__________________________________________________________________________
WELCOME TO THE HOMETOWN OF BOB DYLAN
1947 -- Where Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan --
1959
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John & Laurel Berry wrote:
Help! I'm Hibbing Bound
If you're going - Dylan house: 2425 Seventh Ave. East - Library: 2020 E.
Fifth Ave. Dylan collection hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information,
call (218)262-1038 voice; (218)262-3214 TDD; (218)262-5407 fax
- Hibbing High School: Eighth Avenue East and 21st Street
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John, I've been to Hibbing a couple of times. It's known for "the world's
largest open-pit iron ore mine," quite a distinction. The library collection,
when I saw it, wasn't much. It's a town out in the middle of nowhere. Duluth
is a nice town, if you get a chance to go there, down Highway 61, which
is a really pretty road along the shores of Lake Superior. I forgot what
street the former Dylan family home is on, but on 3rd Street, there's a
bakery called The Positively Third Street Bakery. I guess rents were too
high on 4th Street. You won't find much in Hibbing, but Duluth is kind
of a neat town. Lots of Ojibwe Indians in the area, they're very nice.
The people in Minnesota, in general, are very nice. Hibbing is big on outfitters
-- canoes, tents, camping supplies, that kind of stuff, for people on their
way to the wilderness or Boundary Waters National Park area. Get lots of
mosquito repellant. And keep an eye out for moose and bears. Minnesota
is a special place.
Enjoy your trip,
Linda
Bob's Bowling Team
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I also stopped by the library basement in Hibbing and was disappointed.
It's basically a bunch of posters on the wall. A guy gives you the key
send you down stairs and tells you to turn off the lights when you leave.
I put in another plug for the Greyhound museum with old buses etc. Greyhound
started in Hibbing when they moved the whole town. The open pit mine is
also something to see, though you might just as easily view it as among
he world's greates environmental atrociites as a source of ciic pride.
But one poster who implied Hibbing isn;'t worth your time is wrong I think.
It's a little Minnesota mining town with ton of interesting characters
rich history, saloons and more than two dozen languages spoken in the early
1900s. Wandering through will give you some insight into Dylan without
a doubt. You can't compare it to Duluth which is part of the north shore
of one of most beautiful lakes in the world. Check out Fitger's old brewery
on lake. It's now a hotel with brewpub inside. Great stuff!
Fred
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I've had an Edlisian request to repost the following:
POSTED TO REC.MUSIC.DYLAN BY ramer@ssc.wisc.edu 14 Oct. 1994
Subject: Newspaper article on Hibbing and Dylan Today's copy of the local
(Madison) morning newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal, has as its main
article in the feature section a story called: Bob Dylan, Bringing it
All Back Home.
Mount Horeb woman helps Hibbing honor rock's bard.
It's by Mike Meyer.
"If you're a Bob Dylan enthusiast, consider heading north, back to his
roots. "Drive to a hamlet named Hibbing, where it took a Wisconsin woman
to make a community recognize its most renowned son.... "Way out on Highway
61, nestled in the Mesabi Iron Range amid pine
forests, lakes, churches and liquor stores, stands Hibbing, Minn. A town
80 miles northwest of Duluth, Hibbing is home to 18,000 people who look
like characters straight out of "Our Town." But this town's startling cast
of alumni exceeds any Thornton Wilder's dream [mentions Keven McHale, Roger
Maris, former Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich, Jeno Paulucci (millionaire owner
of Jeno's food company), Greyound Bus]. But Hibbing doesn't want you to
know any of this. A sign greeting passers-by reads only "Home of Gov. Rudy
Perpich." No mention of McHale, Maris, Greyhound or the largest open-pit
mine in the world, dubbed "The Grand Canyon of the North." And oddest of
all, no mention of Hibbing's most famous son: Bobby Zimmerman. Or Bob Dylan,
to the rest of the planet. And his fame, beyond that of Hibbing's other
famous offspring, hangs like an albatross around the neck of a blue-collar
town where the times, they never changed, and where the only thing blowin'
in the wind is the rusty dust of the almost-busted mine.
