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Superiorland Yesterdays

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago NEGAUNEE — Susan Rasch had always heard people talk about how great it would be to have a winter festival in western Marquette County. “So I just said, ‘Let’s quit talking about it. Let’s just do it,’” recalled Rasch, owner of the Duck Factory in Negaunee. The result: the inaugural Heikki Lunta Winter Fest, set for Jan. 27 through Feb. 4 in the Negaunee-Ishpeming area. Heikki Lunta, of course, is the mythical Finnish god of snow, who has been busy this winter in the Upper Peninsula. A well known record in the U.P. a few years ago was the “Heikki Lunta Snow ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE — Although Lake Superior iron ore shipping declined this season, production was up in Marquette County mines, officials said. The Superior shipping season ends at midnight today when the Sault Ste. Marie locks officially close for the winter. This season some 6.8 million tons of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. iron ore traveled through the locks, down from 7.5 million tons in 1994 and 7.1 million in 1993. Located on the St. Marys River, the locks are the gateway to Lake Superior. Each Jan. 15 they close due to winter conditions and generally reopen around March 25. T ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETT E — New City Manager Gerald R. Peterson got a true taste of the Upper Peninsula his first week on the job. Some 15 inches of snow blanketed the city Sunday through Tuesday, and his first public meeting was about ice. Peterson, who hails from McHenry, Ill., jumped right into the frying pan, so to speak, when he toured Lakeview Arena Tuesday and later that night heard comments in a public work session on the future of ice sports and ice facilities in Marquette. Welcome to life in the U.P. Actually, Peterson said snow, along with the natural beauty of the area ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE — The year 1996 marks the 150th anniversary of the Mining Journal, the oldest and most established newspaper in the Upper Peninsula. The Journal begins celebrating its sesquicentennial with a “Page from the Past,” the first of 52 weekly glances at historical U.P. and national news seen through the eyes of those who reported it. The weekly features will be part of each Wednesday edition throughout the year.   60 years ago MARQUETTE — Effective December 30 the “little merchant” system of distributing the Mining Journal by its carrier boys ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE – More than 74 inches of snow have fallen already this season, setting the stage for downhill and cross-country skiers. “It’s been an excellent season. Mother Nature sure has been cooperating,” said Bob Epps, lift manager at Marquette Mountain. The Marquette ski hill, which opened on Nov. 17, has 17 trails open and is operating all four lifts. Typically, the hill needs manmade snow through mid-January, but snowmaking may be complete by the end of the week. Greg Hokans, executive director of the Marquette Country Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, “If ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago ISHPEMING – Bethel Lutheran Church rose from the ashes of last summer’s fire and hosted services for its members Sunday. Renovation of the 108-year-old Ishpeming church is reportedly 86 percent complete following the June 21 blaze started by a lightning strike. More than 550 people attended Christmas Eve services, which included singing “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem.” Irene Stampee, 93, and Daisy Jaaks, 91, were among those in attendance. The building renovation is expected to be complete in several weeks. 60 years ago MARQUETTE — Supervisors, patrol members ...