Archive Dive with the Superior Telegram
Interviews with local historians about a person, place or historic event. Brought to you by the reporters at the Superior Telegram and Duluth News Tribune.
Hosted By
Maria Lockwood
The old post office is Superior's best kept secret
Wed Mar 13 02:00:00 EDT 2024
The old post office in Superior has worn many hats since it was completed in 1908.
In addition to a courthouse and post office, it has been home to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Douglas County Historical Society, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and it currently houses a theatre company. Now known as the Superior Entrepreneurship Center, the building has been turned into a one-stop shop for economic development.
For this month's episode of "Archive Dive," Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood and retired librarian and local historian Teddie Meronek dive into the history of the Superior landmark, which was designed by architect Earl Barber. They also discuss other buildings that Barber put his stamp on.
The building cost more than $300,000 to build and adjusted for today's cost, it would have been approximately $10,000,000. Many people have thought the building was only a post office, not knowing about the federal courthouse upstairs. In fact, while most locals have referred to it in recent years as the "old post office," its official name was the Federal Building.
Meronek remembers going to the post office, but she never went upstairs. After getting involved with the Superior-Douglas County Leadership group and attending a meeting on the second floor, she got her first glimpse, noticing a lot of marble and a beautiful view.
“That was the first time I had been above the first floor in that building,” Meronek said. “I got up there and I thought, ‘This is Superior’s best-kept secret.’ It was the most gorgeous room I had ever been in. I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anybody really used this before,’ not knowing anything of the history.”
So when did she start diving into the history of the building?
“As soon as I got back to the library after that,” said Meronek with a laugh. "Everybody should get a chance to see it one time in their life because it is Superior's best-kept secret. Really."
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
In addition to a courthouse and post office, it has been home to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Douglas County Historical Society, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and it currently houses a theatre company. Now known as the Superior Entrepreneurship Center, the building has been turned into a one-stop shop for economic development.
For this month's episode of "Archive Dive," Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood and retired librarian and local historian Teddie Meronek dive into the history of the Superior landmark, which was designed by architect Earl Barber. They also discuss other buildings that Barber put his stamp on.
The building cost more than $300,000 to build and adjusted for today's cost, it would have been approximately $10,000,000. Many people have thought the building was only a post office, not knowing about the federal courthouse upstairs. In fact, while most locals have referred to it in recent years as the "old post office," its official name was the Federal Building.
Meronek remembers going to the post office, but she never went upstairs. After getting involved with the Superior-Douglas County Leadership group and attending a meeting on the second floor, she got her first glimpse, noticing a lot of marble and a beautiful view.
“That was the first time I had been above the first floor in that building,” Meronek said. “I got up there and I thought, ‘This is Superior’s best-kept secret.’ It was the most gorgeous room I had ever been in. I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anybody really used this before,’ not knowing anything of the history.”
So when did she start diving into the history of the building?
“As soon as I got back to the library after that,” said Meronek with a laugh. "Everybody should get a chance to see it one time in their life because it is Superior's best-kept secret. Really."
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
FDR's Works Progress Administration helps shape Superior
Wed Feb 14 01:00:00 EST 2024
In this month’s episode of Archive Dive, we look at how a federal program helped shape Superior. During the bleakest days of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration, or WPA. The New Deal agency employed millions of job seekers, with an average salary of about $41.57 per month. Through public works projects like the airport, a baseball stadium and Itasca School, the program helped shape Superior’s landscape. But, it also helped preserve its history.
For this episode, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they look at the benefits of the program and the challenges of the times. Some of the buildings and projects remain today. The Great Depression started in 1929 and things had changed throughout the country, including in Superior.
"I don't think we can even imagine what it was like back then," said Meronek. "So many people were out of work."
Meronek also said, “If you look through old newspapers, in the late 1920s, you see that Superior was booming,there were all these new businesses opening up. You go and you look a couple of years later and they are all gone, so it was tough times. The WPA did not start until 1935, so there was a gap there. Four or five years where it was hard for everyone. No jobs. No money. The WPA came in and things started to change.”
In her research, Mereonek found that in 1935, the average unemployment rate across the United States was 20 percent.
“You have to find a solution and they came up with the WPA,” said Meronek. “It put people to work in Superior. They built things like the sewer system, they put in sidewalks, the repaved streets and they built buildings.”