They say you can't go home again. Some people just don't. Like Dylan, who
has only returned a handful of times since he left town in 1959. And while
away, he rarely credited Hibbing as "home," instead crafting his image
as folk roadster runaway with stories of a vagabond youth hopping trains
from Cheyenne to Sioux Falls to Burbank. It made for better liner notes
than "I was a 'B' student, and my family owned the first TV set in town."
Dylan's snub of the town perhaps explains why his boyhood home isn't designated
as a Minnesota historical landmark or museum, as many parties--including
Rolling Stone magazine--have implored. Or why no streets bear his name....Or
why Hibbing's Chamber of Commerce has only a brief, half-page biography
of the man many call rock's biggest influence on file for visitors.
"Eleven Outlined Epitaphs," a poem in the notes of "The Times They Are
a-Changin," is a rare reference by the hermity Dylan to Hibbing in words.
It begins: "The town I was born in holds no memories...I have carried no
feelings up past the Lake Superior hills." And that suits this town just
fine. "We like him, sure," a pair of grungy [Hibbing High] seniors said
in front of the school. "But everyone up here listens to country or heavy
metal." They boasted a friend's family recently bought the Zimmerman home,
which included a 1965 poster of himself he sent to his mother as a souvenir.
It hangs on the student's wall in what was Dylan's old room. The sale of
the house to a private family, killing plans to transform it into a museum,
created a minor furor as far away as Denmark.
Griped one Hibbingite at the time, "It's the old story. Nobody recognizes
their own. It's like Roger Maris. They'll wait 'til he's dead." Down at
Zimmie's, a new bar annexed to a historic restaurant, the young bartender
admitted, "I didn't even know Zimmerman was (Dylan's) real last name until
last week." Claiming to have a Dylan theme, the bar features a handful
of framed magazine covers and posters of Dylan, mostly recent ones. And
the jukebox? Choose from "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits" or "Under the Red
Sky." This day, Stevie Nicks is a popular choice. Over at Erickson's Music,
like Zimmie's, situated on the main drag of downtown Hibbing, the selection
is as weak. No Bob Dylan songbooks. And for discs, choose this year's "World
Gone Wrong" of ...This year's "World Gone Wrong." As Dylan prophetically
ended "Epitaphs" stanza about Hibbing: "I learned by now never to expect
what it cannot give me."
Not so fast, Bobby. The public library has at long last done something,
if only at the urging of Linda Knudsen, formerly of Mount Horeb (she recently
moved to Soldiers Grove). The result: The Bob Dylan Collection. Though
opened a year late, the collection features film, recordings, posters,
books and articles that span the artist's career. The library has published
a directory, and is happy to dig up any information a visitor wants to
see, including Hibbing Daily Tribune articles as innocent as "Writer declares
Bobby Dylan great talent" and as hilarious as "Soviet press says Dylan
money-hungry capitalist." The collection was a "labor of love" for Knudsen,
40, who over four years worked on the 30 posters that chronicle Dylan's
career. Knudsen defends Zimmie's lack of memorabilia, pointing out that
it's difficult to find Dylan mementos. In fact, their scarcity is what
literally started her on the road to Hibbing.
Reading a 1989 New Year's Day article about collecting as a good investment,
Knudsen, then in Vermont, contacted a New Hampshire collector of Dylan
memorabilia. That contact netted her a few of Dylan's tour schedules, and
she went on the road, picking 10 shows to attend. When that leg ended,
Knudsen decided to go back to the beginning--Dylan's, that is. Knudsen
headed for Hibbing....With a laugh, she recalled her philosophy at the
time: "If Bob lived here, I can live here!" She did more than that. Disappointed
with the town's indifference to a "national treasure," and "spellbinding
songwriter" Knudsen began work on an exhibit chronicling Dylan's life in
order to present it to the town in celebration of the singer's 50th birthday
in 1991. Knowing the Zimmerman family's wish for privacy, Knudsen approached
the project with caution. Whatever fears she may have had of trampling
on sacred ground were erased, however, with a call to Dylan's godfather,
who when told of the project declared, "It's about time!" And while Dylan
himself has never acknowledged the collection, Knudsen said, an employee
in his business office anonymously sent various press releases and articles.
