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

30 years ago

IRONWOOD — Charlatan out-of-state loggers are robbing the western Upper Peninsula of valuable timber, a Gogebic County forester said. Forester Dick Bolen said the loggers typically look for good timber stands on private property and then take advantage of gullible landowners. People who own 40 or maybe 100 acres are many times unfamiliar with good forestry practices,” he said. “They get offered a good amount of money, decide to sell their timber, and find out they have nothing of value left afterwards. “In most of these cases it will take 80 to 100 years to repair the damages to the land.” “Many times,” he added, “These private landowners are not getting what they expected monetarily either.” Bolen is especially concerned about such questionable logging practices, because they often result in devastated timberlands, as well as unhappy landowners.

60 years ago

IRON MOUNTAIN — A public hearing will be held on Friday, Dec. 16, in Iron Mountain by the special House Committee on Mineral Rights. Rep. Law, chairman of the special interim committee, said that the public hearing will be held at the Dickinson County Courthouse beginning at 9:30 a.m. “Our committee is studying the problems related to the separate ownership of mineral rights,” Rep. Law said. “We are hopeful that all persons in the Upper Peninsula region interested in these problems will participate in the meeting.” A number of persons from Marquette County are expected to attend the sessions.