DRC - Complete History

DRC - Complete History

A Historical Study of

The Duluth Boat Club

1896 – 1926

MichaelJ.Cochran

1972

Foreword

Although the Duluth Boat Club was the most important social institution in Duluth, Minnesota for a period of forty years, there are few people who know anything about it today. The world fame it once had is forgotten. The records of its athletes are still unmatched, but ignored. The civic pride and enthusiasm that made the Duluth Boat Club what it was is now dead, and Duluthians are unaware that their city has an early history that is rich, because it had a future that was promising.

The purpose of this historical study is an attempt to rectify that situation. Information concerning the Duluth Boat Club has been stored away for years and this is the first full-fledged effort to assimilate it. In view of the tremendous importance that the Duluth Boat Club once had in relation to Duluth and Minnesota, it is surprising that the Minnesota State Historical Society is devoid of any information concerning this organization, except for a small pamphlet that contained the articles of incorporation of the club. Thus, the task of this study is the assimilate information and describe.

There is no summation at the end of this work, because the Duluth Boat Club was such a unique institution that there seems to be little that one can compare it to. The greatness of the club was dependent to such a great degree on a single individual that it is a poor paradigm for social theory. But the Duluth Boat Club, like everything else, is in a historical context, and I hope that I have pointed out some of the interaction between the Duluth Boat Club and its setting in history.

The history of Duluth, Minnesota does not extend back many years previous to the founding of the Duluth Boat Club in 1886. Thirty-five years before this event, few people even anticipated that a town would ever exist in the wild hills at the head of Lake Superior. In 1853, there was only one white man living among the Indians in the area, which would later become the city of Duluth.

Some Saint Paul businessmen did see the potential for the area, and they bought much of the land for future speculation. If there were not many people living in the Duluth region in 1854-1855, there were many townsite projects. Impetus for this sudden activity came from the building of the locks at Sault Sainte Marie, which helped make the entire Great Lakes a navigable waterway. Since Duluth was the westernmost point on the Great Lakes, the potential of the site as a future railroad terminus became evident.

Despite this optimism, the influx of people into Northern Minnesota remained a trickle for over a decade. The permanent growth of Duluth did not commence until 1867, with the beginning of construction of the Lake Superior and Mississippi River Railroad, which extended from Saint Paul to Duluth. There was a rush of people in late 1869-early 1870, and in just 6 months, Duluth grew from 14 families to 3,500 inhabitants.

Duluth had the character one could expect from a small, fast-growing pioneer town. An early settler, FredW.Smith, described the Duluth of 1869 as being "haphazard, scraggly, repellent, a mixture of Indian trading post, seaport, railroad construction camp and gambling resort, altogether wild, rough, uncouth and frontier-like." The buildings were built of cheap frame, tin and tarpaper, and evidently, the populace possessed equal charm. Mr.smith stated, "The town was filling up with the roughest element of the country, gambling was the main business pursuit of the bulk of the population, and murder their amusement."

Duluth was further boosted by JayCooke’s Northern Pacific Railroad, begun in 1870, the same year that Duluth was granted a city charter. But when Mr.Cooke’s railroad failed in 1873, it caused a nation-wide panic, which had particularly great effect on Duluth, the population of which was almost immediately reduced from 5,000 to 2,500. The immediate effect of the panic was quite negative. Duluth was even forced to repudiate its enfranchisement as a city in 1879, since the municipal government became bankrupt through failure to pay off its bonds. Duluth reverted to the status of a village for over a decade. Eventually, however, this national financial crisis forced people out of the jobless cities into primitive areas, such as Duluth.

Despite the initial turmoil created, the depression had left Duluth by 1878, and the ‘80s were to be boom years. The extent of the boom is demonstrated by the population figures of Duluth.

1878 / 2,200
1880 / 3,470
1881 / 7,800
1882 / 12,000
1883 / 14,000
1884 / 16,690
1885 / 18,036
1886 / 26,000
1887 / 30,000

There were many factors responsible for this boom. Duluth became a huge lumber center, as the supply of timber in Michigan and Wisconsin dwindled. The newly constructed railroads, of which there were 11 in Duluth by 1886, began bringing in grain from the Dakotas and western Minnesota. A burgeoning shipping industry carried the grain out of Duluth to eastern Great Lakes ports. The VermillionIronRange, north of Duluth was opened up and by 1884, mining and shipping of iron ore was under way. The following table shows the magnitude of some of Duluth’s commercial growth that paralleled the increase in population.