Maria and Teddie will also discuss how parks, artists and musicians benefited; who the materials belong to; the story of a freckle contest; Wheel Day; and much more. Meronek even shares an interesting story about her parent's Honeymoon as they were married during the Great Depression.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
For this episode, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they look at the benefits of the program and the challenges of the times. Some of the buildings and projects remain today. The Great Depression started in 1929 and things had changed throughout the country, including in Superior.
"I don't think we can even imagine what it was like back then," said Meronek. "So many people were out of work."
Meronek also said, “If you look through old newspapers, in the late 1920s, you see that Superior was booming,there were all these new businesses opening up. You go and you look a couple of years later and they are all gone, so it was tough times. The WPA did not start until 1935, so there was a gap there. Four or five years where it was hard for everyone. No jobs. No money. The WPA came in and things started to change.”
In her research, Mereonek found that in 1935, the average unemployment rate across the United States was 20 percent.
“You have to find a solution and they came up with the WPA,” said Meronek. “It put people to work in Superior. They built things like the sewer system, they put in sidewalks, the repaved streets and they built buildings.”
Maria and Teddie will also discuss how parks, artists and musicians benefited; who the materials belong to; the story of a freckle contest; Wheel Day; and much more. Meronek even shares an interesting story about her parent's Honeymoon as they were married during the Great Depression.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Looking back at East and Nelson Dewey high schools in Superior
Wed Jan 10 01:00:00 EST 2024
In this month’s episode of Archive Dive, we dive into the history of notable graduates of East High School and Nelson Dewey School. The list includes two Superior mayors, a football legend, the last of the great press agents and a woman who wrote music books for children.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they discuss the building of both schools, how the students and teachers survived the Great Depression and World War II, as well as the rivalry that grew between East High School and Central High School and much more.
"What people don't know about East End now is that - I grew up in East End so I remember that it was just like a small town, and the schools in East End weren't built next to businesses, they were built in neighborhoods and they were all surrounded by homes," said Meronek. "East End had a high school, it had a public grade school and two parochial schools, within blocks of each other and their business district included a movie theater and East End had the only branch library - an actual library building - and we had a dime store, dry cleaners and a bank, two drug stores, two hardware stores, restaurants, two hair salons, dentists, doctors - I mean, it was like was like a small town in itself."
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly at superiortelegram.com. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they discuss the building of both schools, how the students and teachers survived the Great Depression and World War II, as well as the rivalry that grew between East High School and Central High School and much more.
"What people don't know about East End now is that - I grew up in East End so I remember that it was just like a small town, and the schools in East End weren't built next to businesses, they were built in neighborhoods and they were all surrounded by homes," said Meronek. "East End had a high school, it had a public grade school and two parochial schools, within blocks of each other and their business district included a movie theater and East End had the only branch library - an actual library building - and we had a dime store, dry cleaners and a bank, two drug stores, two hardware stores, restaurants, two hair salons, dentists, doctors - I mean, it was like was like a small town in itself."
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly at superiortelegram.com. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
The lives behind lens' of three famous photographers from Superior
Wed Dec 13 01:00:00 EST 2023
In this month’s episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood and local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek explore the lives of three famous photographers with ties to Superior. David Francis Barry, Ray Jones and Esther Bubley.
Barry was a noted photographer of the American west, who specialized in Native American portraits. He also captured the people and places of the Twin Ports with his lens after opening a photography business in Superior.
Jones rose to glamorous heights and won several Academy Awards as the head of Universal Studio’s still photography department during the golden age of Hollywood.
Bubley was a freelance photographer who found her niche as a photojournalist, balancing corporate clients with magazine work. Her intimate photos of everyday people graced publications such as Life and the Ladies Home Journal.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Barry was a noted photographer of the American west, who specialized in Native American portraits. He also captured the people and places of the Twin Ports with his lens after opening a photography business in Superior.
Jones rose to glamorous heights and won several Academy Awards as the head of Universal Studio’s still photography department during the golden age of Hollywood.
Bubley was a freelance photographer who found her niche as a photojournalist, balancing corporate clients with magazine work. Her intimate photos of everyday people graced publications such as Life and the Ladies Home Journal.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Exploring the Hotel Superior and the Androy Hotel
Wed Nov 08 01:00:00 EST 2023
The Hotel Superior reigned supreme as the place to stay, until a new development until the Androy Hotel came along.
In this month's episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they look back on what gave the Hotel Superior it's edge, the community fundraising campaign that built the Androy Hotel and the notable people connected to both.
