Enger Tower Awaits Coming of the King

It's 6:00 a.m. and if I were a true Enger Park Restoration enthusiast I would not be here typing this, but would instead be at Enger Tower for this morning's celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the Tower. I did set my alarm a wee bit early, just in case I woke with a desire to go for it.

For those who don't know our city, Duluth has one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. The city itself snakes along Lake Superior and stretches south along the St. Louis River bay for a spell. From one end to the other the city fathers set aside lands for parks and we have 29 of them. One of these is on a knob above the Lincoln Park area just a few hundred yards from Twin Ponds, encircled by Skyline Parkway.

Years ago our family took a vacation to the Black Hills region of South Dakota. I had my AAA maps in tow and studied them to make sure our days would be seasoned with highlights. In one section I found a list of the most scenic drives in the U.S. citing Duluth's Skyline Drive with the highest rank that could be given. The views from the our skyline are everything you'll ever want from a great view. Whether by day or by night, morning or evening, the ever shifting angles of light and even temperature changes make the view something new every day.

Of all the views on the skyline, Enger Tower offers the most enriching of all. Here's an amateur video of the 36o degree view from the tower which includes the harbor and the bay, the lake and the unique Aerial Lift Bridge in one vista. On the back side you overlook the rolling hills of Enger Park Golf Course which for me includes memories of golfing in the rain with my dad.

This past year our local Rotary Clubs raised $100,000 to restore Enger Tower, including the addition of special lighting to make it alive again. The occasion for which this effort was undertaken is the return visit of the King and Queen of Norway. I say return because the original tower was dedicated in 1939 by the Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway at that time. They enjoyed our city so much that they shared memories of the visit with their children, hence King Harald's desire to return in October.

Like all good cities, every attempt is being made to put its best face forward for this return visit. In addition to the facelift for the tower itself, The Enger Park Restoration Committee has been raising funds to re-build and expand the gazebo and other structures in the park. You can read more about all that here.

In the meantime, thank you to Bert Enger for the generous donations from his estate which started it all. You can also follow on Facebook the events leading up to October's return of the king.

TOP: Map of Enger Park