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

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — Marquette area listeners could be tuning in to the sounds of a new alternative music radio station by next fall. WBKX-FM, at Northern Michigan University, is in the process of applying for a license for non-commercial FM status with the Federal Communications Commission. A copy of the application and other project documents are on file at the Olson Library at NMU for public inspection. After the application is accepted by the FCC, which station managers expect to happen in October, construction permits for the antenna and transmitting equipment will be their next project.

The antenna will be installed on the smokestack of the Wisconsin Electric Power Plant near Presque Isle, said station manager, Ted Fisher. Fisher was WBKX will be working on a listener survey to help choose its alternative music playlist.

90 years ago

MARQUETTE — Alf Johnson of Ishpeming defeated James Trembath, a fellow townsman, to win the Marquette County checker championship in Home House number 1 Wednesday evening. Johnson took two straight games after beating Harry Linder of Marquette in the semi-final round. A field of 16 players participated in the meet. One could have heard a pin drop so quiet was the crowd and one player even brought rubber checkers with him so that their movement would not disturb other players. The thrill of the evening perhaps was the match in the second round between the redoubtable Peter Epper of Marquette and Johnson. Johnson won the first game and Epper then took the second to tie the match. Epper was well on the way to his second victory and was one man ahead on the board when he made a slip and Johnson made the right move to force the game into a draw. Johnson then won the next game to win the series 2-1. The first prize was a book containing the record of the world’s championship match between Banks and Stewart which went 40 games and resulted in a victory for Stewart. Mr. Linder received a similar book giving the record of the Gonotsky-Ginsberg match for the American Checker title. E.E. Ward of Marquette, third-place winner, was presented with a text book on checkers.