"Everybody started building at once," said Meronek. "You not only have the Hotel Superior in downtown, you have the Euclid in East End, which was a big hotel. But then, you had the Broadway Hotel, which most people if they remember the building at all, remembers it as the Broadway Flats, because it eventually turned into apartments and that was on Hammond Avenue and Broadway, the intersection there. So, there were a lot of big hotels being built because there were a lot of people coming into Superior at that time, setting up businesses and starting businesses and coming into to entertain at the Grand Opera House."
What made the Hotel Superior the place to stay in Superior?
"It was kind of fancy. If you see pictures of it's dinning room and that. It was a very Victorian-looking hotel that we would consider, y'know, rather nice. Anybody who was anybody who came through Superior and needed a hotel room probably stayed there, because it was downtown," Meronek said.
A few decades after the Hotel Superior, the Androy Hotel, dubbed "the Million Dollar Hotel," opened.
“They started talking about the Androy Hotel in 1922, and so, by that time, the Hotel Superior was over 30 years old and it was from a different era," said Meronek. "These were the roaring 1920s and there were a group of businessmen that thought that they needed a hotel in downtown Superior. The Hotel Superior wasn’t in downtown. It was at the fringes of downtown Superior, they were talking about the business district downtown.” It was people that were in the association of commerce and the commercial club, those men who got together and said, ’We need something for the businessman. Downtown Superior needs to make a statement.’”
Also in this episode, Maria and Teddie discuss how the Hotel Superior helped the Grand Opera House; an urban legend involving actors going to and from the hotel and the opera house; some of its early amenities; a connection to the Titanic; the efforts to raise money to build the Androy Hotel; how Superior teased Duluth about getting a downtown hotel and how Duluth responded; some interesting fundraising events at the Androy Hotel; how both hotels served another housing need in the 1960s; and more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
In this month's episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they look back on what gave the Hotel Superior it's edge, the community fundraising campaign that built the Androy Hotel and the notable people connected to both.
"Everybody started building at once," said Meronek. "You not only have the Hotel Superior in downtown, you have the Euclid in East End, which was a big hotel. But then, you had the Broadway Hotel, which most people if they remember the building at all, remembers it as the Broadway Flats, because it eventually turned into apartments and that was on Hammond Avenue and Broadway, the intersection there. So, there were a lot of big hotels being built because there were a lot of people coming into Superior at that time, setting up businesses and starting businesses and coming into to entertain at the Grand Opera House."
What made the Hotel Superior the place to stay in Superior?
"It was kind of fancy. If you see pictures of it's dinning room and that. It was a very Victorian-looking hotel that we would consider, y'know, rather nice. Anybody who was anybody who came through Superior and needed a hotel room probably stayed there, because it was downtown," Meronek said.
A few decades after the Hotel Superior, the Androy Hotel, dubbed "the Million Dollar Hotel," opened.
“They started talking about the Androy Hotel in 1922, and so, by that time, the Hotel Superior was over 30 years old and it was from a different era," said Meronek. "These were the roaring 1920s and there were a group of businessmen that thought that they needed a hotel in downtown Superior. The Hotel Superior wasn’t in downtown. It was at the fringes of downtown Superior, they were talking about the business district downtown.” It was people that were in the association of commerce and the commercial club, those men who got together and said, ’We need something for the businessman. Downtown Superior needs to make a statement.’”
Also in this episode, Maria and Teddie discuss how the Hotel Superior helped the Grand Opera House; an urban legend involving actors going to and from the hotel and the opera house; some of its early amenities; a connection to the Titanic; the efforts to raise money to build the Androy Hotel; how Superior teased Duluth about getting a downtown hotel and how Duluth responded; some interesting fundraising events at the Androy Hotel; how both hotels served another housing need in the 1960s; and more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Gold, a coffin and an unsolved murder near Gordon
Wed Oct 11 05:00:00 EDT 2023
For this month’s episode of Archive Dive, we dip into a true crime as we discuss the unsolved 1897 murder of Joseph Blackburn.
An eccentric and a recluse, Blackburn became wealthy providing supplies to lumbermen in the timber-rich area near Gordon. Not one to trust in banks, he was rumored to keep a chest of gold. When he was killed by a blow from behind, robbery was the suspected reason. Searches for the fabled treasure went on for years and even led a judge to exhume the body of Blackburn’s wife Mary, who had been buried in a glass-lidded coffin. But gold was never found.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by Doug MacDonald as well as Brian Finstad, both of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society, as they explore Blackburn’s life, death and possible suspects, including one who was acquitted and another who gained infamy out west.
