hard when you're setting up the shot by yourself, guessing how it will end up. This is one of the few that turned out. I took like five or six pics with the flash and now I have a headache...i can only imagine how she feels, having her nap interrupted by me. I guess I'll have to play frisbee with her for an extra few minutes tomorrow. :)

A Post for the Hunters...but put your guns away before looking!

2006-11-25T00:19:00.000-06:00

For all of the hunters who didn't see a deer, now you can say you saw one. Just don't shoot at your computer screen.

It was a balmy day up here, in the mid 50's. You say "humph", I say "balmy". I even put my feet in Lake Superior on Friday!!! (By accident when a wave got closer to shore than I expected). When I was growing up, November was the cold month. Thanksgiving would bring us snow, and the high by this time would be in the low teens. December's highs would be around 0 and January would be -5 to -15 degrees (before windchill). Now the months are all warm, with the exception of January, where in the latter part of the month, you can find your high around -5 degrees.

Christmas Time!

2006-11-24T19:14:00.000-06:00

One radio station up here has ben playing Christmas music 24/7 since last week. I just couldn't get into that Christmas spirit, but tonight, as I shot different photos, I had to give in. This is downtown at the Minnesota Power building at Lake Avenue and Superior Street. MN Power has been putting a Christmas tree in the Lake Place Plaza for over 25 years, hosting a tree lighting ceremony broadcast live on KBJR-TV which officially kicks off Duluth's Christmas season. (The Christmas City of the North Parade follows right after the 6:00 news the same night).

Nighttime

2006-11-22T23:07:00.000-06:00

Guardian of the Lake

2006-11-14T11:05:00.000-06:00

So I had to cover City Council last night. Not too exciting, but then again, this is the area where I live...anyway, as my reporter and I were walking to the elevator, she tells me this story of when she and another photog were there previously. Apparently the elevator got stuck while they were waiting for it. She heard the man yelling, and she asked him if she should call the maintenance person. The reply? "I AM THE MAINTENANCE PERSON". After much yelling of a phone number from the maintenance person, she was able to get it, call HIS boss, and they eventually lifted him out to safety.

We did a series called "Jaywalking" last night for our 6 and 10 newscasts. Modeled after Leno's random questioning of strangers of civics and history questions, we decided to see if people around Duluth were any brighter. I'll let you decide the answer after asking...

One of the questions was: "What ship did the Pilgrims come to America on?" One kid's answer: "I dunno. That haunted one there (points to the direction of the WILLIAM A. IRVIN), the one in Canal Park".

Next question: "Name Minnesota's two senators". Another teenager's response: "Ummmm...(long pause)...Pawlenty and Wellstone?" Nice. Pawlenty has been governor and Wellstone has been six feet under for four years.

Leaves you wondering what they do teach in school...

The CANADIAN PROGRESS inches her way into the Duluth Ship Canal, destined for Midwest Energy in Superior.

A Map

2006-11-12T23:03:00.000-06:00

How's that for originality for this post's name???

If you were a bug and needed to traverse the Twin Ports harbor, this is what you would see. On the other hand, if you were a bug and reading this, I'd have to take a picture of that too...

You can see the DM&IR dock #'s 5 and 6. In the background, you may be able to make out Interstate 35 as it runs south (yes, going right to left is south; thus, going left to right is north!).

Oh, and I have one question. When I worked 911, this always made me curious. Why, when a person dials 911, do they begin to argue that they dialed 411? Do the 411 operators get to play pranks? If so, I was five hundred numbers too high on the phone pad. Numerous people argued with me...one even went so far as to demand that I give them the phone number they were looking for. I told them that I was not a phone book and that they should look it up. Maybe I was really employed by the 411...and due to city budget cuts, we now had to tell people how to perform the Heimlich occasionally. On the other hand, if that was the case, 411 didn't pay all that bad..

The Star Spangled Banner

2006-11-11T20:55:00.000-06:00

Veteran's Day 2006. A day to say "Thank You" to all those who have served. A veteran, who is in his 70's now, said that he served in World War II and that in 60 years, he has received "Thank You" for service to his country only four times, and one of those times occurred today.

