Although the University of Minnesota Duluth didn’t officially make its appearance until 1947, plans for a college in the Duluth area were first made in the 1890s.[13] The state legislature planned for a teaching school for women (then referred to as a normal school)[14] and in 1895 they passed a bill authorizing the State Normal School at Duluth.[15][16] In 1896, the City of Duluth donated 6 acres (2.4 ha) of land to serve as a foundation for the school, and the state legislature provided additional funds for the construction costs for the main building in 1899, which was built in 1900.