Several Native American peoples have lived in the Duluth area, making up much of Duluth's settlement history. Thousand of years ago, Duluth was believed to be occupied by Paleo-Indian cultures, followed by the "Old Copper" and the Woodlands peoples. Following this the Sioux inhabited the area until the middle of the 17th century, up until the Ojibwa inhabited the area in 1654.
In Ojibwe, Duluth's name is Onigamiinsing, meaning "at the little portage". This is from the small portage from Lake Superior to the St. Louis Bay. This portage area today is known as Park Point (on the Minnesota side) and Wisconsin Point (on the Wisconsin side, of course), allowing quicker access to the St. Louis River.
Starting in 1659 French fur traders arrived in the region. Among those was Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, whom Duluth is named after. He traveled to the area in 1679 to help settle rivalries between the Dakota and Ojibwa peoples, in addition to advancing the area fur trading industries. As a result of this the Hudson's Bay Company set up a trading post at what is know today as Fond du Lac.
Fur trading was the main industry in the area until mid-1800s when copper mining and timber harvesting became larger. Shortly after this Jay Cooke, whom Jay Cooke State Park is named after, spurred the building or a railroad extension from St. Paul to Duluth, opening up the mining of iron ore mining, especially in the areas of northeast Minnesota today known as the Iron Range.
The iron industry caused the area population to expand rapidly. Being on a port and a railroad made the city of Duluth a prime hub of iron ore export. Expansion continued until after the Second World War when the need for began to decline.
Also during this period, the area became a summer home to many rich and famous who took enjoyed the waters of Lake Superior and watching the shipping industry expand. For this reason many old Victorian mansions and homes encompass the hillside, many of which have been restored and upkept by the city and area residence.
