My Duluthian Life

30/01/2024

Talk about an intelligent idea!

Hello all!
After two years of owning this building, I still feel the space is underutilized. We are closed two days out of the week and I would like to offer something to the community.

I feel there is a disconnect that needs to be addressed. Globally for sure, but I can't do anything about that. I can try and help my neighbors, however.

I like to be proactive as opposed to reactive and was motivated to organize something after I saw the garden meme attached to this post. Originally it was all about sharing veggies, then it grew to become something a little bit more.

I've been thinking a lot about our seniors these days and their well-being. What if the grid goes down? We need to have a system in place to be able to check in with our neighbors, offline. Sure, we can organize garden shares too. And find babysitters and handymen and maybe someone to shovel for our elderly neighbor after the big storm.

It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, I see it as taking the place of the neighborhood "block party". My dream is that we have neighbors in each district who can facilitate and spearhead agendas with no narrative other than to keep everyone connected. (By no means will this be affiliated with any religious or political organization. I truly want it to be social and fun.)

A little about me, I was a founding member of the bi-partisan group "REPRESENT US" in Madison and truly believe in engaging the community in becoming more self-sufficient and connected with their neighbors. For a short period of time, I was a neighborhood representative in the SASY area on Madison's east side. We met at a community center called the Goodman Center each month to discuss things going on in our collective neighborhoods. I realize we don't have designated neighborhoods "per se", but thought we could break these "neighborhood gatherings" into Sturgeon Bay's 7 districts.

Connecting with neighbors monthly will give everyone an opportunity to check-in with each other in person, and get the lowdown on current issues or to answer questions or concerns that arise. Marsha Rummell was the SASY neighborhood alderperson and she was at every monthly meeting taking notes and bringing our concerns back to the city. She was a fantastic watchdog. If she couldn't be there she'd read over our minutes and act accordingly. I've invited the 7 alderpeople to attend our meetings.

The following times have been blocked out for district meetings at drömhus.

First Monday
Districts 1 & 2
District 1: 5:30-7
District 2: 7-8:30

FIRST TUESDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Second Monday
Districts 3 & 4
District 3: 5:30-7
District 4: 7-8:30

Second Tuesday
Districts 5 & 6
District 5: 5:30-7
District 6: 7-8:30

Fourth Monday
District 7
District 7: 5:30-7

I realize I have a small place, and expect that initially we'd have a smaller turnout. My dream is that it becomes something bigger, and perhaps we could utilize our city parks/buildings to meet should this turn into a larger affair. Maybe other larger local businesses would like to host once the ball gets rolling.

I wish to start Monday, April 1st. That gives everyone time to get the word out and get organized.

I will provide cookies and coffee and the space, you do the work.

The good news is that two Alderpeople have reached out expressing interest and I've heard from several community members that this is an endeavor that is sorely needed.

Here are the 7 districts.
https://cms9files.revize.com/sturgeonbaywi/Community/maps/2023%20City%20District%20Map%20%203.14.23.pdf

Let's see what happens.
Spread the word.

Tack sa mycket!
Heather

24/01/2024

Nice short movie! You even get to see how they land deckhands on the dock!

23/01/2024

11/01/2024

10/01/2024

The freighter Courtney Burton shown blocking the entrance to the Duluth Ship Canal on April 8, 1980 (Image Source: Forum News Service). The ship became stuck there in thick ice after having been driven back by high winds and waves while trying to depart Duluth, Minn.

The Great Lakes Towing Co. tugs Vermont and Rhode Island attempted to assist the freighter but were blocked from reaching the vessel by the ice conditions. The Burton was eventually able to free itself and reach open water.

Additional Historical Information

Launched in 1953, what would become the bulk freighter Courtney Burton was built in Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. for the National Steel Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio. The 690-foot vessel (LOA) was christened the Ernest T. Weir (II).

At the time of its launch, the freighter was the largest ship ever built entirely on the Great Lakes. On May 5, 1964, it suffered severe bow damage after a collision with another vessel near the mouth of the St. Clair River. No lives were lost.