The murder happened 126 years ago, in October 1897.
MacDonald, who is the great-great grandson of Antoine and Sarah Gordon, the founders of Gordon, is also related to Blackburn, a great-great-great uncle, as Blackburn was Antoine Gordon’s brother-in-law.
Blackburn, who was in his mid-60s when he died, has been the subject of a lot of fascination and speculation over the years, including why he wasn’t a fan of banks.
“I am fortunate being related through my grandfather and his dad, William Gordon, that we got a lot of first-hand information,” says MacDonald. “Not just rumor, but facts. He didn’t believe in paper money, he only believed in hard (money), which backs itself, gold and silver. Anybody can print, but you can’t make gold or silver.”
Other members of MacDonald's family, at one point, owned Blackburn's home, after it was moved about 10 miles near Wascott.
“We would go around as kids, knocking on the walls, looking for his (Joseph’s) money,” says MacDonald. “I can remember as a kid, saying to my dad, ‘Dad, maybe it’s up in the crawl space where the rafters are at?’ Dad goes, ‘No, I have already checked it.’”
“It is interesting when you read the articles about the murder, you can tell that people were sort of following day-by-day of this whole drama because the articles get longer and more elaborate,” says Finstad. “It is also the name Blackburn and buried gold and the wife in the glass coffin and murdered with a pole axe, it all is just such a dramatic story and it is kind of ironic for someone who just kind of wanted to be left alone in the wilderness and was known for being reclusive that he ends up having the most dramatic story ever that over 100 years later that we are still talking about.”
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
An eccentric and a recluse, Blackburn became wealthy providing supplies to lumbermen in the timber-rich area near Gordon. Not one to trust in banks, he was rumored to keep a chest of gold. When he was killed by a blow from behind, robbery was the suspected reason. Searches for the fabled treasure went on for years and even led a judge to exhume the body of Blackburn’s wife Mary, who had been buried in a glass-lidded coffin. But gold was never found.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by Doug MacDonald as well as Brian Finstad, both of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society, as they explore Blackburn’s life, death and possible suspects, including one who was acquitted and another who gained infamy out west.
The murder happened 126 years ago, in October 1897.
MacDonald, who is the great-great grandson of Antoine and Sarah Gordon, the founders of Gordon, is also related to Blackburn, a great-great-great uncle, as Blackburn was Antoine Gordon’s brother-in-law.
Blackburn, who was in his mid-60s when he died, has been the subject of a lot of fascination and speculation over the years, including why he wasn’t a fan of banks.
“I am fortunate being related through my grandfather and his dad, William Gordon, that we got a lot of first-hand information,” says MacDonald. “Not just rumor, but facts. He didn’t believe in paper money, he only believed in hard (money), which backs itself, gold and silver. Anybody can print, but you can’t make gold or silver.”
Other members of MacDonald's family, at one point, owned Blackburn's home, after it was moved about 10 miles near Wascott.
“We would go around as kids, knocking on the walls, looking for his (Joseph’s) money,” says MacDonald. “I can remember as a kid, saying to my dad, ‘Dad, maybe it’s up in the crawl space where the rafters are at?’ Dad goes, ‘No, I have already checked it.’”
“It is interesting when you read the articles about the murder, you can tell that people were sort of following day-by-day of this whole drama because the articles get longer and more elaborate,” says Finstad. “It is also the name Blackburn and buried gold and the wife in the glass coffin and murdered with a pole axe, it all is just such a dramatic story and it is kind of ironic for someone who just kind of wanted to be left alone in the wilderness and was known for being reclusive that he ends up having the most dramatic story ever that over 100 years later that we are still talking about.”
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Remembering Bud Grant, Part 2
Thu Sep 07 01:00:00 EDT 2023
This month's episode of Archive Dive features the second part of a two-part series looking back on the life of the legendary Bud Grant.
When the Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Vikings head coach passed away March 11, 2023, it prompted an outpouring of sympathy from throughout Minnesota and his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin. The 95-year old Grant was an all-around athlete at Superior Central High School and beyond. In his later years, Grant enjoyed the outdoors and time with family at his cabin in Gordon.
