A Prized History
In 1959 the Modern Seaway opened which allowed Duluth to be Designated as a Foreign Trade Zone. Because of this, international freighters found their way into the Twin ports. As you can imagine, this was a very big deal not just for Duluth but all of Minnesota. To this day, Duluth is the farthest inland freshwater seaport in all of North America. In celebration of this accomplishment, they constructed a 26-foot tall gold-colored statue of the Roman god of freshwater and sea, Neptune. In his right hand, he held a trident, and in his left arm, he cradled a replica of the freighter Roman de Larrinaga, the first ocean-going vessel of the modern era to pass through the Duluth ship canal and under the Aerial Lift Bridge.
It was originally displayed at the 1959 state fair. Then, after the state fair was over, the King of Neptune statue made its way to Duluth, MN. He was placed in Canal Park on October 29, 1959. As you can imagine the statue became a popular attraction in Canal Park. Visitors took photos with King Neptune and sat at his feet on the concrete base and he was declared by Mayor E Clifford Mork to be “a tremendous tourist attraction.”
A Maintenance Headache
However, while he was incredibly popular with tourists, the Neptune statue was a maintenance nightmare. The statue was made of fiberglass and a “Weatherproof plastic component”. Because the statue was set so close to Lake Superior it was constantly damaged by waves and rocks. City maintenance workers were constantly patching and repainting the Neptune statue which was costing the city about $300 a year to maintain (close to $2,000 in 2008, adjusting for inflation).
Gone Forever
Because of the constant maintenance issues, the King Neptune statue was to be removed from its base and brought in to have some major repairs done on him. In order to remove him from his base, a maintenance worker used a blowtorch. Little did he know the statue was comprised largely of papier-mache on the inside. Sparks from the torch set the highly flammable papier-mache on fire and the statue burned down in minutes. Years Later, the tugboat Bayfield was placed where the King of Neptune statue once sat.
Canal Park When The King of Neptune Reigned
It’s hard to imagine what Canal Park looked like with this prominent statue located right near the entrance of the port. Luckily, some imaged of the statue have survived! Check out what Duluth looked like when he was still around. Do you have photos of The King of Neptune? We would love to see them! Contact us and we can add them to the gallery. For more photos and information, check out the King of Neptune article on Exploring the North Shore’s website.
