DULUTH — All that remains of the former Seventh Avenue Incline Railway are the stairs that followed alongside its tracks.
Recently designated as a recreational hiking trail, it serves as a connection into Duluth’s past. A local grassroots effort, Friends of the Incline Steps , headed by Doug Stevens, has set out to ensure the historic route didn't become an overgrown memory.
The group's proposal to install interpretive signage was approved by the Duluth Parks and Recreation Department on April 27.
Also known as the "Duluth Skyride," the Incline Railway operated from 1891-1939 to provide transportation from downtown to the newly developing west hillside neighborhood.
"This rail system was so popular when it was built. It lasted 48 years before it was torn down," Stevens said. Many of the people that rode the incline are not here anymore. This way it will be preserved. This is a great way for people to walk historic Duluth and have it be known with signs."
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Stevens' efforts began in 2017. In 2021, he attended community meetings to ensure the incline steps were included in comprehensive planning of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission as well as the Duluth Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails Plan . "Even during the pandemic, I was making sure it wasn't a forgotten project," Stevens said.
Jessica Peterson, Parks and Recreation manager said, "Thank you to the Friends group for taking a deep dive into the history, and for their grassroots effort in telling the story. Doug has worked really hard and we're looking forward to seeing it come full circle with the interpretive panels."
Guided hike and fundraiser
Stevens and Bob Berg of the Duluth Preservation Alliance will lead a guided hike Tuesday down the stairs, starting at 631 W. Skyline Parkway, at 6 p.m. The descent is under a mile at a roughly 500-foot incline.
The Historic Incline Steps Recreational Hiking Trail begins at First Street near Duluth Bethel and Mesaba Avenue and continues upward to Skyline Parkway and beyond to Ninth Street where the pavilion and powerhouse were once located.
The trail veers from the incline's original route from First to Second streets, and again where the steps were moved further to the west near the Salmela House, Stevens said.
"For it being 132 years old, the route is in very good shape," Stevens said. "There are some cracks and shifting. The sidewalk and the steps are all aggregate concrete and held up better than today's concrete. Particularly, the steps at the bottom look new and the railings are still there, which is very impressive."
Following the hike, a fundraiser will kick off at Bent Paddle Brewing Co. to raise money to install four signs with historical information and photographs along the route. Bent Paddle's "Round Up" opportunity for the cause will continue May 16-31.
The goal is to raise $4,000 total by fall to install the signs next spring.
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Duluth Preservation Alliance will serve as the 501(c)3 nonprofit. Tax-deductible donations can also be sent to: P.O. Box 161438, Duluth MN, 55816 with "Incline signs" in the memo line.
The Duluth Preservation Alliance and the Eco Rotary Club of Duluth and Superior have teamed up to help raise money needed for the signage. Both have pledged $1,000 donations. Eco Rotary adopted the trail in 2018. A cleanup event was held last November.
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