For this episode, Superior Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by University of Wisconsin-Superior Communicating Arts senior lecturer and longtime sportscaster Tom Hansen, who grew up going to Vikings' practices at the old Midway Stadium in St. Paul.
Hansen was often in the same vicinity as Grant when he worked as a ticket taker and security for Vikings games at the old Metropolitan Stadium and early days of the Metrodome, but he would get to know Grant during his broadcasting career. Hansen interviewed him at special appearances in the Twin Ports and occasionally at University of Minnesota Duluth football games, where some of Grant's grandchildren played.
"Every sport he (Grant) touched, he was magical," says Hansen. "Superior was a big part of who he was and where he came from. "
Among Grant's athletic achievements, he played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Minnesota, before turning pro and playing in the National Basketball Association with Minneapolis Lakers from 1949-1951, winning a championship with them in 1950. Grant then went on to compete in the National Football League for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for four seasons, playing on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for both teams.
After his playing career, he went on to coach the Blue Bombers for ten seasons, guiding them to six Grey Cup appearances, including four championships. In 1967, he became the head coach for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and went on to guide them for 18 seasons, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances. In 1983, Grant was selected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and in 1994, Grant received his biggest athletic honor when he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
"It is the character that always drew me to Bud," says Hansen. "That there was the right way of doing things, there was the wrong way of doing things, but there wasn't a 'short cut' way of doing things. You had to earn that spot on the team, you had to earn that spot being a good teammate or being a captain. There are no short cuts in some of those things and so, his character really stood out."
Among the many players Grant coached was Superior native Doug Sutherland, who played defensive tackle for the Vikings from 1971-80. Sutherland passed away April 5, 2022 at the age of 73.
The Vikings announced that they will be honoring Grant all season long, including with special patches on their jerseys for their 2023 season opener Sunday, Sept. 10 at home against Tampa Bay.
When Grant passed away March 11, 2023, it was 56 years to the day when he was hired as the Vikings head coach in 1967.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
When the Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Vikings head coach passed away March 11, 2023, it prompted an outpouring of sympathy from throughout Minnesota and his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin. The 95-year old Grant was an all-around athlete at Superior Central High School and beyond. In his later years, Grant enjoyed the outdoors and time with family at his cabin in Gordon.
For this episode, Superior Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by University of Wisconsin-Superior Communicating Arts senior lecturer and longtime sportscaster Tom Hansen, who grew up going to Vikings' practices at the old Midway Stadium in St. Paul.
Hansen was often in the same vicinity as Grant when he worked as a ticket taker and security for Vikings games at the old Metropolitan Stadium and early days of the Metrodome, but he would get to know Grant during his broadcasting career. Hansen interviewed him at special appearances in the Twin Ports and occasionally at University of Minnesota Duluth football games, where some of Grant's grandchildren played.
"Every sport he (Grant) touched, he was magical," says Hansen. "Superior was a big part of who he was and where he came from. "
Among Grant's athletic achievements, he played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Minnesota, before turning pro and playing in the National Basketball Association with Minneapolis Lakers from 1949-1951, winning a championship with them in 1950. Grant then went on to compete in the National Football League for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for four seasons, playing on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for both teams.
After his playing career, he went on to coach the Blue Bombers for ten seasons, guiding them to six Grey Cup appearances, including four championships. In 1967, he became the head coach for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and went on to guide them for 18 seasons, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances. In 1983, Grant was selected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and in 1994, Grant received his biggest athletic honor when he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
"It is the character that always drew me to Bud," says Hansen. "That there was the right way of doing things, there was the wrong way of doing things, but there wasn't a 'short cut' way of doing things. You had to earn that spot on the team, you had to earn that spot being a good teammate or being a captain. There are no short cuts in some of those things and so, his character really stood out."
Among the many players Grant coached was Superior native Doug Sutherland, who played defensive tackle for the Vikings from 1971-80. Sutherland passed away April 5, 2022 at the age of 73.
The Vikings announced that they will be honoring Grant all season long, including with special patches on their jerseys for their 2023 season opener Sunday, Sept. 10 at home against Tampa Bay.
When Grant passed away March 11, 2023, it was 56 years to the day when he was hired as the Vikings head coach in 1967.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Remembering Bud Grant, Part 1
Wed Aug 09 01:00:00 EDT 2023
This month's episode of the Superior Telegram's Archive Dive podcast features the first part of a two-part series looking back on the life of the legendary Bud Grant.
