Historical Information
Frank Hibbing--Founder of the City of Hibbing
Mr. Hibbing was born in Hanover, Germany on December 1, 1856 and was christened Frans Dietrich Von Ahlen. His mother, who died when he was still in infancy, was of English birth, and it was her name, Hibbing, which he assumed when he set out to seek his fortune in the New World.
He first settled in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where he worked on a farm and in a shingle mill. After a deciding he was not familiar enough with the English language to make a legal career possible, he turned to timber cruising.
In 1887, Mr. Hibbing settled in Duluth where he established a real estate business and began explorations on the Vermilion Range. In 1892, he headed a party of thirty men at Mountain Iron and cut a road through the wilderness to Section 22, 58-20. An expert iron ore prospector, he soon discovered the surface indication which led him to believe in the existence of extensive ore deposits.
In July of 1893, the townsite of Hibbing was laid out and named in honor of him. Feeling personally responsible as Hibbing's creator, he took deepest pride in its development and by his generous aid made its progress possible. He used his personal means to provide a water plant, electric light plant, the first roads, hotel, sawmill and bank building.
For the last ten years of his life, Mr. Hibbing made his home in Duluth where many of his business interests were centered. He retained close contact with the community which bore his name, until he died of appendicitis on July 30, 1897 at age forty.
The Town that Moved
Hibbing grew rapidly in its early years as the huge iron ore mines such as the Mahoning, Hull Rust, Sellers and Burt provided the raw material for Americas industrial revolution. In fact, the mines encroached on the village from the east, north and south and it was determined that some of the ore body actually went under the town whose population had hit 20,000 by 1915.
Negotiations between the Oliver Mining Co. and the village finally brought about a plan whereby the entire city would relocate to a site two miles south near the small hamlet of Alice. The company, for its part, agreed to develop the downtown buildings with low interest loans that could be paid off over the years by the retailers. New civic structures such as Hibbing High School, the Androy Hotel, the Village Hall and the Rood Hospital were also constructed with mining company money.
In all, about 200 structures were moved down the First Avenue Highway, as it was called, to the new city. These included a store and even a couple of large hotels.
Only one structure didn't make it. A hotel tumbled off the rollers and crashed to the ground leaving, as one witness said, "an enormous pile of kindling".
The move started in 1919, and the first phase was completed in 1921. North Hibbing remained as a business and residential center through the 1930's when the mining companies bought the remaining structures. The last house was moved in 1968.
Famous Songwriter/Performer Grew Up in Hibbing
Bob Dylan
Hibbing was the boyhood home of songwriter/musician Bob Dylan. Born on May 24, 1941, he was named Robert Allen Zimmerman. His parents, Abraham and Beatty (Stone) Zimmerman had one other child, David. They brought their children up in a Jewish household.
Friends and family tell stories of Bob's singing performances beginning at a very early age. Two of his first remembered public performances were at the age of four, when he sang at a Mother's Day Celebration and an aunt's wedding in Duluth.
The Zimmerman family moved to Hibbing in 1948, when Bob was seven years old. He attended public school and began playing the guitar while he was in junior high school. He became increasingly interested in rock 'n roll and formed several local bands during his teenage years. These included The Golden Chords, The Shadow Blasters, Elston Gunn, The Rock Boppers and The Satin Tones. They performed at community talent shows, Moose Lodge meetings, local cafes and the St. Louis County Fair.
For most of Bob's life in Hibbing, he resided at 2425 7th Avenue East. He graduated from Hibbing High School in 1959 (The 1959 yearbook is locked in a cabinet at Hibbing Public Library) and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota. In 1960 Bob dropped out of the University and moved to New York. His first album, Bob Dylan, was released in 1962. That year, he legally changed his name from Robert Allen Zimmerman to Bob Dylan.
Since that time, Dylan has released numerous recordings, received international acclaim for his songwriting and become a legend among musicians.
November 22, 1965, Dylan married Sara Lowndes. Their first son, Jesse Byron Dylan was born in 1966 followed by his sister Anna in 1967. Bob returned to Hibbing for a short time to attend the funeral of his father Abraham who died on June 5, 1968. Dylan's next son, Seth Abraham Isaac, was born that next month. Sara and Bob's youngest son, Samual joined the family in 1969.
A collection relating to Dylan's life and accomplishments is located at the Hibbing Public Library 2020 East 5th Avenue/218-262-1038. The Atrium/Zimmys is an excellent restaurant/lounge on Howard Street in Hibbing that features Dylan memorabilia.
Other Well-Known Hibbing Area People
Andrew "Bus Andy" Anderson - Founder of Greyhound
Richard Dean Anderson - Actor on McGyver Series
Lud Andolsek - Federal Official, Chisholm
Arthur Ballet - Theater Arts
John Blatnik - Congressman, Chisholm
Pal Brown - Pro Boxer
Vincent Bugliosi - Author/Attorney (Helter Skelter, The Sea Will Tell)
Geno Cappelietti - Pro Football, Keewatin
John Carroll - Business
Tony Charmolli - Choreographer
Bob Collyard - All American Hockey
Bob Dylan - Musician
Roger Enrico - Pepsi Cola
Gary Gambucci - All American Hockey
Judy Garland - Entertainer, Grand Rapids
Dick Garmaker - Basketball
Mrs. Pierre Godart - Dress Designer, Chisholm
Frank Hibbing - Founder of the City of Hibbing
Dorothy Hurlbert - First Bookmobile
Helen N. Kenyon - Entertainer
Roger Maris - Baseball
Kevin McHale - Basketball, Celtics, Timberwolves
Eddie Miller, All American Hockey
Jack Nelson - Pro Football
Jeno Paulucci - Entrepreneur Businessman
Rudy Perpich - Governor of Minnesota
Peter Popovich - MN Supreme Court Chief Justice
Gary Puckett - Entertainer, Gary Pucket & The Union Gap
