Douglas County Past: Ace of Aces plans Mother's Day in Poplar; Brule bus driver falls from rig
May 14—May 10, 1924
Famous geologist visits city
Dr. G.K. Leith, head of the geology department of the University of Wisconsin, and a party of 13 students, mostly graduate scholars, spent an hour in Superior this morning on their way to the Iron Range. The party is on a geology field trip.
They were met at the Omaha station by a reception committee composed of Pres. J.A. Merrill of Superior Normal School (an old friend of Dr. Leith's), Prof. A.D. Wealdon, Prof. H.C. Almy, T.J. Roth, S.A. Buchanan, Clough Gates and Rev. R.T. Bayne.
A hurried trip by motor to the Great Northern ore docks at Allouez for a brief inspection was made after which the party left for the iron mines.
Winds of chance keep lad from death bed of father
The winds of chance scored another victory in Superior yesterday.
Kept prisoner on the ice-bound freighter the William K. Field while northeast gales continued to pile up ice in Lake Superior, William Carl Carlson, 17-year-old porter on the boat, was three days late in reaching his home here.
During that period, the Grim Reaper visited the Carlson home, 405 Catlin Ave., claiming William's father, Louis H. Carlson, 48.
William, who didn't even know his father was ill, messages sent him at Detroit having arrived after his boat had set sail, is grief-stricken over the tragic turn of fate that brought him back to a house of mourning, instead of to the family reunion he had visioned.
May 10, 1944
Flag dedication slated at Solon
SOLON SPRINGS — The dedication of a service flag, sponsored by the P.T.A., will be held at the school auditorium Sunday at 2 p.m. The flag will have 101 stars on it, two of which are gold.
Principal speaker on the program will be Judge Carl Daley. Other scheduled events include the salute to the flag, with a color guard of either the American Legion or the Boy Scouts, an invocation by the Rev. Fr. John Kauer, music directed by G.M. Haugner, a talk by the Rev. O. Hanson, a reading by Mrs. Nora Inglefield and the reading of the names of those in service by Mrs. Oscar Dahlberg.
Assisting Mrs. Dahlber in compiling the list of names was Mrs. Josephine Gagnon, whose daughter, Second Lt. Cecile A. Gagnon, is the only girl in the list. Lt. Gagnon is now in the South Pacific.
Niagara water to be used in ship launching
A bottle filled with water taken from Niagara Falls at the international boundary is on its way by plane to the Walter Butler Shipbuilders where Mrs. Oliva Dionne, mother of the world-famous quintuplets, will break it across the bow of the cargo ship, the USS Gwinnett, on Mother's day Sunday at the firm's Superior yard.
Almost a year ago to the day, the Dionne family arrived in Superior on the quits' first visit to the United States where the five little girls sponsored five ocean-going cargo vessels at the Butler shipyard in a ceremony that was relayed around the world by radio, newspapers and the movies. Then, as now, water from Niagara Falls was used to christen the ships.
Mrs. Dionne will be accompanied on her second visit to Superior by Miss Lillian Barker, family friend and advisor, and her second oldest daughter, Therese.
May 11, 1944
Retiring principal, visual aid proponent, to be feted at East
Retiring East High School Principal Ashley T. Conrad and Mrs. Conrad will be honored at a reception given by the East High School Parent-Teacher association Monday evening.
This year Mr. Conrad completes 23 years service as principal of the East End High School. From 1911 to 1922 he was principal of the Nelson-Dewey High School, and when East High School was built in 1933, he took office there.
Mr. Conrad is well-known throughout Superior for his work in visual aid education. At home, Mrs. Conrad has made the third floor into a studio where she does most of the work in the manufacture of educational lantern slides and Mr. Conrad helps in an advisory capacity. After his retirement, Mr. Conrad expects to put in full time at the studio, which is called the "Conrad Slide and Projection company."
May 12, 1924
East High girl awarded second place in meet
Olga Becklund, Superior East High School, was awarded second place in the senior typing contest held at Whitewater, Wis., with a record of an average of 55.8 words per minute for the same length of time.
Trapshooters shoot Sunday
Dr. T.F. Smith and A. Dahlgren of Superior and Dr. E.Jones of Duluth were the trophy winners in the weekly shoot conducted by the Phil Berthiaume Gun Club at the 39th Street and Tower Avenue traps yesterday afternoon.
Smith and Jones won cigars donated by the Fitger Brewing company and Dahlgren won a Thermos bottle given by the Marshall-Wells Hardware concern.
May 12, 1944
Bong likely to meet parents in Chicago; belittles marksmanship
Whether Major Richard Ira Bong, of Poplar, would be able to spend Mother's Day with his mother or not was a matter of conjecture by his friends in Douglas County Friday.
In an interview in Washington, D.C., Major Bong told the Associated Press that he would learn in conference Saturday at the war department where he will go to gunnery school.
"Then I expect to start home, to be in Poplar for Mother's Day," Dick told the reporters.
The thing that is worrying friends here is that Mr. and Mrs. Bong, accompanied by Miss Marie Huber, county home agent, left Thursday night for Chicago to take part in a Saturday night radio broadcast at 8 p.m. over NBC and for Mrs. Bong to speak over a nation-wide Mother's Day program on Sunday at 6 p.m. over the Blue Network.
Miss Marjorie Vattendahl, whose romance with Major Bong has received international attention, went to Chicago Thursday night with Mr. and Mrs. Bong and Miss Marie Huber. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sig Vattendahl, 1507 E. Fourth St.
It was assumed that Dick did not know his parents were in Chicago, but friends here were pretty sure that the nation's new services would put him straight pretty quickly.
Lt. Garrity, P-38 pilot, missing in Europe raid
Lt. Joseph A. Garrity, pilot of a P-38 fighter, is missing in action according to word received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Garrity, 507 Clough Ave. The flyer stationed in Italy has been missing over Romania since April 15. He has been overseas seven months.
Lt. Garrity has three brothers in services, Sgt. James, radar technician with the Marines in the Southwest Pacific, S. Sgt. William F., somewhere on the West Coast, and Pvt. Steven, in the infantry at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
May 13, 1924
Brule school bus driver is injured
BRULE, Wis. — George Fasteland, one of the Brule school bus drivers, was slightly injured Friday afternoon, when his horse became frightened by a road tractor and ran away. Mr. Fasteland attempted to get out of the rig, and in doing so fell down and the hind wheel of the rig ran over his chest. His head was bruised somewhat but no bones broken. Ruben Miller drove the injured man to his home.
Louis Larson and William Nyquist of Cokato, Minn., purchased land, north of Brule recently and have moved their families there.
The seventh, eighth and ninth grade pupils of the Brule school gave a fruit shower, in honor of their teacher, Miss Estrid Engstrom Thursday afternoon. Games and music were enjoyed and lunch served.
Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.
