Hibbing: The Town That Moved

The small city got it start by a German immigrant named Frank Hibbing who founded the town in 1893. Originally named Frans Dietrich Von Ahlen, Frank took his mother's last name of "Hibbing" which comes from English descent. Frank decided to do this out of honor for his mother who passed away in his infancy and thought that this would be a good move for his exploration of the "New World."

Frank Hibbing originally settled in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where he worked on a farm and shingle mill. He originally had hopes of becoming a lawyer but after finding out the extreme differences between the German and English language, he decided to forego that dream and became interested in the area's most abundent resource: timber.

In 1887, Frank Hibbing moved to Duluth and became a real estate salesman which eventually lead him further north into the Vermillion Range. It was not until 1892 when he and thirty men set out to cut a road through from Mountain Iron to what was then called Section 22. While cutting this road, Frank Hibbing found iron ore on the ground and realized what that meant to the area's economy. Little did Frank Hibbing know at the time, this ore deposit would be one of the largest in the world!

In 1893, the city of Hibbing was laid out and named in honor of Frank Hibbing.  The city even has a statue to bear rememberance to the German who had the sense to notice the brownish soil and the value that it had. Frank took so much pride in his new town that he used personal means to finance the first roads, water plant, electrical plant, hotel, saw mill, and bank building.

Frank Hibbing made Duluth his home for the last ten years of his life until his death from appendicitis on July 30, 1897. Frank HIibbing was only 40 years old. He did retain close communication with "his" town during that time however.

Frank Hibbing.

Eric Carl Wickman.

Hupmobile at the Greyhound Bus Origin Museum, Hibbing, MN.

In 1905, a Swedish immigrant by the name of Martis Jerk came to America from Dalarna, Sweden. He changed his name to Eric Carl Wickman when entering the country which was a common pracitce among immigrants at the time in fear of being labeled as a "foreigner." He then dropped the first name of Eric and went simply by Carl Wickman.

In 1914, Carl Wickman was laid off from the Alice mine where he worked as a drill operator. In his free time, he noticed that many miners had a problem getting to and from work. An idea sprung up in his head that if he were to sell a vehicle that would be reasonably priced as well as effecient in getting the miners to and from work on time, he would not need to go back to the underground mines where it was often dangerous. So in 1914, Wickman became a salesman for the Hupmobile and also a partnership owner in the company. The Hupmobile never sold well.

In 1915, after seeing the failing sales of the seven passenger Hupmobile, he tried to show his clients what a great product the Hupmobile was by literally giving them rides to and from work for a cheap fifteen cents a ride. When he found out that giving the miners transportation was more profit producing, Wickman created the Mesaba Transportation Company. Carl Wickman did have a partner int his business that little is ever talked about named Andrew "Bus Andy" Anderson.

Three years after starting the company, Wickman was running 18 buses and was making $40,000. In 1922, He sold the company for $60,000.

In 1933, the company was formally named The Greyhound Corporation and was running nationally.

In 1954, Carl Wickman passed away and it made national headlines appearing in the New York Times in the February 6, 1954 edition.

Today, Hibbing is the home to the Greyhound Bus Origin Museum but that museum's history is a story in itself which we will get to in a bit. The museum is believed to be located right on the original path that Wickman used to run his transit lines.

Little do current citizens of Hibbing realize that the land was the birthplace of many of America's Industrial Revolution's products. These devices were actually built out of the material from their backyards... literally!

With many mines operating in the area that Frank Hibbing originally found iron ore and built his town, the area was booming. Such mines as the Mahoning, Hull Rust, Sellers and Burt were providing materials for the Industrial Revolution, (soon to be) World Wars, and every day items such as the beginning of the automobile industry. The area was so rich in iron ore product that the mines soon found themselves encroaching on the north, south, and east sides of the town of Hibbing. Then it was discovered... there was a rich ore deposit under the town.

It had to move.

In 1915, the town of Hibbing had 20,000 people who all had to uproot their homes and familes and move them south to the small village of Alice. Many of the buildings were actually lifted and rolled down to Alice. The Oliver Mining Company was the brainchild behind this move and agreed that if the town relocated 2 miles south to Alice, they would develop the downtown buildings with low interest loans for the retailers.

A building on the move from Hibbing to Alice in 1919.

The move happened in 1919 after four years of careful planning and was completed in 1921. The buildings were all moved down what was called at the time, "the First Avenue Highway" which is still in existence today. In total, about 200 structures were moved to the new town while new structures were also built including the Hibbing High School, the Androy Hotel, the Rood Hospital, and the Village Hall. These buildings were created with mining company money to help ease the settlers' mood about having to move the entire town.

Only one structure did not make it to the new town during the move. A hotel tumbled off the rollers and crashed into a million pieces. One eyewitness referred to it as "an enarmous pile of kindling."

The city of Alice was then renamed to Hibbing and annexed. The land size of the city of Hibbing is the largest in Minnesota, even surpassing both Minneapolis and St. Paul's city limits!

North Hibbing, as it is called today, continued to operate until the 1930s until the mining companies bought up all the building and tore them down as the mine approached. Today, you can still go to North Hibbing and see the sidewalks, street lamps, and peek out into the Hull Rust Open Pit Mine.

The Hull Rust Open Pit Mine is still in operation today as part of Hibbing Taconite Company. Visitors to the site can see the enormous pit which has often been called the "Grand Canyon of the North" as it is a 3 miles long, 2 miles wide, and 535 feet deep.

The Hull Rust Open Pit Mine.

A street sign still hangs where "south Hibbing" used to be. Now known as "North Hibbing."

The front of the Hibbing High School.

The auditorium was modeled after the Capitol Theatre in New York City.

One of the buildings that was built during the Oliver Mining Company's relocation of Hibbing was the Hibbing High School.

