Getting Bridged with Gar and Kelli

Kelli tells Gar all about a piece of Duluth history he was too busy to remember: the Harbor Square Mall and Ridgewood Mall Smackdown.Thanks to Perfect Duluth Day for the cover art for this episode, which can be found here: Harbor Square Mall

Gar and Kelli talk about the history of the Miller Hill Mall...one of the first in the nation!The cover photo of this episode is the interior of JCPenney when the mall opened. Want to learn more about mall history? Head on down to the Duluth Public Library to the second floor local history section. You won't be sorry!

Gar and Kelli talk about his junior high experience at the old Lincoln Junior High School. Swimming pools and shillelaghs?? Yes sir!Thanks to the Duluth Public Library for...well...everything, really, but most especially for the assistance in finding information about Lincoln Junior.

Let's go on vacation! Gar talks about his trips around These United States as a kid, always in August, and always in cars without air conditioning. This is part one in a two-part series on EPIC family vacations.

Kelli revels in the joy of birthdays past while Gar's recollections are as stoic as his Swedish family. Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the episode pic of Chuck E. Cheese and to Perfect Duluth Day for their dates on the now-closed roller rink.

The Presents! The Food! The Individual Strings of Tinsel!Gar and Kelli talk about The Best Christmas Memories...their own.

Part of nostalgia is the stuff we hang on to from those who have come before us. Why do we do this, and what can we let go?

We're back!After a chaotic holiday season, Gar and Kelli have finally dug out of piles of snow and are set to talk about what winter was (and still is!!).

Gar and Kelli walk through the history of the Duluth Public Library...and they aren't quiet about it!All information found in the archives housed in the Duluth Public Library, with additional support from that bastion of scholarly research, Wikipedia. Hey, we never said we were doing extremely serious research here!

Black cat costumes, a fishing game, and a stuffed guy named George...oh my! It's Halloween Getting Bridged-style!

Gar and Kelli go back to the old neighborhood for a discussion on how to cross the road and not get squashed, turntable-style checkouts at the grocery store, and Kar Krafts with the Street Angels.

Gar talks about getting drafted during the Vietnam War and his time at the 148th Fighter Wing. Serious business? Sure thing. Shenanigans? You bet.Special shout-out to the Commemorative Air Force, Lake Superior Squadron: https://lakesuperiorsquadron.org/Thanks to the 148th Squadron (https://www.148fw.ang.af.mil/About-Us/History/) and the 148th Fandom page (https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/148th_Fighter_Wing) for the history and Wikipedia for the picture of the DEUCE.

All good things must come to an end, and so it was with Diamond Tool. In this episode, Gar recounts his rise in the ranks of the employees, defying the chairman of the board and surviving, and the eventual downfall of the company.

Jerry recounts how he got the job, the types of work he did when he first started and Diamond, and all the shenanigans they got up to while working there. Much respect paid to Jack Swanstrom!Thanks goes out to the Progress is fine, but it's gone on too long blog for the image used in this week's episode: http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2013/01/close-only-counts-in-horseshoes-and.html

Jerry and Kelli discuss the early history of Diamond Tool, the place Jerry worked for a huge part of his adult life, with special focus pine trees and what the heck a calk is. "Ask a Duluthian" segment features a question about smelt.Thanks to Perfect Duluth Day for the picture: https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2018/03/18/mystery-photo-65-diamonds-are-forever-except-in-duluth/The Minnesota DNR for information about logging camps: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/history/logging-camps.htmlAnd Swanstrom Tools USA for some history: https://swanstromtools.com/about/history/

Gar and Kelli talk about photography, neighborhood radio stations, AMA wrestling and the trials and tribulations of making closet wine. Thanks to the following sources:Jill Waterman's "Classic Cameras: My Dad's Argus C3": https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/hands-on-review/classic-cameras-my-dad%E2%80%99s-argus-c3Michael Rainville Jr.'s "The AWA: Professional Wrestling in the Twin Cities": http://millcitytimes.com/news/the-awa-professional-wrestling-in-the-twin-cities.htmlUnited States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places: http://zenithcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DowntownHistoricDistrict.pdf

Gar and Kelli talk about playing outside in the middle of the West End and weigh in on THE BEST thing to do as a tourist.Shout out to: Zenith City Online, specifically Heidi Bakk-Hansen: http://zenithcity.com/archive/people-biography/dr-s-s-walbank/City of Duluth Parks and Rec: https://duluthmn.gov/parks/parks-listing/harrison-park/

Gar and Kelli move from East to West Duluth, hitting the best spots for nightlife Back In The Day. Plus, a question about rude behavior in the Ask a Duluthian segment.Episode credits go to The Slice via Perfect Duluth Day: https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2021/06/04/the-slice-tour-of-murals-at-the-kom-on-inn/The News Tribune Attic: https://newstribuneattic.wordpress.com/2011/03/06/rio-pardo-1972/The Growler online magazine: https://www.growlermag.com/dry-in-duluth-the-story-behind-the-last-dry-neighborhoods-in-the-zenith-city-2/Tour Old Duluth: http://garon.us/images2/TourOldDuluth-Aubut-Norton.pdfAnd Zenith City Online: http://zenithcity.com/archive/historic-architecture/hotel-duluth/

Gar and Kelli talk about what it was like before the Miller Hill Mall and everyone shopped downtown. Plus, an Ask a Native Duluthian question regarding beards! NOTE: This episode is a half hour! We are but amateurs and have no idea why it says it's an hour and 12 minutes.Thanks to Perfect Duluth Day for information on Shopper's City: https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2009/12/01/shoppers-city/News Tribune Attic for information about Woolworth's: https://newstribuneattic.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/downtown-duluth-woolworths-1987/And Zenith City Online for information about the Glass Block Building and the photo (via the Duluth Public Library): http://zenithcity.com/archive/lost-architecture/glass-block-building/

Gar and Kelli talk about the old Bryant Elementary School, no longer with us but full of good memories of feisty teachers, Police Boys, avoiding the school lunch, and NOT respecting boundaries.Featuring a question about boat watching in our "Ask A Native Duluthian" segment.Thanks to:Perfect Duluth Day: https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2019/07/20/class-photos-from-duluths-bryant-elementary-school/The Minnesota Digital Library: https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:4046#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-211%2C-200%2C9071%2C5331https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:2489#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-906%2C0%2C5862%2C3445The Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51639/the-evening-wind