Harbor History: November 27, 1886: Fire Destroys Grain Elevators A & Q

By Tony Dierkins - Zenith City Online - On this day in Duluth in 1886, fire destroyed Duluth’s first two grain elevators, Elevators A and Q, located along the lake at the base of Third Avenue East. Elevator A was built in 1869 by Jay Cooke’s Union Improvement and Elevator Company with wood purchased from Roger Munger’s sawmill on Lake Avenue. the grain terminal that could hold 350,000 bushels of grain and came equipped with a steam-powered conveyance system. Only one other grain elevator, Elevator Q in 1878, was built on the lake itself. Grain dust is highly combustible, and wooden grain elevators often went up in flames. When elevators A and Q burned, they took with them about 500,000 bushels of grain and the lives of elevator foreman Edward Lee, fireman Charles Moore, and W. B. Loranger, whose charred body was not discovered until December 17, among the ruins of Elevator Q. The loss was so substantial it actually led to a rise in value of the Chicago grain market. The fire also consumed a saloon, a carriage factory, houses, and warehouses on the 400 block of East Superior Street. The following year wheat from both burned elevators remained on the site, rotting away. It was loaded onto barges and dumped into Lake Superior. In 1892, founders of the Duluth Curling Club used Elevator A’s foundation to build the club’s first rink, which was destroyed in a blizzard in March 1892. Read about Duluth’s historic Grain Trade here, in the Zenith City History archives Industry section. Read newspaper coverage of the fire here: ElevatorFire_12.03.1886_01_DWT, ElevatorFire_12.03.1886_02_DWT, ElevatorFire_12.03.1886_

Duluth Harbor Boat Traffic for Monday 11/26/2012

American Century departed at 02:04
Algolake arrived at 05:50
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. departed at 12:00
Algolake departed at 19:50

Duluth Harbor Boat Traffic for Sunday 11/25/2012

James R. Barker arrived at 06:35
American Century arrived at 08:05
Lee A. Tregurtha arrived at 12:35
James R. Barker departed at 15:30
Walter J. McCarthy Jr. arrived at 16:00
Lee A. Tregurtha departed at 22:20

Duluth Harbor Boat Traffic for Saturday 11/24/2012

Great Republic Arrival

Due to a strong cold front passing through the region, we had the first "Sea Smoke" appearance of the season.  The is a wonderful time of year for watching the sea smoke rise off the warm (relatively) waters of Lake Superior in columns of steamy fog.

Great Republic arrived at 08:49
Mesabi Miner arrived at 10:30
Ebroborg arrived at 21:20
Mesabi Miner departed at 22:15

Duluth Harbor Boat Traffic for Friday 11/23/2012

John G. Munson arrived at 00:41
H. Lee White arrived at 05:00
Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin departed at 06:19
Algolake arrived at 16:05
John G. Munson departed at 16:50
H. Lee White departed at 17:40