The Lorain yard of the American Ship Building Co. converted the ship’s boilers from coal-fired to oil-fired in 1973. In 1978, the vessel was sold to the Oglebay Norton Co. of Cleveland and renamed the Courtney Burton.

The freighter was converted into a self-unloading vessel at Sturgeon Bay, Wis. by the shipyard of Bay Shipbuilding Corp. in 1981. In 2006, it was sold to the American Steamship Co. of Williamsville, N.Y. and renamed the American Fortitude.

The vessel was permanently laid up at Toledo, Ohio in 2008. In 2014, it was sold for scrap and departed under tow for Brownsville, Tex. for dismantling. The ship had made it as far as Montreal, Que. when the sale fell through.

The freighter was then towed to Oswego, N.Y. and laid up there for the winter. In early 2015, the vessel was again sold for scrap and then towed to Port Colborne, Ont. for dismantling.

Information Sources:
https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/440633
https://greatlakeships.org/3718821/data?n=1
https://www.greatlakesvesselhistory.com/histories-by-name/w/weir-ernest-t
https://greatlakesships.wordpress.com/ernest-t-weir/

17/12/2023

If you appreciate stories about Lake Superior shipwrecks, this is a good one, replete with fascinating, historic film footage.

On November 9th, 1913, SS Henry B. Smith left Marquette, Michigan as a blizzard ravaged Lake Superior. She would go on to be one of 19 ships lost in the Grea...

14/12/2023

You have to tolerate a couple ads to screen this video but some of the antique footage, including of the Duluth entry canal before the Aerial Bridge, is well worth it! The Colonel James M. Schoonmaker, the ship I sailed on as a kid with my dad, who was Chief Engineer, appears twice in this short movie. Today, you can tour the Schoonmaker, fully restored and docked alongside the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, OH.

Sign up to Morning Brew for free today https://morningbrewdaily.com/BigOldBoatsSponsored by Morning BrewThe Great Lakes Storm of 1913, also known as the Whit...

04/12/2023

Straight out of a holiday movie --> that's Duluth.

📸 : Ronny Purba

04/12/2023

The most recent Lake Superior shipwreck occurred on December 4, 1989. The Coast Guard buoy tender Mesquite was working off the tip of the Keweenaw, removing a buoy marking a 3-foot shoal when a number of minor errors cascaded into disaster. First of all, they were pulling a buoy at night with rising seas and strong winds. Next, Gull Rock light off of Manitou Island was not working that night, so getting a good visual fix on the Mesquite’s position was difficult. Finally, an Ensign was at the wheel – although under the direct supervision of the Captain. After the buoy was wrestled aboard at around 3:00 in the morning, the Captain ordered the Ensign to back off about 1,000 yards. This was done at a speed of 3 knots (slowly). When the Captain decided that they had backed far enough, he left the bridge. Moments later, there was a loud crash as the ship hit the reef. Wind and currents had carried them closer to shore than expected. Damage Control found three compartments flooded including the engine and motor rooms. The crew worked for three hours to save their ship – but at 6:17 in the morning, the order to abandon was given. All 53 crew members donned survival suits and went over the side into three life rafts and the ship’s motor surfboat. The passing freighter Mangal Desai responded to the distress call. Picking up about 15 on each pass, the Desai slowly collected the Mesquite’s crew. Three with slight injuries were air lifted by helicopter to Hancock, MI with the Captain and two other officers accompanying them. The rest rode to Duluth on the Desai. Although there were initial plans to salvage the tender, she was too badly broken by the grounding and a series of winter storms for that to be practical. The Mesquite was decommissioned on January 31, 1990. Eventually, she was moved off of the ledge into about 120 feet of water to serve as a dive attraction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Mesquite_(WLB-305)

29/11/2023

Today marks 57 years since the sinking of the Morrell, so I thought it appropriate to re-post this, including a link to my podcast about her sinking which includes a chilling interview with the lone survivor.