Built in 1921 by the Oliver Mining Company,  the school building originally cost a cool $4 million dollars! According to the Inflation Calculator, the Hibbing High School would have cost $41,077,457.11 in 2007 to build. That's 41 MILLION DOLLARS!

Why did it cost so much?

Well it is simple, in order to lure prospective workers and miners to work in dangerous situations such as tunnels and around explosions, they had to provide a first class treatment to their families including their children. So they went all out for the education of the children.

The building itself rests upon four city blocks of the city. That's right, four blocks! To show you some prospective, take a look at this aerial photo from Google Maps:

Now if that was not enough to impress, the auditorium of the high school was modeled after the famous Capitol Theatre in New York City. The auditorium has cut glass chandeliers which were imported from Belgium which light the 1800 velvet seated venue. The chandeliers were originally priced at $15,000 when built and today are insured for over $250,000 each.

The auditorium has a rarity in it as well which is a Barton pipe organ. Only two of these are in existence in North America. With 1800 pipes, it can synthesize any instrument excluding the violin.

The auditorium also has rumors of ghostly activity which has neither been confirmed nor denied.

A few celebrities have attended this high school including basketball star Kevin McHale and musician Robert Zimmerman aka "Bob Dylan."

Robert Zimmerman may have been born in Duluth, Minnesota on May 24, 1941 but it is Hibbing, Minnesota where he grew up.

Robert grew up in Duluth, MN until he was six years old. It was when his father was sick with polio that his family moved back to his mother's hometown of Hibbing, MN. This is where he fell in love with music and formed many bands throughout his high school career including such names as "The Shadow Blaster" and "The Golden Chords."

During the high school talent show, Danny and the Juniors, played so loud that the prinicpal cut off the microphone.

Robert Zimmerman left Hibbing in 1959 to move to Minneapolis so he could enroll at the University of Minnesota. This is where Robert Zimmerman did two things; he fell in love with folk music and changed his name to Bob Dylan. The reason for the change was that Bob was very familiar with the poetry of Dylan Thomas. In a 2004 interview, Bob stated, "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

When asked about why he enjoyed folk music more than rock and roll, Zimmerman stated, "The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough ... There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms ... but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings."

Bob Dylan has not returned to Hibbing all that much after 1959. He even claims Duluth as his hometown and ignores the city of Hibbing as even being a part of his life.

Why? 

It is believed that Dylan hated his classmates who would always pick on him and ridicule his ambition for music.

The town is very proud of its first son even if he does not wish to be associated with the location. Every summer, the city of Hibbing holds "Bob Dylan Days" which have fans, folk musicians, and citizens enjoying the path paved by Mr. Zimmerman...er... Dylan.

A local venue also has cemented Bob Dylan's history into the town into food. The local establishment cleverly named "Zimmy's" after "Zimmerman" has Dylan memoribilia all over its walls and menu. You can get such menu items as "Things Have Changed Sirlion Steak", "Like a Rolling Stone Garlic Basil Chicken", and "Blowin' in the Wind Ravilolis."

The Zimmy's building was not originally intended for Bob Dylan. In fact, it wasn't until the 1980s that this shrine happened. Originally, the building was built for storage of the trolley cars in Hibbing. Once automobiles became an American mainstay in the 1920s, the building then became a gas station.

Bob Dylan in 1963.

Bob Dylan's childhood home in Hibbing, MN.

Zimmy's Restaurant on Howard

The Androy Hotel on Howard Street.

Androy Hotel circa 1920.

Many times, I have found myself driving down Howard Street eye-to-eye with the Androy Hotel. I often wondered what the story behind this massive and unrelenting building was. Well, today I am going to find out.

The Androy Hotel was originally constructed in 1919 as part of the Hibbing relocation plan by Oliver Mining Company. It was finished in 1921 and was home to one of Hibbing's finest supper club.

During the economic boom of the mines, the Androy hosted many famous elite upper class folks that were in town to do business deals with the mining executives.

Often nicknamed, "The Queen of Iron Range hotels" and "The Grand Lady of Howard", the name comes from the combination of two eventual owners named Andrew Doran and Roy Quigley.

However, during the 1970s economic recession, the Androy officially closed its doors as a hotel in 1978.

Today, the Androy hosts a retired adult community and a catering business which hosts special events every now and again such as the female impersonators.

As we have learned so far, Hibbing was home to the start of the Greyhound Bus company but did you know that many people in Hibbing were completely unaware that they lived in the womb of the famous transportation company?

Well, that was until Gene Nicolelli came along.

In the late 1960-early 1970s, Gene stumbled upon a plaque by what used to be the Hibbing Depot which honored Hibbing as the birthplace of Greyhound Bus line. He thought this to be odd since he had never thought twice about this which instantly sparked his curiousity of the story behind Greyhound's origin. He took the plaque to the Hibbing Library which very conveinently misplaced the artifiact.

When it turned up again in 1973, Gene took things into his own hands and talk about timing! Gene was at the time Hibbing's Bicentennial coordinator which allowed him direct access to the governor. This was the start of Gene's persistence to get funding for a home for the plaque and later a museum from a succession of government officials.

Finally, a governor shared his vision.

In 1989, the musuem opened in the Hibbing Memorial Building as a very small corner. The museum quickly outgrew its location as one would imagine buses take up a lot of space.

In 1999, the current museum was constructed fittingly on Greyhound Drive. Even more fittingly, the museum is located on the "First Avenue Highway" which was also believed to be the original line of Greyhound according to staff at the museum.

In 2009, the MNPSG investigated this location per the request of the Greyhound Bus Origin Museum staff on accounts of the buses having odd occurrences with them.

Gene Nicolelli at the Bus Museum.