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• 1870 - February 15 - Ground broken for Northern Pacific Railway near Duluth, Minn
  
  historyorb.com
  
•   1888 - DULUTH'S BIG BLAZE. THE HANDSOME OPERA HOUSE A TOTAL WRECK - LOSS $250,000.
  Duluth, Jan. 29. - At 1:50 o'clock a.m. fire was discovered in the opera house block.
  
  In thirty minutes the whole building was in a blaze.
  
  The building contained the opera house, BOYCE & TOTTMAN, drugs; J. T. CONDON, hats; M. M. GASSER, groceries; LEVY, liquors. The building is a total loss.
  
  The post office building is also in ruins, but the mails are saved.
  The opera house building cost about $100,000 in 1884. The value of stocks destroyed is unknown, but will exceed $100,000. The entire loss, including that of lawyers, will exceed $250,000.
  Mitchell Daily Republican
  Mitchell, South Dakota
  January 29, 1888
  
• 1892 - Mar 8-9, 1892 - Blizzard
  One of Duluth's worst blizzards. 70 mph winds, blinding snow piled drifts over 20 ft high, blocking second story windows in some buildings.
  
  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  Famous Winter Storms
  
  www.dnr.state.mn.us/ climate/ summaries_and_publications/ winter_storms.html
  
•   1892 - BUILDING DESTROYED.
  Duluth, Minn., Dec. 30. - Flames destroyed the Fargusson building in Duluth, Minn., causing a loss of about $250,000 on building and contents.
  Stevens Point Daily Journal
  Stevens Point, Wisconsin
  December 31, 1892
  
• 1895 - Duluth
  Duluth, a city and port of entry, the capital of St. Louis co., Minn., is finely situated at the W. end of Lake Superior, at the head of navigation on the great lakes, 156 miles N.N.E. of St. Paul, with which it is connected by three lines of railroad. It is also at the eastern terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Lat. 46° 48' N.; lon. 92°6' W. The site is the side of a hill which rises gradually from the shore to a height of about 600 feet above the lake. The harbor, called Duluth Bay, is protected by a narrow piece of land called Minnesota Point, which is 7 miles long and forms a natural break water, through which there is a ship-canal. The government of the United States is expending large sums of money in the improvement of the harbor by dredging and the construction of piers. Duluth contains a custom-house, 37 churches, a United States land-office, an excellent system of public schools, including a high school, 3 national and 6 state banks, a savings-bank, a signal-station, ... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1905 - Blizzard
  Nov 27-28, 1905, another blizzard at Duluth with 60 mph winds. Sank ships in Lake Superior.
  
  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  Famous Winter Storms
  
  www.dnr.state.mn.us/ climate/ summaries_and_publications/ winter_storms.html
  
• April 9, 1905: Aerial Ferry Bridge opened in Duluth, Minnesota
  
  The Old Farmer's Almanac www.almanac.com
  
•   1907 - BIG FIRE AT DULUTH. Damage Figured at $2,268,000 and One Life Believed Lost
  DULUTH, Min., Nov. 9.- Fire which started in the Great Northern elevator, at Superior, Wis., about 9 o'clock last night, was brought under control early today, after having destroyed the elevator, three flour mills, forty homes and 700,000 bushels of grain. Two scows, a derrick and two tugs were also destroyed.
  
  The total loss is figured at $2,268,000, including about three-quarters of a million in wheat. All firms except Whitney Brothers, marine contractors, have insurance covering a large proportion of the losses.
  One man who entered the plant of the Duluth-Superior Storage Company to rescue a tool chest was not seen again and it is thought he perished in the flames.
  The Philadelphia Inquirer
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  November 10, 1907
  
•   1910 - BOY IS STRUCK DOWN BY AUTO. Thomas Wood Is Thrown From Bicycle as He Darts in Front of Moving Machine.
  Thomas Wood, 10 year old son of T. S. Wood, 1927 East Superior street, had a narrow escape yesterday afternoon from being crushed under the wheels of a large touring car. He owes his life to the skill of the chauffeur. The lad was badly bruised about the body and face.
  
  Thomas was riding east on Superior street yesterday afternoon on a bicycle. Following close behind him was the automobile of H. F. Williamson. When near Nineteenth avenue east the boy essayed to turn up the avenue. As he crossed in front of the machine the automobile struck him throwing him from his bicycle. The motor car was not going fast and was brought to a stop before it crossed the boy's body. When picked up the boy's head was resting against one of the front wheels of the machine. Occupants of the car took him home.
  The Duluth News Tribune
  Duluth, Minnesota
  March 26, 1910
  
• 1913 - Blizzard
  Nov 9-11, 1913, one of the worst November storms ever on the Great Lakes. Blizzard in northern MN, 62 mph winds at Duluth, three ships lost on Lake Superior.
  
  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  Famous Winter Storms
  
  www.dnr.state.mn.us/ climate/ summaries_and_publications/ winter_storms.html
  
• 1916
  Duluth, a city and port of entry, the capital of St. Louis co., Minn., is finely situated at the W. end of Lake Superior, at the head of navigation on the Great Lakes, 156 miles NNE. of St. Paul and adjacent to the city of Superior, Wis., on the Northern Pacific and other railroads. Lat. 46° 48' N. ; Ion. 92° 6' W. The site is the slope of a hill which rises gradually from the shore to a height of about 500 feet above the lake. The Boulevard Drive, on an old terrace of the lake, affords a fine view of the surroundings. The harbor, called Duluth Bay, is protected by a narrow piece of land called Minnesota Point, which is several miles long and forms a natural breakwater, through which there is a ship-canal. Duluth contains a number of imposing edifices, and has extensive stock-yards, slaughtering and cold-storage establishments, blast-furnaces, machine- shops, saw- and flouring-mills, and grain-elevators with a capacity of 30,000,000-40,000,000 bushels. It has a large trade in iron and ... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1918 - October 12 - Forest fires ravaged parts of Minnesota from the Duluth area northeastward, claiming the lives of 600 persons.
  
  The Weather Channel
  October 12, 1918
  
•   1920 - June 15 - Duluth lynchings in Minnesota
  
  historyorb.com
  June 15, 1920
  
• 1939 - Roof of Duluth Amphitheater collapsed under weight of snow during hockey game
  
  www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ usstates/ mntimeln.htm
  
• 1941 - March 15-16 - The most severe blizzard in modern history struck North Dakota and Minnesota.
  The blizzard hit on a Saturday night while many are traveling, and thus claimed 71 lives. Winds gusted to 75 mph at Duluth MN, and reached 85 mph at Grand Forks ND. Snow drifts twelve feet high were reported in north central Minnesota. A cold front traveling 30 mph crossed Minnesota in just seven hours.
  WeatherForYou.com
  
• 1959 - Duluth gained access to Atlantic Ocean with opening of St. Lawrence Seaway
  
  www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ usstates/ mntimeln.htm
  
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• Duluth is the snowiest place in Minnesota, averaging 86.5 inches (220 cm) per year.
  
  National Weather Service