Historian and author Tony Dierckins stumbles across Duluth myths all the time. Perhaps you've heard that the canal was dug by hand in two days by a hundred stout men with shovels and pickaxes. Or maybe you've wondered about Duluth having more millionaires that any other US city in the early 1900s.
On Wednesday night at Glensheen Mansion, Tony will present on several myths and draw conclusions about their origins and validate those that are actually true. Places, events, people - myths are found across Duluth's history. “There are famous Duluthians who never existed,” says Dierckins.
As Duluth has aged, more stories have emerged. The stories are often incorporated by advertisers. There’s a long-time legend that Grandma’s restaurant in canal park was once a brothel, run by “Grandma” Rosa Brochi. This sounds like a juicy scandal for the tabloids but it’s demonstrably false. Tony says that if you look back in the phone directories and censuses of the time, there has never been a woman named Rosa Brochi who lived in Duluth.
Tony is also an author; he told us about two of his books, one on myths surrounding the aerial bridge and another titled “Duluth: An Urban Biography.”
Wednesday’s event is at the Glensheen, which is located at 3300 London Road. The doors will open at 6pm, and the show starts at 7. Glensheen members get in free, otherwise the cost is $10. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Glensheen.
You can hear Community Connection every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am on Northland Morning.
