TWO HARBORS

Whiskey Row

By 1883, the Minnesota Iron Company had purchased all but four acres of Thomas Sexton's land around Agate Bay. Sexton leased his remaining four acres to merchants seeking to capitalize on the 600-man workforce arriving to build the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad. He divided his four acres into 32 lots. As with any frontier town of the day, it was a largely male population. The infamous four-acre plot earned the nickname "Whiskey Row" and was said to exist for the sole purpose of "relieving a man of his pay."

Contrary to popular myth, Whiskey Row was not destroyed by a fire in 1888. There was a fire, but it occurred before the first load of ore arrived in July, 1884; only seven buildings were damaged. It was reported that the merchants affected were in Duluth the next day purchasing materials to rebuild. Whiskey Row's demise occurred the following year.

The railroad rapidly expanded its rail and shipping operations and needed all of the shoreline for its new coal handling and storage facility. By 1885, the Minnesota Iron Company convinced Sexton to sell his remaining four acres along Agate Bay. The railroad then evicted the tenants and moved any of the salvageable buildings inland. There are several homes in "east" Two Harbors whose original structures were on Whiskey Row.

Railroad

Had it not been for the discovery of iron ore nearby, Two Harbors would not exist. The Minnesota Iron Company bought 17,000 acres (69 km2) of land in order to build their railroad. In Agate Bay (Two Harbors), most of the land was bought from Sexton, who by that time had owned the land for 20 years.

Various locations were considered for the railroad terminus and shipping port, but Agate Bay was chosen because it was closer to the iron ore site and had a clay bottom bay, while most others were rocky.

As the track was being developed, the main transportation route was Lake Superior. This proved difficult when heavy loads such as railroad engines nearly sank the scows or tugs that carried them. The contractor John. S. Wolfe was told he would receive a bonus of $50,000 if the railroad was completed by August 1, 1884. Because that was a Friday, and construction workers had strong superstitions about Fridays, it became important that the construction be completed by July 31. On that day, the first iron ore cars left Agate Bay early in the morning, along with a caboose for President Tower to ride in on the return trip. The railway between Duluth and Two Harbors was completed in 1886.

The North Shore Scenic Railroad operates a six-hour excursion starting in Duluth that has a two-hour break in Two Harbors.

A 2-6-0 Mogul class steam locomotive with the first style of ore cars and caboose is on display by the historic Duluth and Iron Range depot.

A 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone class steam locomotive is on display at Two Harbors. It ranks among the largest steam locomotives ever built.

In the 1970s, as a part of the Minnesotan back-to-the-land movement, lesbian feminists began renting a cabin outside of Two Harbors which they called "Molly’s Cabin". The building served as a local lesbian community hub until 1981, when it burned down due to a propane refrigerator fire.

Mayoral recall

In 2022, incumbent mayor Chris Swanson was recalled; over 86% of voters voted to remove him after a series of controversies. City Council President Ben Redden took over the mayor's duties pending a special election to choose a replacement.