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

30 years ago

MARQUETTE — The city of Marquette met its June deadline to complete preliminary engineering plans for a water filtration plant, but still hopes it won’t have to build the $9 million facility it says is unnecessary. Federal and state law requires municipalities using surface water to have installed water filtration systems by June 1993. Marquette Circuit Judge Raymond Jason in 1991 granted Marquette a variance until 1998. While the health department interprets the variance as meaning the city must have the plant up and running by 1998, Marquette City Attorney Willard Martin said the city disagrees. “We interpret that, at the end of seven years, we can ask for another variance if the water quality is as good,” Martin said. “And it’s fine and has always met all state and federal drinking water standards.” A Sept. 30 hearing is scheduled with Judge Jason to clarify the order. While the city hopes to sidestep these orders, it does plan to upgrade its current water treatment plant. The project is being planned for next year’s budget and is needed regardless of the water filtration plant mandate. The improvements call for two more water storage tanks, new pumps and improved corrosivity treatment.

60 years ago

MARQUETTE — Ore shipments over Marquette’s two railroad docks so far this season are slightly ahead of last year’s pace, indicating that this will be an average shipping season, dock agents reported today. Since the 1963 shipping season began, 219 ore carriers have docked here to take on a total of 882,678 tons of iron ore. At the end of July last year, 213 carriers had been loaded with 2,326,349 tons of iron ore at Marquette’s two docks. Marquette’s tonnage figures for July were also ahead of figures for the same month last season. At the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Co. dock in upper harbor, 2,184,138 tons of ore have dumped in 165 ships so far this year. The shipping season began late, May 21 at the Soo Line Railroad Co. dock, and 54 carriers have been filled with 351,818 tons of ore so far this year at the lower harbor dock. During July, 162,868 tons of ore were dumped into 23 boats at the Soo Line dock, as compared to 20 carriers which took on 116,212 tons of ore in July last year at the lower harbor dock, Charles Francisco, dock agent, said.