Dawn Buck

My great grandmother Edith Drewett Glass moved to Park Point with her four young adult sons on April 9, 1930 in search of opportunities. A younger Edith had survived seven trans-Atlantic crossings with her family who sailed back and forth seeking prosperity and stability. The polio she contracted left her with a weak leg and she wore a brace. When her husband died and she was faced with raising four young boys in Two Harbors in the 1920’s, she had to find ways to keep them warm and fed. She honed her mostly self taught musical skills to a level where she could provide piano lessons and earn enough to meet the family’s needs. Later on in life, she continued giving piano lessons in the cottage that her sons built for her at 3216 Minnesota Ave. It’s no surprise that the young men she raised were also hard working, clever, resourceful and resilient. I find that resilience is a theme in the lives of the people who lived here seasonally prior to 1900, settled here and choose to live here now. This landform that is Minnesota Point was created by natural forces and remains dynamic by the forces of wind and water. The Point has also been, and continues to be, modified by the decisions and actions of people.

Focusing on the facets of resilience will be necessary to protect and preserve this place where we enjoy and share our extraordinary lives. Millions of visitors travel to Duluth to take in the majesty of the lake, experience the wind and the water, see the active harbor, take in the vistas, and recreate in the waves and along the shorelines. The significant investment into these treasured resources by the State of Minnesota, the City of Duluth and the Park Point Community deserve our consideration, respect and ongoing stewardship. Park Pointers have worked to study, preserve and protect this fragile and unique landform for decades; we will continue these efforts while adding in the additional challenges of climate change variables, for the benefit and enjoyment of those who follow us into the future.