03/28/2023
The BURG building has a fascinating history! The Burgs were among the first families to settle on the Duluth hillside in 1868!
Edward F. Burg was the second of five children, who acquired his early education in the Duluth Public Schools. After attending a commercial college in St. Paul, Burg set out to see the world at the age of 18. He went to North Dakota, Colorado and Nova Scotia, ending up in Minneapolis bottling soft drinks. Burg was married in 1890 to Sarah Lloyd, daughter of Joseph Lloyd of Duluth. He moved his business to 20 West First Street in Duluth in 1906, handling supplies for hotels and billiards halls.
Edward F. Burg, who became a charter member of Club 25 at age 46, was born in Rockland, Michigan, in 1865. His father, Herman Burg, came to America from Germany when he was 9 years old, settling in Illinois, then Michigan, where he worked in the copper mines. After Edward was born, his family moved in 1865 to West Superior (downtown), Wisconsin, then to Duluth in 1868, when Duluth was a frontier village at the Head of the Lakes. The Burgs were among the first families to locate at Duluth, where Herman Burg was the pioneer dealer in livestock and retail meats. He drove cattle overland from St. Paul to Duluth and sent merchandise out by ox teams.
When Edward F. Burg became a charter member of Rotary Club 25 in 1911, Burg was the head of E. F. Burg Company and had the classification of Hotel Supplies. He was also a member of the Shrine of the Masonic Order, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Good Samaritans, the Elks, the Duluth Commercial Club and the Boat Club. He and his wife lived at 1430 East First Street and had one son, Edward L. Burg, who was educated at the University of Minnesota.