Duluth: History

Duluth: History

Harbor, Timber, and Ore Attract Development

The western Lake Superior area was originally occupied by members of the Sioux and Chippewa tribes. One of the first explorers of European descent to arrive in the area now occupied by Duluth was Frenchman Pierre Esprit Radisson, who explored the region in the 1650s or 1660s. The city was ultimately named, however, for Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut (variously spelled Dulhut, Derhaut, and du Luth), who visited the southern shore of Lake Superior in 1679 in an attempt to make peace between the Ojibway and Sioux tribes and to secure trading and trapping rights. A fur trading outlet remained in the area until 1847. The site's first permanent resident was George P. Stuntz, who was attracted by the beautiful wilderness landscape surrounding Lake Superior and settled there in 1852.

In 1854 and 1855 settlers flocked to the unnamed town hoping to discover copper deposits, although the Grand Portage and Fon du Lac people had not yet signed the Treaty of La Pointe that relinquished their mineral rights. In 1856 the village was named Duluth and designated the seat of St. Louis County. Almost immediately Duluth was beset by troubles. The panic of 1857 devastated the economy, and in 1859 a scarlet fever epidemic caused a further setback to the community. By the end of the Civil War, only two houses remained occupied in Duluth.

The town's fortunes were quickly reversed when geologists found iron ore and gold-bearing quartz at nearby Lake Vermillion. Then the Eastern financier Jay Cooke selected Duluth as the northern terminus of the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad. Adding to the boom, Maine woodsmen relocated to the region to establish a lumber industry. By 1869 the population of Duluth had grown to 3,500 residents, and the city received its first charter a year later.

Growth Includes New Immigrants

The new prosperity was short-lived, however, as bank and real estate failures hurt the economy and plunged the city government into debt. Duluth was forced to revert to village status. The city's topsy-turvy early history reversed itself once again, however, when the lumbering industry was revitalized and grain business fueled the economy. By 1887 Duluth's population reached 26,000 residents, and the state legislature granted permission for reclassification as a city. Six lakeshore communities were absorbed into the city by the end of the nineteenth century.

Among the settlers who had made Duluth home were immigrants from the Scandinavian countries and Finland, who settled in the city's West End. These people possessed a commitment to cooperative undertakings, a strong sense of individualism, and a respect for organizational arrangements—qualities that have shaped the city's character. In addition to its residents, Duluth is defined by its topography. The natural harbor is the base of the economy and the source of the city's scenic beauty. Duluth, home to institutions of higher learning, a symphony orchestra, a community theater, ballet, and museums, is highly rated among small Midwestern cities for its livability. In 2002 the American Lung Association State of the Air report ranked Duluth number 11 among cities with the cleanest air.

Historical Information: Northeast Minnesota Historical Center Archives, University of Minnesota, 10 University Dr., Duluth, MN 55812; telephone (218)726-8526. Minnesota Historical Society, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., Saint Paul, MN 55102-1906; telephone (651)296-6126