For this episode of Archive Dive, we dig into the history of what you could call the bridges of Douglas County.

Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek as they discuss the history and importance of these bridges in connecting Superior and Duluth and Wisconsin and Minnesota.

"When you think about it, you're not only building it in the water, but you're building it in these two communities that the weather is not always the best and they did it in a timely manner," said Meronek. "In those days, you had no safety harnesses and people weren't wearing safety harnesses when they built that bridge."

The John A. Blatnik Bridge, originally named the High Bridge, opened in 1961. It was named for United States Congressman John Blatnik of Minnesota. An estimated 3,000 people from both sides gathered at the main span for the opening ceremony. Over the years, the bridge has been renamed, widened and reinforced. It is currently slated to be replaced, funded in part by the largest grant that the federal government has ever awarded.

"My favorite picture is of the two men when they put in the beam, the high beam above the Blatnik Bridge," said Meronek. The two men, one from Wisconsin and one from Minnesota, got together in the center of the bridge and shook hands because the two cities were now united with this beam."

The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge opened to traffic in 1984 for a construction cost of $70 million. Named for America's Ace of Aces, it is longer than the Blatnik Bridge by 425 feet. The Bong Bridge replaced the 1927-era Arrowhead Bridge.

"Bruce Hagen, who was mayor at the time, said 'I want people every time you drive over this bridge, I want you to think about how it was built,'" said Meronek. "He (Hagen) said, 'I don't mean construction because it was named after a World War II hero.' He wanted people to think, this is what we're remembering with this bridge. We're remembering this man and everyone else who served this country during World War II."

There is also the Oliver Bridge, which dates back to 1910.

"Through it all, the Oliver Bridge is still there and we should salute the Oliver Bridge because it's still serving its purpose," said Meronek. "The steel plant isn't there anymore but, railroads still travel over it and if we're down to one bridge when they start building the new bridge, are a lot of people going to take that way to Duluth?"

You can hear these stories and more in this episode.

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.

We dig into the history of two of Superior’s architectural siblings. The Broadway and the Palace theaters. Both the Broadway, which opened in 1912, and the Palace, which opened in 1917, were designed by brothers George and Cornelius Ward (C.W.) Rapp. The Palace stood until 2006 when it was raised by the city in the midst of a legal battle. The Broadway had a shorter shelf life.

What did these sister spaces look like and what famous faces graced their stages? To get the answers, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood is joined by frequent guest Teddie Meronek, a fellow theater enthusiast who also happens to be a local historian and retired librarian, as they take us on a trip through time, discussing all things Broadway and Palace.

"(They were) Amazing buildings. I can't believe that we had two of them in this town," said Meronek. “What surprises me about both of these buildings is that they were Rapp and Rapp theaters and I think anybody interested in theater history or the history of old theaters knows that name because they were one of the most famous theatre architectural firms in the country. They built a lot of theatres in Chicago especially because they were originally from Illinois.”

Among the topics that Maria and Teddie discuss in this episode include how the theaters were used; some of the local talents and attractions that performed there; the size and designs of the buildings; and they answer the question of if film legend Judy Garland ever performed in Superior.

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.

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.