The town, to, appreciated her effort, which she called "a birthday gift
for Hibbing." Usurping the hallowed spoils of hockey trophies that clogged
the hallway cases at the high school, the exhibit united a community around
a figure they've long ignored. "It's pretty isolated up there," [Knudsen]
said. "And kids should know that they can do things, they can get out."
The 50th birthday exhibit has evolved into the collection's current form,
which recently was set up in a basement conference room at the library.
Terry Moore, the library's director, reports that quite a few people have
passed through--mostly out-of-towners.
While even Knudsen admits that Hibbing "will never have any idea how influential
Dylan is," the exhibit makes an effort, however modern. Many write-ups
in the collection are concert reviews form the late '70s and '80s, which
are more trivial than meaningful. And the bibliography lists the date of
the seminal 1964 "Times They are a-Changin'" album as "197?" But it's a
start, and not a bad one for this city that, quite frankly, doesn't give
a...darn. Well, maybe just a little. But should it?
In a '91 editorial commenting on the controversy over the sale of the Zimmerman
home, the Daily Tribune, which once banned the mention of Dylan in print
because he refused it an interview, wrote: "It would be fair to say that
many of Bob Dylan's lyrics don't make a lot of sense to a lot of local
folks. We doubt that the times will ever be a-changin' enough so that Dylan
becomes a local music favorite. Maybe if he did a polka album.... "His
popular career may be waning, but his impact on a generation of people
and his lifetime contribution to folk and pop music will long be remembered.
People will wonder what sort of community could produce such an artist."
A day in this deep-rooted community turns that wonder into respect. Then,
with a tinge of either guilt or gumption, the editorial concludes, "Maybe
no man is a prophet in his hometown."
Blowin' In The Wind
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i went to hibbing last summer and couldn't believe how manicured it looked....so
damn neat....i also couldn't believe that they didn't have any kind of
mention of bob anywhere except at zimmmy's....at the open pit historical
site they just went on and onabout frank hibbing...my friend who grew up
across the street from bob said te town fathers were pissed that in one
of bob's songs he described hibbing as a dying town....
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There is a bike trail called the Mesabi Trail being constructed, and ]a
7 mile portion from Chisholm to Hibbing was just completed, so we drove
to Hibbing to find it. We tried 3 gas stations and no one had heard of
North Hibbing, or North Gate, or the Mesabi Trail - all part of the directions
given in the Duluth paper about how to find it. Typical. People in northern
Minnesota are so proud of their ignorance - as if curiosity is a weakness.
"To Join Little Richard"
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So we drove to Chisholm which has a little more of a touristy attitude
and were directed to the other end of the trail, although with as much
obfuscation as they could come up with. The trail will eventuallty be 132
miles long. It was a really nice bike ride through iron ore tailings and
ended at the big iron ore pit which is the 'largest open iron ore pit in
the world'. How nice. So now we were in Hibbing and rode our bikes around
town for a while. We found Zimmy's and ate there. They have some great
photos blown up and framed, and although I'm sure Bob would hate the place,
I liked it. They also played music of his covered by others when we were
there, although it was played low so as not to interfere with the 3 tvs
showing 'the game' whatever that was.
What a nice town Hibbing is. Typical peaceful leafy quiet well-organized
Minnesota town. Course there's nothing for a teenager to do, I know that
because I grew up in a small Minnesota town much like it. And there's that
requirement that one must have a lobotomy so as to get along with everybody.
