‘Radio Superior’ recognizes oldest living Civil War veteran

The death of the last surviving member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Duluthian Albert Woolson, is remembered on “Radio Superior.”

Woolson died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth on Aug. 2, 1956, at age 109. He enlisted as a 17-year-old drummer boy in 1864 and served until after the Civil War ended in 1865. He outlived 2,675,000 soldiers of the so-called “Boys in Blue”, who fought Confederate forces.

Woolson shoveled snow from his sidewalk until he was 106, and at 107 played a snare drum for news reporters in Duluth. He told reporters his hero was General and future President Ulysses S. Grant because he had “plenty of horse sense”.

“Radio Superior” re-enacts a radio program from specific dates with news, ads and music from the time. This episode is hosted by Tim Michaels and Pat Kelly, and also features the first test of new Civil Defense sirens installed in Superior.

“Radio Superior” will air two episodes beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the first episode from July 27, 1956, when the sinking of the cruise liner Andrea Dorea tops the news, and the second episode featuring Woolson will begin around 6:15 p.m. The Democratic gubernatorial debate in Wisconsin’s recall election airs at 7 p.m on Wisconsin Public Radio stations KUWS-FM 91.3 in Superior and WUWS-FM 90.9 in Ashland on Friday.

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