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

30 years ago

IRON COUNTY, Wis. — The first official state Christmas tree to come from Iron County, Wis. is more than just a holiday gift from the people of northern Wisconsin, a state legislator said. The 45-foot balsam, which will stand in the rotunda of the state Capitol building in Madison, “symbolizes the importance of the forest resources in northern Wisconsin,” said state Representative Barb Lindton from Iron County. Each year, towns and counties from all over the state try to get their evergreen approved as the official Capitol Christmas tree. Tom Salzman, an Iron County Forester, entered the winning balsam for Iron County. Salzman said there is a long list of specifications that have to be approved for the coveted honor. Salzman, along with workers from the Iron County Conservation Corp. cut the tree down. But the big job was wrapping it for protection on the long ride to Madison. Transportation was donated by the Carl Niemi Trucking Company of Hurley, Wis.

60 years ago

ISHPEMING — It was a rare snowless Thanksgiving Day here, the first in quite a number of years, and the “old weather prophet” thinks we will have a few more “green” days this month. The “old prophet” readers may recall was the man who predicted a couple of weeks ago that we would have the sunny weather we have been having. His forecast at the time was based in the observation that such weather usually follows a late fall thunder and lightning storm. Today he predicted that Ishpeming will get no snow, other than possibly a few light flurries, for the remainder of November.