Red Cliff Lumber Company photograph album

The Red Cliff Lumber Company was founded in 1897 with the participation of Edward T. Buxton, a banker from Superior, Wisconsin. He held the office of treasurer from the company’s beginning. The mill was located in Duluth, at the foot of 39th Avenue West. In 1898-1899, its office was located in the Torrey Building in downtown Duluth with F. L. Gilbert, president; A. P. Lovejoy, vice-president; E. T. Buxton, treasurer; and H. H. Foster, secretary. It is described as a manufacturer and wholesale lumber business with mills at Bayfield, Wisconsin. Generally, the sawmills brought many other enterprises to Duluth. Along with Red Cliff, Alger-Smith Company, Duluth Log Company, and the Scott-Graff Company were crucial to local development contributing largely to railroad and lake traffic. By 1911, city directory entries place Red Cliff at 39th Avenue West in Duluth. All of the sawmills were located around the bay. It is still listed in the Duluth city directory in 1925.

Roland C. Buck, engineers, is stamped on the one loose 8 x 10 print. Architect Roland C. Buck of Superior, Wisconsin was hired for many projects in the region. Lakehead Constructors was founded in 1916 by Roland C. Buck, a civil engineer, under the same R. C. Buck Company. The business specialized in design and construction of large scale harbor facilities. The young company rapidly earned a reputation for innovation, honesty and integrity and soon began to expand into other areas of construction. In 1934 a young engineer, Floyd Bernard joined the company and worked his way up to ownership with two others and in 1955 incorporated as Lakehead Constructors.