Through the News Tribune’s lens: Northland presidential visits

By Jimmy Lovrien jlovrien@duluthnews.com

While it’s no Iowa or New Hampshire, the Northland has seen its share of sitting U.S. presidents visit on the campaign trail. For the News Tribune, it’s usually an all-hands-on-deck effort with photographers spread throughout the area to document the trip — from the airport to capture Air Force One landing and taking off, to the arena for the speech, to protests outside the venue at anything along the motorcade route.

Here’s a look at some sitting presidents to visit the area:

June 20, 2018: President Donald Trump in June 2018 drew long lines of supporters outside the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s Amsoil Arena (and dissenters formed their own marches and rallies) to stump for then-candidate Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, who won the 8th Congressional seat that November.

July 13, 2004: President George W. Bush spoke to about 8,000 re-election supporters in the DECC with a 45-minute speech in which he referred to the Iron Range as the “Iron Ridge.” Protesters gathered outside the arena and several were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Nov. 3-4, 1994: President Bill Clinton visited Duluth to rally for U.S. Senate candidate Ann Wynia. Clinton appeared at the University of Minnesota Duluth, jogged on Skyline Parkway and spent a night at the Holiday Inn.

Sept. 24-25, 1963: President John F. Kennedy spent a night at the Hotel Duluth — now Greysolon Plaza —

Continued on page 15-17 and spoke at UMD. He also took a side trip by helicopter to visit Ashland.

Other visits included President Jimmy Carter in 1978 and President Harry Truman in 1952 and 1948. Earlier presidents made stops in the Northland prior to 1948, including President Calvin Coolidge, who made Superior’s Central High School his summer White House while he fished on the Brule River in the summer of 1928. u