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

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — Emergency room doctors see plenty of bad cases but among their least favorite are children involved in all-terrain vehicle accidents. “ATV accidents usually result in more severe injuries than other vehicle accidents similar to motorcycle accident injuries,” said Dr. Jim Heron, an emergency room physician at Marquette General Hospital. “They probably cause the most serious injuries we see in youngsters, probably because they don’t have as much access to motorcycles.” Head injuries are the most prevalent of serious ATV injuries, Heron said, particularly when helmets aren’t worn. Michigan requires all drivers and passengers to wear helmets and protective eyewear, and prohibits children from operating three-wheelers, which aren’t sold anymore. State law also holds parents and guardians liable. Heron said he also sees a lot of feet and leg injuries. Heron, 44, has worked in the emergency rooms in the Upper Peninsula for eight years.

60 years ago

BARAGA — In a spectacular fire last night, the dimension mill of the Soli Forest Products Co. and finished wood products were destroyed with a loss estimated by the owner, Gust Soli Jr., at approximately $25,000. The cause of the blaze is unknown, but it is assumed that spontaneous combustion in dry shavings in the dimension mill set off the fire. Less than an hour before, at 6:30, the night watchman had made a complete tour of the mill. Two fire trucks from Baraga, one from L’Anse and a State Conservation Department truck with a plow were used in fighting the flames. All the complex machinery in the dimension mill, including planners, shapers, jointers, band saws, rip saws, blowers and a large number of electric motors, was reduced to twisted rubble. The mill building was razed and the ruins were still smoldering this morning.