Do you remember Superior's dime stores? If so, this one's for you.

In this month's episode of Archive Dive, Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood and local historian and retired librarian Teddie Meronek discuss Newberry's, Woolworth's, and Kresge's, all of which could be found on Tower Avenue.

What did they carry? How did they grow? What happened to them? Listen as Lockwood and Meronek dive into their histories. Meronek remembers them well.

"A dime store, it was just like magic," Meronek said. "Because they had everything. If you had a dollar, you could get a lot of stuff because most of it was 5 and 10 cents, as they advertised when they first opened up. A lot of 29-cent stuff. They had everything from household goods to parakeets. You could eat at their lunch counters. You could buy candy. It was just a wonderful place to be."

Topics discussed in this episode include: What set dime stores apart from department stores When did dime stores arrive in Superior? Where else was Woolworth's located in Superior? What were the differences among the three big dime stores? The types of pets you could get at Newberry's and a story of their escape. What was "Ridiculous Days"? What was Meronek's favorite dime store and why? What did the national Kresge's chain morph into? Other dime stories once located in Superior. What led to the end of the dime stores in Superior? What businesses currently use the former dime store spaces, and what happened to the Kresge's building? Plus, more.

"They (dime stores) were fun," said Meronek. "You could always get a good meal there and excellent ice cream at all of them."

Episodes of "Archive Dive" are published monthly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth Media Group digital producer Dan Williamson. Email Maria Lockwood at [email protected] with ideas for future episodes.