History: Paving the way to Cloquet's future

Not so much a mystery this week. It was called the “Comeback of Cloquet,” and people here celebrated in style 100 years ago this month. While it may seem odd that a whole community came out to celebrate a street construction project, that’s just what people did on Nov. 4, 1922, after a mile of paving was completed on business arteries in the city.

As the Minneapolis Journal reported, “The great forest fire of 1918 descended upon this city and left much of it in ruins. Now, the city has ‘come back’ and today finds this town with many prosperous industries, beautiful homes and imposing business buildings.”

There were races of all types on the new pavement, an automobile parade, and special radio broadcasts, including the college football game between Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the evening, there was a carnival and dancing on the pavement, with music by the city band.

Mayor J.E. Diesen, according to newspaper reports, declared the “complete recovery” of the city and said that in the past four years the city had been “rebuilt better than before its destruction.”

It wasn’t all boosterism bluster. Indeed, most of the new schools were up and running, and they were impressive edifices, much like the business buildings. The lumber businesses, and their offshoots, like those at the Wood Conversion Company, were booming.

It all came in time to help the city weather the Great Depression that came on as the decade came to close.