The Peter White Public Library in Marquette is pictured. (Journal file photo)

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

30 years ago

AMASA — The National Weather Service has been unable to certify that an Amasa weather watcher’s thermometer Wednesday morning registered the coldest temperature ever recorded in Michigan. That’s not to say that the temperature didn’t actually drop to a minus 53 degrees at the home of Bruce Tusa, said meteorologist David Guenther, who’s in charge of the Marquette station at the Marquette County Airport. “It could have been colder. We don’t know,” Guenther said Friday after returning from an inspection of Tusa’s equipment. “But there were problems with the thermometer site.” Tusa’s thermometer was located too close to his home, Guenther said. NWS regulations require thermometers for official readings to be located a distance of 10 times the height of the nearest building away from the building. Tusa’s thermometer, which should have been about 120 feet away, was only six inches away from his single-story long home, which is 12 feet high. Guenther said he plans to ask regional Weather Service officials to station an official thermometer, the appropriate shelter around it and other weather gear in Amasa. Had it been certified, Tusa’s recording would have broken a record low daily high of minus 51 set in Feb. 8, 1934 at Vanderbilt, about 10 miles north of Gaylord.

60 years ago

MARQUETTE – There is a saying “phony as a three-dollar bill” to describe something entirely lacking in value or integrity. But visitors to the open house of First National Bank and Trust Co. next Saturday will see three-dollar bills, even four-dollar bills that are of great value. Shown to the public in Saturday’s open house will be the famed Kaufman collection, now in the directors’ room. Among other panels of the collection is one containing some of the script and early paper money of the area and of the first national banks. Paper script was common in the days of little or no train travel. Even grocery stores put out their own paper money. In the collection which the public will see is paper money of fractional denomination, for as low as 15 cents, bills for two, three and four dollars. The Kaufman coin collection contains also a panel of gold coins. All gold coin denominations are represented. The open house will be from 2 to 5 Saturday afternoon, with a free color television set to be given away to some visitor to the bank.