29/11/2023

Upright on the bottom of Lake Huron for 148 years, the remarkably preserved wreck of schooner Cornelia B. Windiate continues to present itself as a stately ruin, with all three masts still upright and with even organic rigging and a single yardarm remaining in place. The handsome white painted vessel was lost with all hands sometime following the evening of November 27th, 1875 after departing Milwaukee with a heaping load of mill grain bound for Buffalo New York. Severe ice conditions which may have coated the nearly brand new ship in a thick rime could have contributed to a lack of stability, though the Windiate’s final moments have been lost to history, and she vanished with all nine aboard several hours after her last confirmed sighting. False reports and the discovery of wreckage near South Fox Island led to searches instead of Lake Michigan, though nothing conclusive of the schooner was ever found at the time, and for years her fate remained a mystery.

Discovered accidentally by divers John Steele and Paul Ehorn in May of 1986, the Cornelia B. Windiate remains one of the most well preserved shipwrecks of her era for visitors today to the ship’s resting place near Presque Isle. Hauntingly, her single yawl boat lies on the bottom as well a short distance from her stern, confirming at very least that her crew did not board the craft to escape the foundering vessel. Speculation that they may instead have perished while attempting to walk across the thick ice floe to shore has never been confirmed, and no remains have ever been found nearby. The Windiate today rests at a depth of 185’ (56m) in constant, nearly freezing temperatures, her hatches still secure and her hull unbreached.

Photo by Chris Roxburgh

16/11/2023

📸 Watch this video on Facebook
https://fb.watch/om1Avz435n/?mibextid=CZe8XC

11/11/2023

11/11/2023

November 10. A sacred day to all of us who hold Lake Superior in our hearts.

11/11/2023

On the 48th anniversary of the tragic sinking, here's something about the Fitz most people never knew:

The Fitz & the DJ Captain

The Edmund Fitzgerald proved to be a popular ship with the general public. This was partially due to Captain Peter Pulcer. Captain Pulcer oversaw the crew of the Fitz when its loading records were being set (1966-1972). He was often referred to as the “DJ Captain'' because he played music over the ship’s loud speakers while traveling through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. Pulcer also used a bullhorn to share information about the vessel to the public while going through the Soo Locks.

To learn more about Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting visit: https://mnhs.info/47gMBcV

09/11/2023

I first posted this a couple years ago. It came up as a memory on my other page, so I thought I'd run it again over here.

Watch from the pilot house as the Interlake Steamship Company's Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes at 1,013.5 feet, departs through the c...

06/11/2023

And I am so old, I recall when the ice man commeth to my house on Duluth's East 7th Street. We had an ice box, not a refrigerator in the early 1950s. The ice man wore a big, black rubber apron and while he delivered a couple big blocks of ice to our back porch, the neighbor kids and I would descend upon his truck, brandishing ice picks from our kitchens, bound to score a chunk of something cool to suck on and savor on a hot summer's afternoon.

In 1928, a figure known as the Ice Man could be seen delivering a 25-pound ice block in Houston, Texas. This snapshot reflects a time when the ice trade was a highly profitable industry, primarily during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ice was harvested from natural sources such as ponds and streams and then transported via railroads or ships to various destinations worldwide. An intricate network of ice wagons was responsible for the final distribution of this valuable commodity.

The roots of this industry can be traced back to 1806 when Frederic Tudor, also known as the Ice King, initiated the ice trade in New England by shipping ice to his affluent clientele in the Caribbean. Over the years, his enterprise expanded to encompass regions like Cuba and the southern United States. Eventually, ice was being shipped to destinations as far-flung as India, Australia, China, and South America.

At the zenith of the ice trade, this sector in the United States employed a staggering 90,000 individuals and relied on the labor of 25,000 horses. The demand for ice experienced a notable upswing during World War I. However, once the war concluded, the ice trade saw a precipitous decline due to the advent of refrigeration cooling systems. By the 1930s, modern refrigerators began to gain prevalence in households, and by the 1950s, they had become nearly ubiquitous in both the United States and Europe. This technological advancement rendered the ice trade largely obsolete.

05/11/2023

My favorite part of Duluth's Canal Park, "Uncle Harvey's Mausoleum", back in its working days. Pretty cool to see. 🙂

More details here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uncle-harveys-mausoleum