Howell Crossing to the railroad city
Duluth History
Duluth's history is the story of a river crossing, a railroad name, and a green that saved the downtown.
From Howell Crossing in 1821 to the Town Green revival in the 1990s, the city has reinvented itself twice.
The founding
Howell Crossing and the railroad name
Evan Howell settled the Chattahoochee-side crossing in 1821, and three generations later the town took the name Duluth when the railroad came through in 1873. For a century it was a cotton and farm town on the line.
The revival
The green that changed the city
In the 1990s the city bet its future on the Town Green, building the commons that pulled the downtown back to life. The green, the festivals, and the walkable historic block are that bet paying off.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 13, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.