If you see a veteran thank them. They're the reason we can proudly hold our head up and declare that "We're Americans".

Thank you to all who have served.

Edmund Fitzgerald Remembered

2006-11-10T18:41:00.000-06:00

On November 10, 1975 at 1910 EST, the 729 foot ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in eastern Lake Superior, taking with her 29 men and 26,116 tons of taconite ore from Superior, WI. The Fitzgerald has been the last shipwreck on the Great Lakes to date.

In the Lake Superior Marine Museum, a free museum in Duluth dedicated to shipping on Lake Superior, there is a section dedicated to the Fitzgerald. Two items silently hang as testaments from the disaster: a life ring and a a life jacket. (These items were donated by Columbia Transportation after being released as evidence by the Coast Guard). Other than those two items, very little debris was found from the disaster - only a couple life rafts and other miscellaneous pieces from the ship floated free from the ship following the disaster.

Callaway, Part II

2006-11-10T00:28:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the last post being a little hot. I had a better pic, but was in a hurry and put the wrong one up. Here's a wider shot of her loading. There's a couple more pics from there that will be posted. Have a good day.

31 years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank near Whitefish Bay, taking all 29 hands with her. A few ceremonies are being held around the upper Midwest region in rememberance, including one at the Mariner's Chapel in Detroit and at Split Rock Lighthouse. If I make it to Split Rock, I will post pics from the ceremony.

Cason J. Calloway

2006-11-09T03:00:00.000-06:00

Alright, I think I am back to normal with the site. Thanks to my buddy Pat for assisting me with the shoot tonight, it went well. Not all the pics are back, but enough to at least get the site running again!

The 767 foot Cason J. Callaway unloads limestone at the former DM&IR dock in west Duluth. Having been owned by US Steel, it was in the same family as the DM&IR until CN's acquisition and subsequent sale of the bulk carriers. After discharge, it will take on a load of taconite (max. tonnage is a shade over 25,000 tons) for it's new owners, Great Lakes Fleet.

Fall Colors

2006-10-13T23:18:00.000-05:00

Well, winter has arrived up here in the Northland. I got stuck on the Iron Range covering a mine explosion with minimal winter gear. After getting up there, I was informed I was staying overnight....

I was able to reshoot many of the photos I lost. Some of them turned out better than before, and others were not able to be taken as they were time sensitive (things that don't exist anymore). Thanks for watching this website!

Dazed and Confused

2006-10-04T21:24:00.000-05:00

Well, um, I don't know how to say it, but I made a major mistake. I was cleaning off my desktop on my computer and managed to delete all my photos for this website. Yup, every one of them. Gone with the wind. Au revoir. Adios. Aloha. (That's all the words for "goodbye" I know in foreign language) So, as a result, I am temporarily taking a reprieve from this site until I can reshoot the photos.

Now, some of you may be wondering why I didn't back them up. Good question. My jump drive was not big enough, and I didn't want to burn them to CD in case the CD's scratched. Well, they're gone.

I have shot new stuff, but will not be posting until I can find a better way of archiving the photos. Hopefully this will not take too long.

Blatnik at Night

2006-09-07T01:43:00.000-05:00

Duluth at Night, Part 2

2006-09-05T21:03:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year, I posted a slightly different version of this picture.

Look at Me

2006-09-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

This little bird was injured on WI Point. It's family was wandering around the Point while it laid under a log.

Long Day Over

2006-09-03T01:00:00.000-05:00

An empty DM&IR (now CN) limestone car (#2150) is shown here in front of Hallett's Dock #5 Bulk Storage facility in West Duluth. The limestone cars were formerly owned by US Steel's Minntac plant in Mountain Iron, MN, but were purchased by the former Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad, who, in the late 1990's, won the the limestone contract for Minntac from Hallett. For a period of time, the DM&IR stockpiled the limestone in Two Harbors, MN (just north of Duluth) to ensure ample taconite storage room in West Duluth.

Midwest Energy

2006-09-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

A former Oglebay Norton thousand footer hungrily loads low-sulfur coal at MERC's Superior facility.

