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

30 years ago

BARAGA — The state says it has no intention at this time to sell the Baraga prison to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. However, when the trip submits a formal proposal to the state, the Engler administration will give it “careful consideration,” a spokesman for Gov. John Engler said. “That process will include evaluating the concerns of people in both the Indian and non-Indian communities, including your concern with the area’s employment situation,” said Michael Gadola, deputy legal counsel to the governor. Gadola’s comments were included in a written response to a letter to the governor by Baraga County Board Chairman Roland Sweeney. The tribal council made an offer in February of $40 million for the maximum security facility. The offer included provisions to run the facility under state guidelines. That offer was increased to $42 million in March, but the tribe has not received an official response on the offer. Tribal council Chairman Fred Dakota, who recently resigned from the county’s prison advisory committee, could not be reached for comment. Sweeney, chairman of the advisory committee, said Dakota’s resignation wasn’t a surprise. “Fred (Dakota) hadn’t been attending meetings for some time,” Sweeney said.

60 years ago

MARQUETTE — A revised fact sheet has been prepared by the Marquette Chamber of Commerce for use in answering inquiries from persons planning to move to the city. Included in the mimeographed two-page fact bulletin is information regarding nine different fields of interest (for example, population, climate, churches, hospitals, schools, recreation) and sketches of industrial and service companies or organizations. Shopping and housing information also is listed. Marquette is described as centrally located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior, 300 miles north of Milwaukee. Its population is listed as 19,824 with 23,939 in the overall metropolitan area and 56,134 in the county. Climatological statistics record the minimum temperature as -3, the maximum as 92, annual rainfall as 41.36 inches and annual snowfall as 176 inches-all based on 1960 weather data.