Douglas County Past: First woman voted to Douglas County Board; shipping fever kills 24 cows – Superior Telegram

April 8, 1947

Highlights of Henry Ford’s three visits to Superior

The death of Henry Ford, Detroit industrialist, brought back memories to Superiorites Tuesday who recalled that he made three short visits to Superior between 1939 and 1945.

On each occasion, Mr. Ford came here on his ship, Henry Ford II, and remained never more than a few hours while the vessel was taking on a cargo of ore at the Great Northern docks in Allouez.

Typical of his own characterization of himself as “just a country boy at heart,” each of the motor magnate’s visits here were unheralded and without fanfare. He termed each of them “just my annual jaunt on the Great Lakes.” His ship regularly plies between Superior and other Great Lakes ports with ore.

April 8, 1970

1st woman member due county board

Two City Council incumbents and one County Board incumbent were defeated in Tuesday’s election, the County Board will have its first woman member in history, and Superior voters rejected a referendum that would have allowed the City Council to set the mayor’s salary. And an unusual tie vote resulted in one County Board race.

Mrs. Florence Palm, 2128 E. 10th St., a 34-year-old mother of two children, becomes the first woman in history to be elected to the former all-male board. She handily defeated former supervisor Robert Carnes, 615 Fourth Ave. E., in the race for the 2nd District chair vacated when its former occupant, Frank L. Holton, 1410 E. Sixth St., was defeated in the March 3 primary balloting.

Donkeyball games are scheduled

Donkeyball will come to the Cathedral School gym on Sunday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

The game will be played while the team members ride donkeys. The nationally-known Crosby Donkey Ball Co., Chippewas Falls, Wis., will provide the donkeys.

Runaway cases reported up

There have been 63 reports of boys and girls running away from home since the first of the year, according to police, and there have been cases where they have been harbored in other homes.

This is a violation of the law and parents have been asked to question their children when a stranger is brought into the home as a friend, police said.

There has been an increase in the number of runaway cases reported, police said, some having left the city, others going into homes here with friends.

April 9, 1947

Stork overworks, city births far exceed year ago

If present trends hold forth the remainder of the year, the stork is going to get mighty tired and worn out from making deliveries in Superior before 1947 bows out.

According to records at the city health department, the long-legged, white-plumaged bird has brought 338 babies to Superior parents since January 1 this year, compared to only 221 as of April 1, 1946.

April 10, 1947

School for guides for hunting, fishing planned by Solon warden

SOLON SPRINGS — Classes for the instruction of guides who direct or assist other persons in hunting or fishing are being planned by Wesley C. Newcomb, conservation warden at Solon Springs with the assistance of Sam Bashara, high school principal.

The classes will be held at the Solon Springs high school and will be conducted for high school boys desiring to make vacation cash by guiding and any other persons interested in such work. Resort owners and present guides in this area are especially invited to attend and are urged to forward guide problems and questions to be taken up. The main objective will be to produce more courteous, efficient and capable guides.

Shipping fever runs rampant, kills 24 head of cattle on dairy farm in county

It has cost Selden Anderson, 49-year-old farmer of Station B, town of Superior, $4,000 in the loss of 24 head of dairy cattle, and an undetermined amount of money which could have been derived from milk checks to learn what can happen if a barn is improperly or inadequately ventilated.

Anderson in the last three weeks has lost 19 cows and five heifers, valued at $4,000, from a disease known as “hemorrhagic septicemia,” commonly referred to as shipping fever, contracted because the cattle did not receive the proper ventilation in the barn.

April 10, 1970

Four held in assault on local youth

Four suspects were being held by St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department in connection with the alleged abduction and beating of two boys, one of them a Superiorite.

Two of the persons, who are 18, were expected to be brought into municipal court in Duluth on charges of kidnapping.

Arthur Gerding, 16, of 1606 N. Fifth St., Superior, said he was picked up by three young men and a girl about 4:30 p.m. Thursday and during the ride which took him into Duluth he was stabbed with a knife, beaten and pricked with a pocket knife, according to Inspector of Detectives George Sharon.

The second youth, Steve Anderson, 15, Knife River, Minn., was reportedly picked up by the same persons on Highway 61 near Two Harbors, Minn.

St. Louis County authorities had been told by Anderson that he was forced into the car driven by a girl and containing three young men. He said he was beaten, kicked and stabbed.

Mrs. LaGesse ‘first boat’ winner

Mrs. Robert LaGesse, 1102 Clough Ave., with an estimate of the first ship arrival at the Superior Entry just 13 seconds from the actual time, is the 1970 winner of the First Boat Contest.

The Ernest T. Weir passed through the piers of the Superior entry at 5:45:17 p.m. Tuesday, April 7. Mrs. LaGesse’s guess was 5:45:30 p.m. on April 7. Her prize is $90.

April 11, 1970

Nelson named as acting undersheriff

Sgt. Willard E. Nelson, a 13-year veteran with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department Friday was named acting undersheriff to replace Undersheriff Thomas B. Murray, who along with Sheriff Fred J. Johnson is currently under suspension pending the outcome of their trials on charges of misconduct in public office.

Johnson is charged with improperly authorizing payment of mileage allowances allegedly claimed by Murray while using a county-owned car.

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