1880 / 1886
Bank clearances / $20,186,033 / $421,494,000
Bushels of wheat handled / 1,347,675 / 22,424,730
Vessels arrived / 529 / 2,180
Receipts in freight / 101,000 tons / 983,859 tons
Miles of railroad having Duluth as terminus / 755 / 26,000

There were, of course, other changes in the city besides just an increase of population and commerce. 1879 was the year of the first graduating class from a Duluth high school (this graduating class had 2 members). Also in 1879, a library was started. In 1882, Duluth had its first mule drawn streetcar, one mile in length. In the same year, a telephone exchange was started with thirty subscribers. The next year, in 1883, a Grand Opera House was built. By 1886, it was determined that fire protection could no longer be entrusted to volunteers and the first "regular" fire department was formed. All this activity put the roadway on Superior Street in terrible condition, and it was not uncommon for horses to become mired right in the business section of the city. So, in 1887, that street was covered with cedar block pavements. In this same year, Duluth once again resumed its status as a city, with a new charter.

Many of those that moved into Duluth during this period were poor immigrants, but this sudden boom made a disproportionate number of Duluthians extremely wealthy. The industry and commerce already mentioned made men rich, of course, but fortunes were also being made in other enterprises, such as real estate. Real estate valuations were 2½ times greater in 1886 than 1885.

The population growth necessitated hyper-activity in the construction business. While in 1885, the total value of all improvements was $1,454,061; in 1886, the total value of all improvements was over $5 million. The best indicator of prosperity is the amount of money handled by the banks, since this shows how much money is in circulation. As mentioned, the banks cleared almost $421½ million dollars in 1886, while in 1885 the amount was only about $132½ million dollars.

During this period of American history, there was a great cleavage between socio-economic classes. There were more people in both the upper and lower classes than there would be after the rise of labor unions. Naturally, northern Minnesota was no exception. While millions were being made on the IronRange, miners, worked for 10 cents per hour and worked ten hours daily to make a dollar a day. Enough of the wealth being engendered in the Duluth area filtered down to the lower economic classes to keep them alive, but most of the money went to a rather large upper class. The number of mansions and large expensive homes existing in the east end of Duluth remains testimony that many affluent people once lived in Duluth.

Despite the unusually large amount of wealth and abundance of wealthy individuals in Duluth in 1886, it still must have been a primitive community in many ways, since for all practical purposes, it had existed for less than eight years. There could have been few sources of recreation in this boomtown. Since the populace was now somewhat civilized, gambling and violence were no longer popular sources of amusement, as they were in pioneer times seventeen years previous. Even the natural pleasures that one normally associates with northern Minnesota were unavailable. Loggers had stripped the immediate area of its majestic pines, leaving the hills a litter of stumps. The wilderness was virtually inaccessible, since the only roads existing then were rough logging roads. The formation of the Duluth Boat Club was an attempt to fill this recreational void, for those who could afford recreation.

Among those seeking an avocation were CharlesH.Eldridge and FrederickW.Smith, prominent attorneys, who took it upon themselves to organize a club devoted to the gentlemanly sports of rowing and sailing. Through their efforts, the Duluth Boat Club was officially incorporated on July 10, 1886. Including Smith and Eldridge, there were 28 charter members who elected H.W.Pearson their first president.

From the beginning, the Duluth Boat Club was a rather aristocratic and exclusive organization, as one can readily infer from reading the Articles of Incorporation, Rules, Regulations and By-Laws of the Duluth Boat Club, 1887. The membership fee of $50, along with quarterly dues of $2.50, would have discouraged those earning a dollar a day from trying to join. Money alone, however, would not assure a person of a chance to become a member. The membership process was a long one, designed to eliminate any and all who might prove to be socially undesirable.

A person seeking Duluth Boat Club membership was required to submit a written application to the club secretary, giving such personal information as his occupation and address. The application had to be endorsed by two Duluth Boat Club members as proposer and seconder. The secretary then presented the name to the Board of Directors and the application would be posted on the club bulletin board at least one week prior to a meeting where membership could be voted on. Anyone having a complaint against the candidate could place it in writing before the Board of Directors at the meeting where the name was to be considered. The voting for active membership was by ballot. One negative vote postponed the decision on the application, while two negative votes rejected the application.

As one can see, a prospective member needed to be in the good graces of the entire membership and well acquainted with at least two members. The membership fee and dues restricted entry to the club to those with high incomes, but this membership routine established a process for allowing only an elite to join. Of course, such designs are not always successful, but in this case they were. Belonging to the Duluth Boat Club became the sophisticated thing to do. The formation of other similar organizations that could compete for the Duluth Boat Club status as the center of polite society was discouraged by a rule which forbade Duluth Boat Club members from joining any other boating club or association.

