Historical Commission Corner

Published on April 28, 2025

Superior's historical collection continues to grow!

What’s new at the Superior historical museums? This month we’re focusing on unique donations to our historic collection, an exciting endeavor indeed, as we get closer to replacing as many things as possible that were lost in the Marshall Fire.

Old style butter worker.

How many of you have heard of a device called a “butter worker”? How about a shoe last, also known as a cobbler’s last? Well, if your curiosity is piqued, drop into the Superior history museums and learn all about these strangely named artifacts. Both the butter worker and cobbler’s last will be on display at the Grasso Park Interim Historical Museum.

Here’s a hint on their usage. The butter worker was a wooden roller mechanism a person would use to “work” buttermilk out of the butter and work salt into it. A shoe last looks like an upside-down foot. They were used by shoemakers to build and shape a shoe or boot. We thank Maryann Adams for donating these and other items to the Superior historical museums.
A device for moldong shoes.

Marilyn Morgan also gets a big thank you for donating a variety of mining equipment and a Marine Corps uniform from World War II. Her grandfather was a superintendent of the Industrial Coal Mine here in Superior and her father grew up in the Industrial Mine Camp.

The Historical Commission also accepted the donation of 10 maps of underground coal mines in the Marshall - Superior area. They indicate where the coal has been extracted from the mine and include other pieces of information important to the mine personnel.

Moreover, we thank Cynda Arsenault for the donation of a large number of copies of her fine book "Superior, A Folk History." Copies are available at the Superior museums.

By the time the museums open on June 7, we will be prepared to show off a new custom-made shelving unit installed in our kitchen at the Asti Park Museum. This will enable a better way to display the oodles of antique kitchen gadgets, canning jars and cookware above the kitchen sink. The 1920s era sink is a gem itself. It was donated by the Museum of Boulder last fall and is related to the historic Harbeck House in Boulder.

Commission Chair Larry Dorrsey greeting someone with a handshake as the visit the Historical Musem.

The Superior Historical Commission extends a warm invitation to visit the Town’s two museums on Saturday, June 7. Both the Asti Park Historical Museum (110 E. Maple St.) and the Grasso Park Interim Historical Museum (122 E. William St.) are stocked with a bountiful array of recently donated artifacts along with our old standbys. Congenial docents will be on hand to relate the history of our town and surrounding area with the Asti Museum focusing on mining life and the Grasso Interim Museum oriented towards agricultural history. Museums’ hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month.

Did you know that:

  • Memorial Day honors military personnel who died in the service of the United States.
  • Armed Services Day, also in May, was established to recognize those who currently serve in the Armed Forces of the United States.
  • Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, honors men and women who have served in the military.
  • Memorial Day, always the last Monday in May, was established in 1866 to recognize the Civil War dead and was originally called Decoration Day because people were asked to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.
Decoration day illistration.

Written by Larry Dorsey with help from Susan Stanish and Jennifer Garner.

For more information about the Historical Commission and its activities, contact Commission Liaison Jennifer “JG” Garner at 303-499-3675, ext. 167, Commission Co-Chair Larry Dorsey at 303-499-1969, or just click on the “Historical Commission Info” button below.

Historical Commission Info

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