SUPERIOR, Wis. — President Joe Biden's visit to Superior Wednesday won't be the first for a commander-in-chief.
Did you know one U.S. president moved the White House to Wisconsin for a whole summer?
During the summer of 1928, President Calvin Coolidge set up a make-shift Oval Office inside the library at Superior's Central High School. Though the building no longer exists, the metal desk used by the president remains on display at the Douglas County Historical Society.
Jon Winter, a fourth-generation Superiorite who serves as the business manager for the museum, said the visit was unexpected.
“It came about rather quickly in 1928,” Winter explained. “Douglas County had about a two-week notice.”
America's 30th president spent most of his time trout fishing on the Brule River and stayed at Cedar Island Lodge, which is about 35 miles from Superior.
“He did come into his office a couple [of] days a week,” Winter said. “It was reported that he'd come and get to the office at Superior Central High School about 8:30 and leave sometime before noon.”
During that time, extended summer vacations for presidents weren't unusual. Coolidge had taken up former Sen. Irvine Lenroot on an invite to the Badger State and stayed from June through Sept.
Though the trip was more personal than presidential, history was still made.
“[Coolidge] had announced that he wasn't going to be running for reelection and Herbert Hoover had become the Republican nominee and Hoover and his wife also visited,” Winter said.
As you might expect, the Coolidge's extended visit was the talk of the town and an excuse to go explore.
“It's become known as the river of presidents,” Winter said. “We'd love to see another president come up here and fish the Brule River. Maybe that would happen, maybe not.”
In the meantime, that summer stay in 1928 will stay put in memory for the shoreline city.