Douglas County’s past: Store owner foils bandits with unloaded shotgun; historic machine on display at county fair – Superior Telegram

16 August 1924

Fighting Dan Lund thwarts car bandits

“Battling” Dan Lund, owner of the Manitou Falls candy store, lived up to his title early Friday morning when he chased two would-be bandits off his property with an unloaded shotgun. They were believed to be Ray Lofgren and “Billy Murphy,” who managed to rob Ed Pringbein’s Mercantile store on the St. Croix River on Highway 35 a few hours later. The young Lofgren was seriously injured in the process.

Springbein, who came out of his store this morning to file a police report, said he stopped at the Manitou Falls location where he was informed that someone had attempted to break into the Lund store shortly after 12 noon on Friday morning, before he himself shot Lofgren.

When Lund heard them, he grabbed an unloaded shotgun and confronted the two would-be robbers. They ran out of the store and fled in a high-powered vehicle.

Top news in brief

Fire alarm – Lake Nebagamon residents were plagued by another “fire alarm” last night when a bright fire was seen in the sky on County Highway B between Hawthorne and Lake Nebagamon. Many who rushed to the scene claimed it was a burning cross, but the exact location of the fire could not be determined. A young woman fell into the water while in a hurry to cross the lake to see the fire. She swam to shore.

The Girls Y-Camp closes today

The fifth annual YMCA girls’ camp at Lake Nebagamon ends today and the more than 30 girls return home with their director and counselors after “two unforgettable weeks” of work, play and learning.

About 75 guests, most of them from Superior, arrived before, during and after dinner and the play, written by the girls with the help of Miss Agnes Currie, director and coach, was performed.

Miss Madge Helmer, as the “Spirit of America,” first appeared, seeking boys and girls of the right character and education to carry on her work. Marie Yeakey, “Spirit of the ‘Y’,” offered her help, and as the two watched, the latter’s helpers appeared.

“Athletics,” Constance Bubar and Alice Dunham; “Natural History,” Martha Stewart; “Spiritual Growth,” Verna Richardson.

The company was founded 20 years ago

The Christenson Dairy in Superior, 423 Hughitt Avenue, maker of “Cloverdale Butter,” is one of the oldest and most established businesses in Superior. It was founded about 20 years ago when Helge S. Haugsrud began operating a general produce and dairy business.

Little by little he turned away from the fruit and vegetable sector until he finally specialized in working in a dairy and in particular in eggs and “Cloverland butter”.

Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

16 August 1974

$10,000 offer for sand pit rejected

Douglas County’s offer of $10,000 to purchase a 40-acre sand pit in the town of Superior was rejected Thursday by the property’s owner.

The sand pit is adjacent to another pit owned by Douglas County and is estimated to contain approximately 500,000 cubic feet of sand.

Herbert Theien, a Superior real estate agent who represents the property’s owner, William Kimmes, said he persuaded his client to accept $11,000 for the property.

The Douglas County Board of Supervisors’ land and highway committees approved the $10,000 offer by a tie vote during a joint meeting at the courthouse Thursday morning.

Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

UWS eleven starts exercises

As head coach Ed Bender enters his third year of restructuring the football program at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, the Yellowjackets are beginning to show a sense of maturity as they look toward the 1974 season.

Bender expects 74 candidates on Monday, including 35 sports scholarship recipients. Comprehensive practices will begin twice a day on Tuesday.

Most of the attack and defense units are together again.

On offense, this includes the backfield quartet of quarterback Frank Lee, 6-0, 195, junior, Sterling, Ill.; halfbacks Gary Beckman, 5-11, 179, senior, Embarrass, Minn., and Mike Raskovich, 58, 164, senior, Nashwauk, Minn., and fullback Steve Shilling, 5-11, 205, sophomore, Duluth.

Leading the receiving corps are senior split end Jerry Uchytil, 5-9, 160, from Superior, who is one of the leading aerial hunters in the WSUC, and tight end Jim Peck, 6-3, 210, senior, who started last year.

The starting guards are back and include Mike Polkowski, 6-0, 223, junior, Iron River, and Del Gander, 5-11, 225, junior, Solon Springs.

17 August 1974

8 shooters hit perfect straights

Four perfect straights were fired in each of the two rounds of the Superior Trap League.

In the first round, Ted White, Jim Nordberg, Bill Nicoski and Henry Pearson hit 25×25 straights, while Jim Beebe, Cliff Van Guilder, Bruce Neilsen and Lee Wesolowski had perfect straights in round 2.

In Round #2, Henry Pearson, Bill Nicoski, Jerry Larson, John Zakowski Jr., Jim Cosgrove, Fred Doolittle and Jim Thompson shot 24 x 25. Georgia Flood was the leading shooter with 23 x 25 and Anna Mae Zakowski was second.

Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

Winners of the Powder Puff race: Smekafske and Smith

More than 1,400 racing fans attended the annual Powder Puff Derby stock car races at Tri-State Speedway on Friday night.

The two leaders in the Street Stock Powder Puff race got tangled in their airport turn and had to sit out the final lap of the turn. Debbie VanPuymbrouck and Ann Casey came around the turn side by side and tangled, ending the night’s race for them. Jackie Smekafske and Bonnie Gillette took their places. Gail Smith successfully defended her Super Stock title by passing Jan Miles with one lap to go. The goal was to drive the familiar No. 64 of Bob Smith.

Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

19 August 1924

First GN machine on the Avenue

The William Crooks, Minnesota’s first locomotive to cross the prairies of the Gopher State during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, will be one of the main attractions at the Tri-State Fair this year.

Courtesy of the Great Northern Railway, the old locomotive, which was the first engine of the now extensive Great Northern system, will travel up Tower Avenue to the fairgrounds on the Sunday before the fair opens, where it will be on display for the three days of the fair.

It will be unloaded from the Great Northern tracks at a location to be determined by the company’s engineers and will travel under its own power up Tower Avenue on the Duluth Street Railway Company tracks.

Superior Public Library / Superior Telegram

Article and photos courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet of the Superior Public Library.