All Fired Up

2006-09-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

For some odd reason, I really like this photo. Perhaps it's the simplicity of it-a small campfire in the late afternoon hours. I continued to think about it, and concluded that perhaps it's the fact that I spent a lot of money for a nice lens, and this is the end result, and I'm forcing myself to like it... :) Have a nice day.

A Final Goodbye

2006-08-31T00:14:00.000-05:00

The John Sherwin, laid up in Superior since 1982, is scheduled to be towed out today, with it's final destination being Chicago. The Sherwin, owned by Interlake Steamship, was a relatively newer ship, and did not fall victim to the scrapyard due to her age and the possibility that a self-unloading boom could be installed. The grain trade never rebounded, and the taconite shipments were not enough for Interlake to justify the conversion, so she will sit as a storage ship in Chicago until final plans can be made for her.

A Summer Cruise

2006-08-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

Hi. I have not, contrary to popular belief, dropped off of the face of the earth. I lost my job earlier this month, and have been busy looking for work and trying to get back into school. The work search isn't as easy as I thought, but at least I have school to fall back on to (theoretically anyway). I have many prints that I obviously have not posted here, but if you are interested in purchasing any, leave me a comment, and I will respond to you.

DM&IR Train & Thank You

2006-07-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of postings lately. Things have been extremely busy, and there have been a lot of personal things going on. I am hoping to put up a new site, where pictures can be purchased relatively soon, but I have to get ahold of the person who wants to do it and then design the site..keep checking for more details.

A big thank you to all who have checked out my site and have returned on a regular basis. My tracker shows that we have gone international!!! I have recorded visits from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, and all over the US....from the US Government in Washington DC to people in the Twin Ports area. Thanks again for visiting.

This DM&IR train heads past the former Hallett Dock facility in West Duluth. Still sporting the DM&IR colors, this may be one of your last remaining months to get photos of the DM&IR before they change over to CN's branding.

St. Louis Bay and the DM&IR Docks

2006-07-03T18:44:00.000-05:00

To the north of the DM&IR Docks, you see the stockpile of various bulk material that the DM&IR uses for different clients. The piles vary in size based on the customer-for example, EVTAC pellets generally were handled by the former Oglebay Norton Transportation Line. EVTAC's pellets have a different iron ore composition than say, Minntac's (US Steel's taconite facility near Virginia, MN). Because different clients have different, yet specific iron ore needs, it is important that the right taconite product be shipped to the customer. The dock to the right, DM&IR #5 is no longer in use.

The Meteor

2006-07-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

A Flower

2006-07-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

Horsin' Around

2006-06-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

A Country Scene

2006-06-29T15:19:00.000-05:00

In an area just outside of Superior, the first season of hay for the year has been baled.

A "Loony" experience

2006-06-28T17:40:00.000-05:00

These little ones were hanging out in Duluth in public, enjoying a nice evening.

Barker's Island

2006-06-27T00:09:00.000-05:00

Something happened to the web page...the "About Me" section was moved to the bottom. Since I did not touch the html coding, it became a mystery to me, but I thought I could learn it in five minutes. Boy was that a mistake. I lost everything, soooo...

I went to revamp the site. In the process, everything came back. Go figure...

Awesome Photography Site: http://pete.bensbane.net

A Proctor Sunset

2006-06-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

The sun set behind the Yellowstone 225 in Proctor, giving a glorious display of pink, yellow, and orange colors...

An Old Caboose

2006-06-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

The Old and the New

2006-06-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

These bloomed in the yard over a month ago, sorry about the late posting...

Lighthouse

2006-06-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

A Rushing River

2006-06-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

A Little Piece of History

2006-06-21T19:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the late update...I worked 14 hours beginning at 10pm last night and have to be back at 10pm tonight...

The historic tug Lake Superior, permanently moored to Harbor Drive, silently guards the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.

Canal Park

2006-06-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

Old Sign

2006-06-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

This remnant of a sign stands hidden on Rice's Point.

Irvin at Night, Part 2

2006-06-18T09:52:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, I accessed an email account that I had forgotten about since December of 2002. When I got in, I was greeted by 2,246 or so unread emails, all of them spam or legitimate company mailings. I think the best one was from one company, who I probably did give my email to, asking me for permission to send me mailings; when I didn't respond, they began sending massive amounts of email anyway. Yes, every one of them otherwise was spam, except for the occasional server one telling me that my account was nearing it's limit. I did, however, get to take a trip back in time, as one recapped the 2004 election, and the others just had stupid subject lines....such as "Resurrect Bermuda" and others...