Digital Producer Dan Williamson fills in this month for Maria Lockwood as he's joined by one of Grant's grandchildren, Natalie Grant, currently a reporter/multimedia journalist at KXLY-TV (ABC) in Spokane, Wash., and a former Northern News Now anchor/reporter in Duluth/Superior. Natalie is the daughter of the late Bruce Grant, a former Minnesota Duluth quarterback.
Born Harry Peter Grant, Jr., on May 20, 1927 in Superior, Bud Grant is remembered as a hall of fame coach who guided the Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons, including four Super Bowl appearances. On March 11, 2023, Grant passed away at the age of 95. May 21st, the day after what would have been his 96th birthday; numerous friends, fans and family members memorialized him at a public celebration of life at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings first NFL season was in 1961 and Grant would become the team’s head coach in 1967, retiring in 1983, but coming out of retirement for one more season in 1985. In 1994, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2023 marks the first Vikings season since 1966 without Grant directly connected to the team - either as the head coach, former coach or consultant.
"He was grandpa to me," says Natalie Grant. "Honestly, he was a stoic guy, but he also loved a smile and loved to laugh. He loved his family more than anything. But, yeah, for me, he was just grandpa. I was born in 1996 and he was inducted into the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame a couple of years before that, so I kind of missed in my lifetime of him being this big NFL coach in a sense, and so to me, I didn't quite realize how big of a deal he was to the state of Minnesota until I was a lot older."
The Vikings were a big part of his amazing life filled with athletic achievements, but there was more to his life than football. He was a U.S. Navy vet and an avid outdoorsman, spending as much time as he could at his cabin in Gordon. What he was most passionate about though was a large, family. Bud and his wife Pat had six children and from there, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of the family members, including Natalie, eventually found their way to the Northland.
"That's something that my grandpa that I really connected on whenever I would go visit him out at his cabin in Gordon, we'd sit and we'd talk and he'd share stories about growing up in Superior and how the city looked a lot different than it did now. "
In this podcast, Natalie shares many special stories and memories of her grandfather, including the best advice he ever gave her.
"You learn more when listen rather than talking," says Natalie Grant. "That's something that I really try to apply in a lot of situations in my life, especially being a journalist. That, I think is something that has been really impactful for me in my life."
Maria returns next month for part two of our series, as she’ll be joined by another NNN alum, longtime sportscaster and current Communicating Arts senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Superior, Tom Hansen as they “dive” into more about the great Bud Grant.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Digital Producer Dan Williamson fills in this month for Maria Lockwood as he's joined by one of Grant's grandchildren, Natalie Grant, currently a reporter/multimedia journalist at KXLY-TV (ABC) in Spokane, Wash., and a former Northern News Now anchor/reporter in Duluth/Superior. Natalie is the daughter of the late Bruce Grant, a former Minnesota Duluth quarterback.
Born Harry Peter Grant, Jr., on May 20, 1927 in Superior, Bud Grant is remembered as a hall of fame coach who guided the Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons, including four Super Bowl appearances. On March 11, 2023, Grant passed away at the age of 95. May 21st, the day after what would have been his 96th birthday; numerous friends, fans and family members memorialized him at a public celebration of life at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings first NFL season was in 1961 and Grant would become the team’s head coach in 1967, retiring in 1983, but coming out of retirement for one more season in 1985. In 1994, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2023 marks the first Vikings season since 1966 without Grant directly connected to the team - either as the head coach, former coach or consultant.
"He was grandpa to me," says Natalie Grant. "Honestly, he was a stoic guy, but he also loved a smile and loved to laugh. He loved his family more than anything. But, yeah, for me, he was just grandpa. I was born in 1996 and he was inducted into the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame a couple of years before that, so I kind of missed in my lifetime of him being this big NFL coach in a sense, and so to me, I didn't quite realize how big of a deal he was to the state of Minnesota until I was a lot older."
The Vikings were a big part of his amazing life filled with athletic achievements, but there was more to his life than football. He was a U.S. Navy vet and an avid outdoorsman, spending as much time as he could at his cabin in Gordon. What he was most passionate about though was a large, family. Bud and his wife Pat had six children and from there, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of the family members, including Natalie, eventually found their way to the Northland.
"That's something that my grandpa that I really connected on whenever I would go visit him out at his cabin in Gordon, we'd sit and we'd talk and he'd share stories about growing up in Superior and how the city looked a lot different than it did now. "
In this podcast, Natalie shares many special stories and memories of her grandfather, including the best advice he ever gave her.