Other than that, those towns are great and the people are really nice.
I hope Bob comes to play there soon. I saw a white Rolls Royce parked on
the street and wondered who that might belong to.
Hope I didn't bore you, Anne
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I don't think the Hibbingites realize how important their native son is.
I heard that on the booklet that the Chamber of Commerce had printed about
famous people from Hibbing, they do not mention Bob. I can't swear to that,
though. Hibbing is certainly not a dying town at this point. Two new companies
have opened operations there, and the town appeals to people who like those
quiet kinds of places. If Bob really doesn't like the place, then both
parties will ignore each other. And he shouldn't play there is he really
doesn't want to. But if he has fond memories of it, he should really play
there as soon as possible. They need the excitement, for one thing, and
they need to see what a wonderful talent grew up in their town, and was
influenced by it.
Anne
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it takes all kinds to make this world. i went to hibbing and didn't think
much of it. the iron ore pit is impressive but i sure can see why a creative
teen would want to split.
N
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I went to Hibbing about three years ago (small world department: my dad
grew up in Chisolm). Anyway, I had a similar experience; when I went to
the chamber of commerce the woman seemed very annoyed when I asked where
his boyhood home was. I went to Zimmy's, too. If I remember correctly,
half of it was a sports bar. I agree that he probably would hate it. When
I went there was an empty storefront that had been turned into a mini-Dylan
museum. Lots of memorabilia. They claimed that it was going to eventually
be donated to the Hibbing Library. There also was a small display at the
iron ore pit. Possibly related anecdote: When Dylan played in Minnesota
in 1990 the governor (who also was from Hibbing) wanted to proclaim that
day "Bob Dylan day" for the entire state. Dylan declined to participate.
S
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kevin mchale, who also is from hibbing, was coming off the court during
a time out and spotted dylan in the stands. mchale said he stopped in his
tracks, looked at dylan, and dylan looked at him and mouthed the word "hibbing."
This reminds me of the story about when Dylan's boyhood home was going
on the market about 10 years ago. Some newspaper reporter went to Hibbing
and asked the locals what they thought of the situation. One guy thought
about it and finally said, "Well, it's no big deal to us. It';s not like
it was Kevin McHale's house."
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On June 5, in 1959, Bob Dylan graduated from Hibbing High. Congratulations,
Bob (Oh the benches were stained with tears and perspiration.) Bob Fuhrel
Front Row, 3rd from Left
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I happen to hear dylan's last name was zimmerman. I always listen up when
I hear that name because it was my mom's maiden name. Then I heard Minn.
I use to have an uncle John who lived there for years, Aunt Irene was his
wife, then they moved to Calif. You don't think? I was just wondering.
Bob Dylan, when he was known as Bob Zimmerman, grew up in Hibbing, a small
town northwest of Duluth. In his late teens and early twenties he lived
in Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota in the student ghetto/neighborhood
called Dinkytown. Dinkytown's main street is 4th street and was supposedly
is the inspiration for 'Positively Fourth Street'.
Jean
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We enjoyed your posting on the visit to Hibbing. So I think instead of
locating a music theater at places such as Branson, Mo. or Pigeon Forge,
Tn., I'd vote for his putting it right there in that little innesota town.
Yeah, sort of like "bringing it all back home".
Bob Stacy
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Naturally, since Bob is an American, we have dibs on him. That goes without
saying. But I'd gladly travel anywhere in the US to see him, and of course,
I'm kind of assuming his club would be in California or somewhere cool
like that. But really, everyone says that touring is exhausting in every
way, and ofcourse keeps one from the people they live with, so his band
is bound to like that idea, and it would be good for Bob, too. I really
think he should do it.
