EDITOR’S NOTE: Superiorland Yesterdays is prepared by the reference staff at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

30 years ago

CHAMPION — “Pasties” and chainsaws filled the air Saturday at the first Da Yoopers International Chainsaw and Pasty Throwing Competition at the Champion Horsepulling Grounds. Some spectators had close calls with errant tosses from the more than 50 competitors, but the main goal, having fun, was achieved in grand Upper Peninsula style. “These are all world records being set today,” said Jim DeClaire, lead singer and main comedian for Da Yoopers musical show. The big tosses of the day — about 40 feet for the women throwing cement pasties and 35 feet for the men tossing bladeless chainsaws — were indeed world records: the competition was the first of its kind. Anywhere. “We’re getting some real good international competitors here, too,” said DeClaire, “a lot of foreigners, even from as far as Nebraska.” Foreigner Dale Striegel of Springton, Wis. Led “Da Big Guys” category (over 200 pounds) after the first round of Saturday’s event. “I think if I could get the twist down a little better, I could throw it a lot farther,” said Striegel. “There’s no actual training involved, but there could be and then who knows what could happen. But really, it’s basically a lot of fun.” That’s the idea behind the festival, said DeClaire — having fun and putting on a good family festival for Marquette County’s west end.

60 years ago

MARQUETTE — Dock workers at the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad Co. dock in the upper harbor unloaded 469 cars of Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. pellets into the ore carrier Sherman this week to set a new record at the dock. Although the number of cars required to load the ship exceeded previous records, A. F. Wallin, dock agent, said the tonnage mark was not surpassed. The Sherman, an Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd., carrier, took on 21,355 tons of ore, just under the record of 22,021 tons set by the Shenango, Shenango Furnace Co. carrier, earlier this summer. Wallin explained this was possible because the Shenango did not take on a load of pellets. He said a load of pellets in an ore car is comparable to a basket of baseballs, and that there is a great deal of air space. Finer ore, such as the Shenango took on, he said, is more compact. The Shenango required 333 ore cars for the record load. The Sherman, which has been at this port often this summer, came from Hamilton, Ont., and is returning to that city with the load of ore for the Dominion Foundry & Steel Co. The pellets were from the CCI plant at Eagle Mills.