"You learn more when listen rather than talking," says Natalie Grant. "That's something that I really try to apply in a lot of situations in my life, especially being a journalist. That, I think is something that has been really impactful for me in my life."
Maria returns next month for part two of our series, as she’ll be joined by another NNN alum, longtime sportscaster and current Communicating Arts senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Superior, Tom Hansen as they “dive” into more about the great Bud Grant.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Stories from Superior Central
Wed Jul 12 01:00:00 EDT 2023
In this month’s episode of Archive Dive, we explore Central High School. The school, which opened in 1910, educated a roster of famous students, including football legends Ernie Nevers and Bud Grant, author Gordon MacQuarrie, photographer Esther Bubley and America’s Ace of Aces Major Richard I. Bong.
The building itself made history in 1928 when it became the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge. Despite a grassroots effort to save the historic building, it was torn down in 2004.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by retired librarian and local historian Teddie Meronek as they look back at the history and impact that the school, it’s staff and students had on the community. Meronek co-wrote a book titled “Central A to Z - The History of a Superior School.” While not a student at Central, she was one of many supporters who tried to save the building.
“I thought it was important to support it because the Wisconsin Historical Society doesn’t put up a marker in front of a building unless it’s important, and there was (one) in front of Central designating it as the Summer White House,” says Meronek. “There was something so iconic about it when you knew the history of it and you knew the people who had gone to school there and you’re thinking, what did they have in the water there at Central where there are just all these amazing people that came out of that school?”
Meronek also felt the architecture made the building stand out.
“When you think about it, there is some of the best architecture in Superior on Belknap (Street). There was Central, there is the old courthouse, there’s the Hammond Avenue Presbyterian Church, there is the Masonic Lodge which is now the Elks, there’s that great Belknap Electric building which was built as a duplex back in the 1890s and then, you go down to Belknap and Tower (Avenue) and there is Globe News. I just thought that this is a stupendous piece of real estate here that has all these great buildings and so, to see Central go was really, really sad.”
Also during this episode, Maria and Teddie discuss how Earl Barber won the competition to design the building and why well-known architect Carl Worth didn’t; what name did the school start out as, the additions in the 1920s and 1930s; the contributions from Webster Chair Factory owner Andrew Webster, the significance of the James J. Hill statue out front; the story of Lulu Dickinson and a strike; Principal Clifford Wade and the tributes after his death; the Summer White House and what other future presidents visited Central High School; how was Central used after Superior High School was built; the Central and East rivalry; and much more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
The building itself made history in 1928 when it became the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge. Despite a grassroots effort to save the historic building, it was torn down in 2004.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by retired librarian and local historian Teddie Meronek as they look back at the history and impact that the school, it’s staff and students had on the community. Meronek co-wrote a book titled “Central A to Z - The History of a Superior School.” While not a student at Central, she was one of many supporters who tried to save the building.
“I thought it was important to support it because the Wisconsin Historical Society doesn’t put up a marker in front of a building unless it’s important, and there was (one) in front of Central designating it as the Summer White House,” says Meronek. “There was something so iconic about it when you knew the history of it and you knew the people who had gone to school there and you’re thinking, what did they have in the water there at Central where there are just all these amazing people that came out of that school?”
Meronek also felt the architecture made the building stand out.
“When you think about it, there is some of the best architecture in Superior on Belknap (Street). There was Central, there is the old courthouse, there’s the Hammond Avenue Presbyterian Church, there is the Masonic Lodge which is now the Elks, there’s that great Belknap Electric building which was built as a duplex back in the 1890s and then, you go down to Belknap and Tower (Avenue) and there is Globe News. I just thought that this is a stupendous piece of real estate here that has all these great buildings and so, to see Central go was really, really sad.”
Also during this episode, Maria and Teddie discuss how Earl Barber won the competition to design the building and why well-known architect Carl Worth didn’t; what name did the school start out as, the additions in the 1920s and 1930s; the contributions from Webster Chair Factory owner Andrew Webster, the significance of the James J. Hill statue out front; the story of Lulu Dickinson and a strike; Principal Clifford Wade and the tributes after his death; the Summer White House and what other future presidents visited Central High School; how was Central used after Superior High School was built; the Central and East rivalry; and much more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
The founders of Gordon
Wed Jun 14 01:00:00 EDT 2023
This month’s episode of Archive Dive focuses on Antoine and Sarah Gordon, who founded the town of Gordon. The couple played a key role in growing the community following the end of the fur trade era. Their 1858 log cabin, which served as a home, hotel and trading post for the stage coach line, is listed on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by Antoine and Sarah’s great-great-grandson Doug MacDonald, as well as Brian Finstad — both of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society — as MacDonald shares stories of Antoine and Sarah that were passed along in his family.
