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Saint Paul Minnesota Duesenberg Factory - address?

  • West Peterson
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08 Apr 2013 17:54 #24957 by West Peterson
Replied by West Peterson on topic Saint Paul Minnesota Duesenberg Factory - address?
The January 2, 1915 issue of [u:wbm1he3a][i:wbm1he3a]Automobile Topics[/i:wbm1he3a][/u:wbm1he3a] states that the Duesenbergs have already set up shop on 2654 University Avenue in "Minneapolis." So that would confirm the 1914 date in which they moved to Minnesota.

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  • West Peterson
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08 Apr 2013 17:28 #24956 by West Peterson
Replied by West Peterson on topic Re: Duesenberg in Minnesota

hessacres wrote: My records show his shop was at 2654 University Ave, St Paul. It really was not a "factory" as most of the work was custom. The shop was for 1915-1917. I have seen some references to Duesenberg Motor Company starting in 1913 but I believe this is in Error. Can anyone provide any actual data to show they were in MN in 1913?

In an historical series I did on Duesenberg for Cars & Parts back in 2003, I received information from H. Milton Duesenberg, a family historian from Des Moines, that the Duesenbergs went to St. Paul in 1914, partnering (my word, probably not a true partnership) with Louis C. Erbes.

"Erbes was aquainted with Fred and August Duesenberg, and leased buildings to them [in St. Paul] to build their cars. He seems to have taken an interest in acquiring the company run by their old boss [Mason], as he makes an arrangement with Ira Hoover to buy the whole concerns. Erbes had grand schemes to use the factory to continue building cars, and manufacturing race cars for competetion, He spents a great deal of capital to bring in stock from other car makes that were defunct, like Cutting, Clarke-Carter, and Milwaukee, and his own car make of L.C.E. . He also had planned to manufacture the Blackhawk 48 there as well. Most of this new inventory was brought in from Jackson, Illinois by train. The entire business is now being called "The Mason Motor Parts Company", and even though he spends a great deal of money to get the stock to this factory, he fails to advertise much locally, and fails to win many races.
What he does do is preside over the auctioning and dismemberment of all the stock, equpment and the building itself on January 3rd and 4th, 1917, leaving only the factory building to the next occupant, and all the contents to be scattered across the country." -- Waterloo City Directory 1916

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  • Joel
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09 Aug 2007 02:42 #7709 by Joel
The address of the house is only 5 blocks from the shop, so that makes sense.
There is no 74 Melbourne at this time. There is a 75 Melbourne, a home built in 1905, and a 72 Melbourne which is a 2800 square foot apartment building reportedly built in 1915. I suppose if a guy went down to the courthouse and reserched the land records, it could be determined what happened to 74 Melbourne. Maybe the addresses were changed at some point??

If you go here www2.co.hennepin.mn.us/pins/addrsrch.jsp and enter the adresses, you can find a map of the lots and adresses.

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
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  • hessacres
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09 Aug 2007 00:44 #7705 by hessacres
Replied by hessacres on topic Duesenbergs in Minnesota
Can you give us some feed back on if Fred's house still exists.

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  • Joel
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08 Aug 2007 20:56 #7700 by Joel
Thanks for the reply. :D

A little internet research at the county tax record department and veiwing the site on google earth shows that there is a large residential condominium project constructed there in 2006. <!-- s:cry: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cry.gif" alt=":cry:" title="Crying or Very sad" /><!-- s:cry: -->

I'm going to drive by just to make sure.

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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  • hessacres
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08 Aug 2007 02:32 #7695 by hessacres
Replied by hessacres on topic Duesenberg in Minnesota
My records show his shop was at 2654 University Ave, St Paul. It really was not a "factory" as most of the work was custom. The shop was for 1915-1917. I have seen some references to Duesenberg Motor Company starting in 1913 but I believe this is in Error. Can anyone provide any actual data to show they were in MN in 1913?

Fred lived at 74 Melbourne Ave in Minneapolis.

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  • Joel
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09 Jul 2007 21:03 #7436 by Joel
Anyone? :)

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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  • Joel
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02 Dec 2006 19:34 #5880 by Joel
Hi, has any one researched the location of the pre- WWI Duesenberg facility in St Paul MN? Does the place still exist, or is the address known? Living in the area, I woud like to drive over there and check it out.
Thanks, Joel Nystrom

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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