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

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — Those interested in the future of Marquette’s art community are asked to attend a meeting at 7:30 p.m. today at the new Oasis Gallery, 227 W. Washington St., Marquette. The meeting of the board of the Marquette Art Council is being held to discuss the physical plant needs of the area’s performing and visual arts groups. Artists, members of art agencies and other interested people are urged to attend. In addition, the council will consider several projects proposed for Michigan Council for the Arts grants and will review plans for the Marquette Art Expo scheduled for April 24-25 at Lakeview Arena.

60 years ago

ESCANABA — While the Upper Peninsula talks hopefully of establishing Superiorland at Big Bay and Frontierland in Marquette, with a steam railroad and Alpine Village and other attractions, the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad of Wells is sending its last steam locomotive eastward for rail recreation business use. The Superiorland-Frontierland projects of John Zerbel and his associates would use a line of the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad Co. and some of its old steam rolling stock. Zerbel has been a prophet of railroad recreation and his pitch is supported by the E&LS’s sale of its last old steamer. Instead of going to the wreckers for scrap, says E&LS General Manager Guy Knutson of Escanaba, Old No. 14 is now en route by slow and easy way freight states (it shouldn’t move over 25 miles an hour) to Arcade, New York, 40 miles southeast of Buffalo. It will move over the Chicago & North Western Railway, which took it away Monday, the Erie and Pennsylvania Railroads to the Arcade & Attica Railroad. The A&A will use No. 14 on its weekend excursion trains between Arcade and Attica. Rail fans contribute a big part of the line’s recreation business. No. 14 was purchased by the E&LS new from the Baldwin Locomotive Works at Eddystone, Pa., in February, 1917. It was a Class 4-6-OD, 10-wheel type locomotive which cost $19,000 and was sold to the A&A “for a little more than scrap prices.” No. 14 pulled combination freight and passenger trains on the E&LS, which had passenger revenue in 1920 of $17,950. It had dwindled to $1,500 by 1930 and has since been abandoned. The locomotive weighs 75 tons.