Antoine (pronounced An-twine) was born in 1812 in Sandy Lake, Minnesota and died in 1907. Sarah was born in 1827 in Burnett County, Wisconsin and died in 1911. They met on Madeline Island, married in 1843 and went on to have three daughters and two sons.
Antoine was community-minded and involved in many things, including as a storekeeper in Gordon. He founded a mission that became the Catholic Church. He also started the first school in Gordon. This, despite the fact that he didn’t have much schooling of his own.
“He really only had not even a six-month education, but yet, he spoke five languages,” says MacDonald. “Latin, Sioux, Chippewa, English, French.”
What brought Antoine and Sarah to the Gordon area?
“He was up and down the St. Croix River trading in years past,” says MacDonald. “He thought that it (Gordon area) was a choice spot apparently and apparently, it was.”
Finstad jokes that Antoine and Sarah “founded the best town in Douglas County.”
“I think they are some of the most interesting historical figures of the area,” says Finstad. “In their time, they had wide influence. They were so well-connected, if not related, to people in sort of fur-trade era society and the local native communities. Their story is just an interesting story. They moved around a lot and they were well-connected and had a lot of interesting events.”
Also in this episode, Maria, Doug and Brian discuss when Antoine walked from Gordon to Crow Wing in Minnesota in the 1860s to see his cousin, Chief Hole-in-the-Day, what came out of that visit and did Antoine’s 12-year old son William make the trip; how Antoine and Sarah met; what was Gordon before it became a town; Antoine’s generous heart; how he helped the area during a smallpox outbreak; where can we see Antoine and Sarah’s influence today in Gordon; the process of getting the log cabin listed on the historic register; who owns their log cabin these days; stories of Antoine and Sarah’s grandson Father Phillip Gordon; Antoine’s penmanship and letter writing style; Sarah’s involvement in the fur trade; and much more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.
Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by Antoine and Sarah’s great-great-grandson Doug MacDonald, as well as Brian Finstad — both of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society — as MacDonald shares stories of Antoine and Sarah that were passed along in his family.
Antoine (pronounced An-twine) was born in 1812 in Sandy Lake, Minnesota and died in 1907. Sarah was born in 1827 in Burnett County, Wisconsin and died in 1911. They met on Madeline Island, married in 1843 and went on to have three daughters and two sons.
Antoine was community-minded and involved in many things, including as a storekeeper in Gordon. He founded a mission that became the Catholic Church. He also started the first school in Gordon. This, despite the fact that he didn’t have much schooling of his own.
“He really only had not even a six-month education, but yet, he spoke five languages,” says MacDonald. “Latin, Sioux, Chippewa, English, French.”
What brought Antoine and Sarah to the Gordon area?
“He was up and down the St. Croix River trading in years past,” says MacDonald. “He thought that it (Gordon area) was a choice spot apparently and apparently, it was.”
Finstad jokes that Antoine and Sarah “founded the best town in Douglas County.”
“I think they are some of the most interesting historical figures of the area,” says Finstad. “In their time, they had wide influence. They were so well-connected, if not related, to people in sort of fur-trade era society and the local native communities. Their story is just an interesting story. They moved around a lot and they were well-connected and had a lot of interesting events.”
Also in this episode, Maria, Doug and Brian discuss when Antoine walked from Gordon to Crow Wing in Minnesota in the 1860s to see his cousin, Chief Hole-in-the-Day, what came out of that visit and did Antoine’s 12-year old son William make the trip; how Antoine and Sarah met; what was Gordon before it became a town; Antoine’s generous heart; how he helped the area during a smallpox outbreak; where can we see Antoine and Sarah’s influence today in Gordon; the process of getting the log cabin listed on the historic register; who owns their log cabin these days; stories of Antoine and Sarah’s grandson Father Phillip Gordon; Antoine’s penmanship and letter writing style; Sarah’s involvement in the fur trade; and much more.
New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at mlockwood@superiortelegram.com.