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

30 years ago

DIORITE — The Ely Township Board has raised the reward for identification of who’s been destroying grills, swings, restrooms, and other facilities at the South Ely Park. A $50 reward has been raised to $150 to catch the vandals, said Supervisor Ken Tuominen. He said vandals have “gone crazy” at the park off County Road 581 southwest of Ishpeming. “They started this spring and we repaired everything in May,” Tuominen said. “Two weeks later we had to do it over again. “Someone totally dismantled a beautiful cement grill, stole swings from a swingset, smashed stainless steel outhouses, tried to burn the baseball dugout down, stole bases from the ballfield, and ripped off the rooftop on a storage building so they can go in and out,” he said. “It’s disgusting.”

90 years ago

ISHPEMING — Levine Brothers, Marquette plumbing and heating contractors, who have been employing a large force of steamfitters and plumbers at the Mather Inn, Ishpeming’s new hotel, expect to complete their work in four weeks. The hotel is nearing completion rapidly and the contractors have steam on in rooms where it is required for construction and finishing work. Approximately five miles of pipe, ranging in size from a half-inch to eight inches in diameter, have been installed in the hotel. Levine Brothers have also installed 170 plumbing fixtures, including bath tubes, wash bowls, showers, toilets, sinks, and other fixtures. The hotel will have 5,000 feet of direct radiation together with fans and blowers which will be supplied with steam from two Kewanee welded steel firebox boilers. Water pipes throughout the building are of copper for the hot and cold water services, copper being installed to prevent corrosion. Plumbing in the hotel has been under inspection by the state plumbing inspector and at a recent meeting of the Marquette County Master Plumbers association the inspector complimented Levine Brothers on their work.