The Articles of Incorporation state the general purpose of the club as being "the instruction and improvement of its members in rowing, sailing and physical development, and also in social culture." The impression is left that the founders of the club listed these activities in the order of their priority. Apparently, the club was intended to be primarily an athletic organization.

Prophetically, it was the social aspect of the Duluth Boat Club that was to be displayed first. The occasion was the opening of the clubhouse on July 13, 1887. Although the reception celebrating this opening occurred only one year after the club was organized and chartered, it attained the distinction of being "the social event of the season," as the society columnist of the Duluth Daily News termed it.

The description that this columnist gave of the reception gives an idea as to the nature of the Duluth Boat Club at the time of its inception. The reception was an elaborate affair, with a banquet and dancing to a 12-piece dance orchestra. Formal dress was worn, and it was said to have been "one of the ‘dressiest’ entertainments ever given in the city." "The gentleman were resplendent in new and fashionable garments, while the ladies toilettes were the most varied, fine, and fashionable ever seen in the city at any gathering of that size." A description of some of the dresses worn to this party reveals exactly how "dressy" this occasion was and serves to confirm the claims made about the economic position of the Duluth Boat Club members. Among those chosen for comment were Mrs.. J. W. Frazer, who wore a blue Ottoman silken train, with lace trimmings, flowers and diamonds and Mrs. R. J. Wemyss, who wore elegant cream satin with lace trimmings and pearl ornaments.

The superlatives were also extended to the catering, which was "by far the finest ever seen in Duluth." Twelve waiters served lake trout in aspic jelly, lobster salad, boned turkey and ox tongue. The menu becomes impressive, when one realizes that 700 people attended this reception, during the course of the evening.

The clubhouse was designed by architect CharlesMacMillen, one of the boat club’s charter members. It seems to have been quite worthy of the extravagant celebration that opened it. It was a 3-story structure, located on the waterfront at 7th Avenue West on the Northern Pacific slip. The ground floor contained the main boat room, bathrooms, gymnasium, and closets. The second floor had a billiard room, four dressing rooms, a spare room, ladies toilette, and the main reception or reading room. The dressing rooms each contained twelve lockers and their floors were covered with rich Brussels carpets. The reading room had a profusion of comfortable easy chairs and a variety of fancy rugs. The gas light fixtures on this floor had delicately shaded crimped glass globes. These second floor rooms opened onto a balcony, which ran entirely around the building. The third floor consisted of one large room, which was used for banquets and dances. There was also a balcony running entirely around the 3rd floor, as on the 2nd. A spiral staircase connected these floors and led to a tower, which reportedly offered a fine view of the harbor, Lake Superior, and the hills behind the city. The clubhouse also boasted a number of conveniences that were by no means common in 1887. It had plumbing, gas, a hot water heater, and a telephone. Remember that the telephone exchange had just been started in 1882 with thirty subscribers.

The athletic function of the club was not forgotten. The clubhouse opened with a fleet of 33 boats, 25 of which were owned by the club, with the rest privately owned. Among the boats were 2 four-oar racing shells, 4 double racing shells, 3 single racing sells, 7 clinker built working shells, 2 duck boats, 2 family barges, plus skiffs and canoes that were privately owned.

Just as the City of Duluth seemed to have grown practically overnight, so too was the boat club born in full maturity. Only 1 year after being organized, the club had an elaborate facility, a complete set of equipment, and an impressive membership. On the very evening that the club house was opened, the Duluth Boat Club was referred to as "the most popular, and at the same time (socially) select organization in the city." In the ensuing years, the Duluth Boat Club grew in size and fame, but it could not increase its social position in regard to the community simply because it started at the pinnacle.

It only remained for the boat club to be admitted to a rowing association and this was accomplished in the same year, 1887. The Duluth Boat Club was admitted to the Minnesota-Winnipeg Rowing Association, the first rowing association formed in the upper Midwest. It was started in 1885 with three member clubs, the Minnesota Boat Club (St. Paul), the Saint Paul Boat Club, and the Winnipeg Rowing Club. The Lurine Rowing Club of Minneapolis was accepted in 1886. Duluth joined in 1887 and was followed by Rat Portage (Kenora, Ontario) in 1894. The Minnesota-Winnipeg Rowing Association lasted 13 years, 1885-1897, and it held annual regattas at LakeMinnetonka over an official 1½-mile course.

Previous to the formation of this rowing association, there was unorganized rowing in Minnesota. The Minnesota Boat Club was incorporated in 1873. Soon after, there were also rowing clubs formed at Minneapolis, Stillwater, Brainerd, and Redwing. Oarsmen would practice together and when they felt ready, they would challenge crews from other towns. Betting on these races promoted much enthusiasm in the towns involved.