Anne
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A few days ago, I posted about the rumored connection between the Rockefellers
and Sony Corp. of Japan, a frequent target on rmd. The story goes that
John Davis Rockefeller, 3rd was behind the formation of Sony. According
to this admittedly rather paranoid theory, "Sony" is actually an acronym
for "Standard Oil of New York," the company that made the Rockefellers
rich. See my earlier post for a more detailed explanation. Before I continue,
let me state unequivocally that I do not actually believe any of this.
I just find it interesting (and amusing).
Anyway, I just finished reading the Dylan page at Wall of Sound where I
learned that Dylan's father WORKED FOR THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY! Man, could
EDLIS have a holiday with this. According to Wall of Sound, Abe Dylan was
working for Standard Oil in Duluth, MN and in 1947, five years after the
birth of his son Bob, they moved to Hibbing. It does not state whether
Abe continued to work for Standard Oil, but the move did come just one
year after the formation of the Sony Corporation in 1946. Was Abe an insider
in Rockefeller's secret project? Was he rewarded with a new house in the
suburbs and a future for his son in exchange for his silence? And what
role did Bob play in the mysterious and yet unsolved disappearance of young
Michael Rockefeller in Africa? Did Michael just know too much?
Awaiting response from Flat Earth Society. Get Robert Stack on the line.
"My daddy told me...(long pause)...Well he told me so MANY things." BD
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I think Bob's most touching song about the Suze breakup is "Ballad in Plain
D" This song is a masterpiece. You can tell Dylan was devastated when she
left him. Suze wasn't Dylan's first love, however. Echo from Hibbing was.
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hugh barlow wrote: sort of on the blind boy grunt topic.....anyone who
has seen the movie Highway 61 might or might not have noticed that at the
end of the credits it is "dedicated to blind boy grunt". for those who
haven't seen it, it's a very amusing movie about a nerdy young barber who
gets roped into giving a strange woman a lift from canada to new orleans
down h61, carrying her brother's body on the roofrack. early in the journey
he stops in hibbing to point out the house that bob spent his first six
years in, points out the driveway saying "amazing, this is where bob dylan
would have ridden his bike." she: six is a bit young to be riding a bike,
isn't it? he: hell, the guy's a genius. cheers
A friend of mine rented that one night and we watched it. Great flick.
My friend kept rewinding back to the driveway scene over and over. Well...
part of it was right after that scene their car (with the body) goes down
the hill, so it was fun watching it back up the hill.
Peter Stone Brown
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"A friend of my mother's who attended Minnesota during Dylan's frat boy
days... [said] he met Dylan more than once, and all he ever talked about
was how he had the biggest Bar Mitzvah in the history of Hibbing."
--Greg, via Rec.Music.Dylan
Going, Going, Gone
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Ronnie's Hibbing Photo Album
By Ronnie Schreiber Here's a photo we took of Bob's father's grave in Duluth.
His grandparents are also buried in this cemetery. According to a rabbi
whom I learn with who is close to Dylan's contacts in Crown Heights, Bob's
Hebrew name is Shabtai Zisel ben Avraham. If you notice, Abram Zimmerman's
father was named Zisel. Also, Dylan's daughter Anna is probably named after
his grandmother.
Finding Abram Zimmerman's grave was a day-long endeavor that began at the
city clerk's office in Hibbing, went up to Virginia (the biggest town near
Hibbing and nearest Jewish cemetery - well actually it's a Jewish section
of a larger one) and ended up going to three different Jewish cemetaries
in Duluth before we found the proper one. When we got there, we recited
a "K'el Maleh Rachamim". I wonder how often Bob visits his father's and
grandparents' graves.
The synagogue that Bob attended as a youth is no longer in existence due
to the shrinking Jewish community in Hibbing. The building has been converted
to apartments.
BTW, in Hibbing they make a bigger deal about Jeno Paulicci (of Jeno's
Pizza fame) and Roger Maris coming from Hibbing than they do about Dylan.
Larry Yudelson
IN SOLEMN MEMORY
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