2006-06-17T07:54:00.000-05:00

A DM&IR coal tender rests peacefully behind a Yellowstone 225 in Proctor. These tenders typically carried 26 tons of coal and 25,000 gallons of water, powering a steam locomotive for about two hours. She currently sits on display just off of USH 2 in Proctor, with the turnoff being to the golf course. The "Wing" design with the Safety First herald was only used from 1941 to 1962, when the last steam locomotive was removed from service. The design, while used, is considered "rare", as many coal tenders had simply the white on black Safety First herald applied.

Meteor

2006-06-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

The S.S. Meteor sits silently on Superior's Barkers Island. Launched in 1896 in Superior, WI, she is the last remaining whaleback ship in the world. Designed by Captain Alexander McDougall, she was originally named the Frank Rockefeller and was converted to a tanker ship in 1943. In 1972, the City of Superior purchased it for use as a museum. You can tour this vessel in the summers.

Fitgers on the Rocks

2006-06-15T10:26:00.000-05:00

You usually hear "on the rocks" referring to the drinks you can be served inside...

This old brewery began in 1857 just down the street. In 1881, it moved to it's current location at 6th East and Superior Street, and in 1972, quit brewing beer. However, in the late 1990's, the Brewhouse once again began beer production. Fitgers currently houses a luxury hotel, restaurants, and unique clothing and merchandise shops.

Duluth Sunset

2006-06-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

The sun begins to set over Canal Park while Duluth snuggles up under a blanket of clouds.

William A. Irvin at Night

2006-06-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

This wasn't my favorite of the bunch, but it had the most depth...the others were more artsy, maybe I'll post them soon.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

2006-06-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

Downtown Duluth at Night

2006-06-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back on midnights for a few weeks. In honor of that, I am posting some night pictures for you to enjoy during your day.

This was taken in downtown Duluth. I got a few different shots, but this was my favorite, and I hope you enjoy it. Have a nice day.

Duluth's Lake Place and Oglebay Norton

2006-06-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

Apparently I have been out of the loop lately. I read tonight that three days ago, Oglebay Norton Company sold most of it's ships to American Steamship, which prompty changed the names and some of the colors of the old O.N. ships and placed them into service under their new names. Some of the work was done at Fraser Shipyards in Superior. O.N.'s ships included the Columbia Star, Middletown, and others which frequently loaded in Superior, mostly at Midwest Energy Resources dock; however, they also could be found periodically at the DM&IR docks in West Duluth. Oglebay Norton, who is in the process of finalizing a deal to sell their last three ships, has a long and classic history with the Twin Ports...it was formed in the late 1800's to manage the Rockefeller properties on the Mesabi Range. However, the most recent historical event involving the company was the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975. Oglebay Norton's Columbia Transportation line was the operator of the vessel, owned by Northwestestern Mutual Life Insurance of Milwaukee, WI. Fitzgerald left Superior, WI and sank near Whitefish Bay, MI with all crew members. The company will continue to operate in minerals operations, and use the cash from the shipping sale to pay down debt.

Lake Place Plaza, located at the corner of Lake Avenue and Superior Street, connects west and east Duluth together. This plaza is frequently used by the city for special events, such as the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree an hour prior to the Christmas City of the North Parade in November.

Burlington Northern Grain Car

2006-06-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

You came for one picture, and got five instead. What a deal!!! This old "bopper" sits along Railroad Street as part of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum's train collection. (The museum ranks as #2 in the nation for exhibits, and it's well worth the trip...you can easily spend a good part of your day in there for a very reasonable price).

According to the LSRM's website, this boxcar was used experimentally by Burlington Northern, but did not last long. The theory was that, in order to reduce wasted trips, since a boxcar went out loaded, but returned empty, why not equip it to carry a load on return? The floors were movable, powered hydraulically by a separate power car which would be attached to the load.

Notice the Bethlehem Steel "Johnstown" symbol painted on. Bethlehem Steel no longer exists, and the company is now known as Freight Car America.

Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge

2006-06-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

Need I say more?

Sorry this update is so late. The site would not let me on to update earlier today, and I had appointments to keep, so this was the earliest I could get on.

Minnesota Power-100 Years

2006-06-07T01:49:00.000-05:00

If you live in the Twin Ports, you probably have heard one of Minnesota Power's catchy jingles celebrating their one hundreth anniversary this year. (Click on the link, then go to "videos" to see one of the commercials that have run periodically on local media outlets). Formed in 1906, it did not get their current name of Minnesota Power until 1923; since then, they have been an active partner in our community, supporting local events and being on the front lines of new development in Duluth. Congratulations Minnesota Power on your 100th Anniversary! (And, just for the record, I am not a former or current employee of MP&L - I just thought it was notable to recognize a company that has been successful for this long period of time). This photo of their headquarters at Lake Ave. and Superior St. in downtown Duluth, shows their "Electrifying a Century" banner, which is their centennial theme.

Next to the MP&L building on the right is Duluth's Technology Village, which was envisioned and built in the height of the technology boom of the late 1990's. Unfortunately, with the technology crash which occurred around the time it was built, it has never fulfilled it's intended purpose, simply housing local businesses that wished to relocate downtown.

Marshall Wells Water Towers and Tug Lake Superior

2006-06-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

Nestled behind the Army Corps' tug Lake Superior is the Marshall-Wells water tower. Marshall Wells at one point was the largest wholesaler in the world, dealing with hardware and groceries. The company, formed in 1886, ended in Duluth in 1958 after Coast to Coast Hardware purchased the operation. Today, the building along Lake Avenue holds the Hawthorne Suites, which has built its' hotel around most of the original architectural design. If you stay there, you will see how the building originally was built for the hardware store in many parts of the building.

Duluth at Night

2006-06-05T04:58:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the wider photos on the last two posts. I will be buying a zoom lens here shortly, and hopefully that will give me more of the shots that I want. But, in the meantime, enjoy this photo, taken from Superior of Duluth's waterfront. Duluth is commonly referred to by mariners along the lakes as "The City of Diamonds", and this picture does not do it justice, but hopefully, you can get a glimpse of why it's earned it's name. If you are traveling through and want a couple good spots of where you can see the city, try these places. Thompson Hill (just outside of Duluth) is elevated (hence it's name) and will offer you a great view of St. Louis Bay, and to the north, Duluth. Hidden along Enger Tower is a gazebo, where you have an unrestricted view of Duluth. This is my favorite spot. Skyline Drive/Parkway also offers great views...and also, there is one small, and I emphasize small, spot along US Highway 2 in Wentworth, where there is farm country. Because it is farm country, and open, you can see Duluth clearly at night (Duluth is about 20 miles away from this location). However, USH 2 is a two lane highway, and I do not recommend stopping to get a picture, for you either will receive a citation for non emergency stopping or you will be hit, or both may occur. And that ruins any good picture one may take.

Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge

2006-06-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge right before a heavy rainstorm. I saw a salty, which I couldn't identify because of the distance, silently push it's way out to Lake Superior, where it will eventually find the St.Lawrence Seaway, and it's destination.

John Sherwin...Part 2?

2006-06-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

The John Sherwin sits at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, WI. Built in 1958, she was laid up in 1981 when the grain trade took a hit on the Lakes. Owned by Interlake Steamship Company, she is a relatively "new" ship (only 48 years old, young by Lakes standards), with 25 of those years being spent in layup in Superior. Because of her age, it was initially decided not to scrap the ship, but rather wait out the grain problems, and possibly retrofit her with a self-unloading system. However, that has not happened...but, in 2006, she was moved to Fraser Shipyards, where she was undergoing inspection for possible reentry into service. Anyone interested in the Twin Ports' and Great Lakes economy should take note of her...if she is reinstated into cargo services, that would be a great sign for both the taconite and grain industries here in the Northland.

Railroad Street Flashback

2006-06-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

If you travel along Duluth's Railroad Street (along the waterfront) you will see many unique trains. Most of them belong to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, as they are generally left in the "railyard" either during restoration or until room is found for them. Across from the Lafarge Cement Dock, a train rests quietly with a "load" of Burlington Northern grain cars for the call that will never come. I will post pics of the grain cars in the near future.

