Lake County Past: Jan. 21

Talk about it

From Lake County newspaper archives.

100 year ago, 1911

J. H. Free, owner of the moving picture house in Duluth, has been in this city declaring his intent to erect and operate a first-class opera house here. Since the destruction of the Metropolitan opera house by fire last fall there has been a lack of amusement in Two Harbors and the public is generally hoping that the news may prove true. The same report carries the announcement that Walter Murphy, formerly manager of the Glen and Star theaters will be manager of the new house.

75 years ago, 1936

Traffic was halted and many cabin goers were marooned as snow began on Saturday around midnight, causing the city council to authorize the street commissioner to clear sidewalks where property owners do not do so and charge the work as an assessment to the property. Snowplows were put to work before the blizzard subsided to release many who had ventured to their cabins on Saturday with the heavy snow fall and the 40 mph northeast wind. Four county plows moved continuously for the first 48 hours beginning Sunday afternoon.

Hitched

The Depression had no terrors for those who fell before Cupid’s dart in 1935. Clerk of Court Ira W. Foot states that 100 licenses were issued in his office in 1935 with an increase of nearly a hundred per cent in marriages over the previous year. Divorces were one less than in the previous year with five granted in Lake County the past year.

Ben Franklin deals

All hats reduced to 79 cents for clearance and all dresses reduce in price ranging from 79 cents to 98 cents and $1.39 this week.

50 years ago, 1961

For the past week four candidates for Winter Frolic Queen have been selling buttons which entitles the purchaser to attend many of the Winter Frolic activities without cost. The candidates are: Lynda Freeberg, Louise Croft, Mary Lou Anderson, and Suzanne Haugan.

Good driving

Keith Naslund has only been driving for two years, but was presented with the Safe And Courteous Driver Award by the Jaycees Thursday. Odin Roberts addressed the assembly on matters pertaining to youthful drivers. Roy Simonson of the Two Harbors police department states the safe drivers are selected without knowledge of being observed.

25 years ago, 1986

Unseasonably cold weather in late November and December threatened to shut up the harbor early in Agate Bay but warmer weather during most of January reversed that threat and have given us unusually balmy temperatures that have reached into the 40s some days. The result: two hearty and determined fellows putting around the harbor on Monday. We hope they had good luck.

Want more history? The Lake County Historical Society is a good place to start. It’s at the Depot in Two Harbors, 834-4898 or visit lakecountyhistoricalsociety.org. There’s also the Bay Area Historical Society in Silver Bay (226-4534), the Finland Historical Society (353-7380 or 353-7550), and the Historical Committee of the Isabella Community Council (323-7644).

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