Meet Marlene

Marlene Case, a 1954 Central graduate, lives 30 miles south of Superior. If you step into her house you will find an old desk from Central, a sandstone decoration from the building's exterior and over 50 bricks from its foundation. She said preserving bits and pieces of her alma mater helps to preserve her high school memories.

"Well that was all I could do. I wanted a piece of it, of what I could handle and what I could afford," she said.

In 2003, the year before the school was demolished, a citizens group was formed to save it. The group, Save Wisconsin's White House, was formed by graduates of the school. Marlene was a part of that group.

She said they did everything to save the building. They had picket lines, sent out flyers, made phone calls and met in front of the school board ... trying to convince them to delay demolition for one year so they could find someone to buy the building. But the school board voted unanimously to demolish and the group felt cheated.

Part of the reason Case wanted to save the building was because of the famous people who walked its halls. Calvin Coolidge, Bud Grant, Richard Bong, John F. Kennedy, Ernie Nevers, Ole Haugsrud, Bobby Specht and many more historical figures all had ties to the old school.

To this day she has trouble understanding how the city could demolish such a historical site.

“When you lose bits of your past like that it can’t ever be replaced,” she said.

And so Marlene is left with a few items to remember her old school by. Newspaper clippings, t-shirts, photographs and even bound issues of the Central’s old school newspaper where she worked as a page editor.

As she paged through the old issues, she stopped after seeing a picture of the men’s basketball team: “Everyone went to the games,” she said. She only wishes there could have been a women’s team because she and her friend were very tall and would most likely do well.

But all of that is in the past. And when Marlene drives by the old site where Central used to stand, she tears up. Maybe its’ nostalgia or maybe its anger, but Marlene will never forget the place she went to school.

Did you know?

Did you know that Superior's old Central High School was once a summer refuge for former President Calvin Coolidge?

Did you know that Bud Grant, one of the most successful Minnesota Vikings head coaches, was a graduate of Superior Central High School?

Did you know that in 2003, many Superior residents fought to save the old building but failed?

This information is most likely new to you. If you're a history buff or interested in the one of the northland's old schools, this blog is for you: Every week I will write about an interesting piece of history related to the old Central High School, a school that was once erect on Belknap street in Superior, Wisconsin.

As a senior journalism student at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), I am confined to the eastern neighborhoods of Duluth, Minnesota where the UMD campus sits atop the hill. When I look out of the living room window of my second floor apartment, however, I can see the lights of Superior, Wisconsin.

As a journalism student, I am very interested in place, whether its the organic food market down the street or the city of Superior across the bay. I enjoy putting myself in the middle of new places and learning more about the people associated with those places. Since I feel confined to the college neighborhoods i Duluth, I have decided to branch out and experience what the city across the bridge has to offer.

I began my journey by visit the Superior Public Library. Sandy, a very nice librarian, opened a reference book to a map of Superior. She explained the different neighborhoods and what they have to offer.

From there, I decided I wanted to learn more about Superior's history, so I contacted the Douglas County Historical Society. I did what every journalist should avoid doing, I asked them if they know of any interesting historical events, stories or buildings in Superior. Even though I should have done my homework before calling the historical society, they were able to provide me with some interesting information ... one being the historical importance of Superior's Old Central High School, the topic of this blog.

Stay tuned.