Carnegie and Hallett

2006-06-01T03:20:00.000-05:00

The Twin Ports has a rich history whose script couldn't have been written by the best Hollywood writer. Names like Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, US Steel, all of these played huge roles in the formation of not only the Twin Ports, but national domestic growth. Here you see the former Carnegie Dock and Fuel Company, which is now owned by Hallett Dock Company. Hallett owns numerous docks, from the area of the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway (now Candian National) Docks 6 and 7 and across the St. Louis Bay. Hallett handles limestone, calcium chloride, salt, and taconite fines, to name a few of the cargoes. The dock you see here, Dock #7, according to the company website, is 400 feet by 270 feet, can hold 80,000 tons of bulk cargo, and can be directly fed into by a ship at a rate of 4,000 tons an hour.

William A. Irvin-At Rest

2006-06-01T01:28:00.000-05:00

Since tonight was my last night off, I thought I'd take the ol' camera around the Twin Ports to see what the memory card wanted. I shot tons of pictures that I really like, and they will be posted here over the next few days.

The William A. Irvin was the flagship for the now defunct US Steel's Great Lakes Fleet. Launched in 1937, she sailed for 41 years on the Great Lakes, hauling iron ore, although occasionally (and rarely) transported other bulk cargoes for clients. The unique part of the ship was that she had a cross compound steam turbine engine installed, rather than the standard triple expansion steam turbines as ships of that era commonly had. Because of her size, and the inherent cost of placing a self-unloading boom on it, it was decided that she would sail no more. (This was the era that the thousand footers began to be conceivable). In 1986, she was retired to the area around the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC), where she now sits as a floating maritime musuem.

Fraser Shipyards-Tugs from the Past

2006-05-31T00:06:00.000-05:00

Boy, life can be confusing. I was driving through Superior today, and saw two different gas prices. One store chain had gas at 2.849, while others of all brands had theirs equally priced at 2.749. Hmmm.

Speaking of that, the last few days, I have been trying to get the battery in my camera to die, so I could recharge it. Since it's brand new, the store recommended a complete discharge before recharging, so I just can't plug it in at any point in it's battery life yet. Well, as life would have it, the battery would not die. I couldn't make it die, no matter what I did. Finally, I relented and drove to Duluth to take some pictures. Guess when it died. Yup, first picture in Duluth...

This was taken near Fraser Shipyards. The history of the tugs is at this point unknown (for me anyway). From close examination, based on the naming of them, they appear to be part of Fraser's fleet of repair and crane tugs, but their dates of service remain unknown. Perhaps someone could fill me in...I suppose I could call Fraser and ask, but that would be too easy...

Memorial Day, 2006

2006-05-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

I was told that today, Tuesday, is Memorial Day (Monday was the observance day). Major Richard I. Bong, whose hometown is Poplar, WI (just outside of Superior), is one of those remembered. He was called the "Ace of Aces" and claimed 40 Japanese fighter planes in his short career as a P-38 Lightning pilot during World War II. Major Bong was killed in a plane crash on August 6, 1945, while testing a new jet, the P-80. Thanks to all the veterans who have served or are serving.

Taylor's Bridge

2006-05-30T00:12:00.000-05:00

For those of you familiar with rural Douglas County, this is a shot from Taylor's Bridge. It is neatly tucked away in a wooded area far from the "big" city. It is well worth the trip.

St. Louis Bay

2006-05-29T23:38:00.000-05:00

I originally went out to look for the DM&IR trains that might be running through Proctor/Thompson Hill Area. Since Canadien National completed its' acquisition of the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway, it has slowly integrated the trains and properties into the CN colors. It is rumored that the remaining railcars and locomotives of the DM&IR will be displaying the CN colors by the end of summer (much to the dismay of current and former employees and yours truly).

On the other hand, this picture was taken overlooking the St. Louis Bay, where the fishing is always excellent.

Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge

2006-05-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

I had a nice evening on the Lakewalk a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd see what my new camera could do...as you can see, it gave me this pic.....