Douglas County Past: SS Meteor opens as a museum

Aug. 12—Aug. 11, 1973

Area garden club plans flower show; theme is 'Sing a Song of Season'

Members of the Gladiolus Garden Club will hold their annual flower exhibit on Friday, Aug. 17 at the Superior Town Hall, Highway 35.

Committee members working on arrangements for the show are Mrs. Ruth Westlund, club president who is acting as flower show chairman; Mrs. Joan Ramsey, co-chairman; schedules, Mrs. Viola Holub, Mrs. Marge Severson, Mrs. Mary Javner and Mrs. Angie Anderson; entry clerks, Ellen Lagro, Clara Harsvick and Edith Pearson; placing clerks, Mrs. Viola Bronson, Mrs. Perle Brenckle and Mrs. Angie Anderson; judges clerks, Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs. Westlund; decorations, Mrs. Javner and Marilyn O'Brien and Mrs. Grace Metcalfe; program, Mrs. Severson; publicity, Mrs. Holub; posters, Mrs. Gladys Margold and guest book, Mrs. Marie McNaughton and Alma Clough.

Cow found slaughtered

The lack of beef in meat counters at supermarkets was probably the cause of a beef cow being slaughtered in South Range.

Walter Hooper, breeder of beef cattle, reported one of his cows was found slaughtered with its hind quarters missing early today. The incident was thought to have taken place during the early morning hours on Friday.

The action was discovered after the cow's calf was observed running from one end of the pasture to the other in search of its mother. A search revealed the slaughtered 1,000 pound cow valued at $500.

According to Hooper, a neighbor saw a car traveling down the road near the pasture and later heard it returning from the vicinity of the Hooper pasture. Rather than being an alarmist and notifying Hooper, the neighbor decided not to make a phone call to alert him of possible illegal action.

Hooper told The Evening Telegram that cattle breeders in the area are attempting to form a protective group to patrol the area to keep cattle safe from harm. He is offering a $100 reward leading to the arrest of suspects.

Aug. 12, 1933

Uncle Bob's mailbox

We are sending in several things for you. We hope you will notice them. If I win in the story contest, I wish for a knife. If my sister Sylvia wins, she wants a book. Yours Fair and Square,

Ellen and Sylvia Aho, Maple, Wis.

I have not written to you for so long that I am quite ashamed of myself. I did not have any black ink, so I had to use blue black. But it said on the bottle that it would turn black. I am sending in a picture and so is my sister. I hope to win a prize. Sincerely, Anna Mae Murphy, Superior, Wis.

Brule youth wins $25 in coach contest

Walter Kukkonen, Brule, won first place in the trimcraft department of the state Fisher body craftsman guild contest, it was learned from Miss Vera C. Rehnstrad, county superintendent of schools, Saturday.

The model coach for which the prize was given contains 2,000 pieces, all but one or two of which were handmade by the youth. One wheel contains 140 pieces alone. The builder received a prize of $25.

Aug. 13, 1973

Local efforts involved in whaleback project praised

Partly cloudy skies prevailed Saturday as the official grand opening of the Whaleback Meteor was held.

Jack Arnold, a representative of the Economic Development Administration, said the people of Superior" are participating in the end of one era and the beginning of another."

The era he was referring to was the one of iron men and ships.

Arnold feels that making the Meteor into a museum "is the beginning of a dream that will become a very widely known tourist attraction. The creation of the museum has started a new history for whalebacks and the city of Superior."

Nick Baker, president of Head of the Lakes Maritime Society, Ltd., said that he feels the ship is in great shape considering its condition when the group first took it over. He said that as of Aug. 10 some 13,361 persons have toured the meteor.

Shooting in county probed

A 52-year-old Lyman Lake area man remained in serious condition in St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, today following a shooting Saturday night in the Rainbow Inn near Lyman Lake. Being held in the Douglas County jail and charged with attempted homicide is Bruce Bergstrom, 53, South Range. No motive for the shooting was given.

Douglas County Sheriff Fred Johnson said the shooting occurred when Sam Bossard, the wounded man, entered the tavern with his wife. Bergstrom, who was in the establishment at the time, talked briefly to Bossard, then allegedly fired five shots at him with a .32 caliber revolver.

Anti-rustling protective group formed

The slaughtering of a cow in the South Range area recently has led to the formation of what is called a protective group, according to a South Range source.

This newly-formed group will patrol the roads in the area at night, effective immediately, it was stated.

A breeder of beef cattle in the area, Walter Hooper, reported Saturday that one of his cows was found slaughtered with its hind quarters missing. The animal was valued at $1,000. It was reported that a "suspicious car" was seen in the area.

Aug. 14, 1933

Drowned boy funeral set

Funeral services will be held Wednesday morning for John Edward Murphy, 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Murphy, 412 Twenty-third avenue East, who was drowned late Saturday afternoon while playing at the Peabody ferry dock in East End.

Young Murphy was drowned about 4:30 p.m. and his body was recovered an hour and a half later by Mrs. Dolly Peabody, ferry operator, near her dock in East End.

Admonishing the drowning victim and Gene Martineau, 6, the only witness to the drowning, to keep away from the dock as she started on a trip to the point, Mrs. Peabody returned to the dock about an hour later to find the Martineau boy in tears.

"Jackie fell in," he told her.

Aug. 14, 1973

County old timers game huge success

The annual Douglas County Old Timers baseball game, held Sunday at Oliver, was termed a huge success by Arne Anderson, everlasting manager and promoter of the event.

A total of 100 old timers signed up and played in the game, which featured two teams — the Whites, captained by Bud Day, and the Blues, captained by Frank Sajec. The Blues won the nine-inning game, 6-3.

Outstanding performers for the Whites were Koskovich, Plesko, Lintula, Bergquist, Johnson, Nystrom, Craft, Thorssen, Bayard and Bong. Leaders for the Blues were Carl Day, Bud Day, Seegar Swanson, Quam, Parsell C. Day, Tollers, Steen, Midbon, Rasmussen and Finstad.

The oldest old timers who registered and received special awards were Helmer Bloomquist, Rudy Tollers, Harvey Doherty, Hig Sedin, Herb Hautala, George Larson, Earl Nindorf, John O'Brien, Roly Bong, Einard Aho, Al Bruland, George Burgner, Carl Day and Frank Sajec.

Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.