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

30 years ago

WHITE PINE – Copper Range Co. employees have approved the $83 million sale of the copper and silver mining company to a Toronto company. Employee owners of 99 percent of the company’s shares approved the sale to Metall Mining Corp. Copper Range’s approximately 1,000 employees stand to get an average of $60,000 each from the sale approved Wednesday. They could get additional per-share money if the mine meets five-year production and efficiency goes set by Metall. One worker who wouldn’t give his name voted against the sale, citing his ordeal as a prisoner of war in Germany. The majority owner of Metall Mining is Metallgesellschaft AG of Frankfurt, West Germany. Copper Range workers took a 30 percent pay cut in 1985 to buy the mine from Echo Bay Mining Co., which had declared it unprofitable and planned to close it. While production increases allowed for a first-time profit sharing in March, wages had remained at an average of $8.50 an hour since the buyout. In February, Metall reached a contract agreement with the United Steelworkers union that calls for $1.90 in wage increases over the next five years.

90 years ago

BARAGA – Baraga’s senior class will leave for a day’s outing at Champion Beach. These are the days when it is fun to be a senior. The members of the class have gotten by the place where they are worrying about grades. They know by this time quite surely which one has made the grade and which is out of luck, so from now on they can devote some time to being happy during commencement week. Baraga’s festivities really begin today and it will be an all-day affair. The students will meet at the school and will drive from there to the picnic.