Firm History

ESTABLISHED IN 1892. Torvinen, Jones & Saunders, S.C. IS
THE TWIN PORTS OLDEST LAW FIRM.

In the late 1800s land speculators from across the country flocked to Superior, thinking the Twin Ports area would become the Chicago of the North. The area was geographically unique and offered a place where rails (trains) could meet sails (boats). This boom time created a demand for quality legal services in the areas of real estate and commerce. Lyman T. Powell and F.W. Downer, Jr. founded the firm in 1892. Downer had been counsel for the Land and River Improvement Co. He also served as counsel to John Murphy, founder of the Superior Evening Telegram. Downer left Superior shortly after starting the firm and died in 1896 residing in Arizona.

Land and River built the “Minnesota Block” located at the corner of Tower Avenue and Belknap Street, later called the Board of Trade Building. The firm’s first office was in that building until it moved First National Bank Building at Winter Street and Hammond Avenue in about 1903. The firm returned to the Board of Trade in 1950. It relocated to the Blaine Business Center in 2009. Many prominent attorneys have been associated with our firm, including federal prosecutors, Judges, State Bar Presidents, and others who made countless contributions to Superior, Duluth and the greater Twin Ports area.

POWELL & DOWNER (1891-1900)
SAN BORN, LUSE & POWELL (1900-1903)
LUSE, POWELL & DeFOREST (1903-1906)
I.USE. POWELL & LUSE (1906-1923)
POWELL & SPROWIS (1923-1954)
POWELL, SPROWLS & GEE (1954-1966)
POWELL GEE & POWELL (1966-1971)
POWELL GEE & HENDRICKS (1971-1977)
GEE, HENDRICKS & ISH ERWOOD (1977-1980)
GEE, HENDRICKS, ISHERWOOD & KNUDSON (1980-1981)
GEE, HENDRICKS & KNUDSON (1981-1984)
GEE, HENDRICKS, KNUDSON & GEE, S.C. (1984-1992)
HENDRICKS, KNUDSON & GEE, S.C. (1993-1994)
HENDRICKS, KNUDSON, GEE & HAYDEN, S.C. (1995-1996)
HENDRICKS, KNUDSON. GEE, HAYDEN & TORVINEN, S.C. (1997-1998)
HENDRICKS, KNUDSON, GEE, HAYDEN, TORVINEN & WEIBY S.C. (1999-2001)
HENDRICKS, KNUDSON, GEE, TORVINEN & WEIBY, S.C. (2001-2003)
KNUDSON, GEE & TORVINEN, S.C. (2004-2008)
KNUDSON, GEE, TORVINEN & JONES, S.C. (2009)
KNUDSON, TORVINEN, JONES & KIRK, S.C. (2010-2012)
TORVINEN, JONES, KIRK & ROUTH, S.C. (2013)
TORVINEN, JONES, ROUTH, TORVINEN & SAUNDERS, S.C. (2013-2020)

TORVINEN, JONES, ROUTH & SAUNDERS, S.C. (2020-   )