July 16, 1925

The largest single real estate deal that has ever taken place in Wrangell occurred this week when A. E. Gurr and Harry Gartley bought from the Presbyterian Board of Mission the tract of land known as the Presbyterian Reserve. The tract comprises between five and six acres and is located in the heart of the town. Several weeks ago a survey was made of the exterior boundaries of the tract and the papers necessary for the transfer of the property were forwarded to New York for final approval by the mission board. The new owners this morning put men to work clearing the upper part of the reserve. After the necessary clearing has been completed, more surveying will be done and the entire tract subdivided into lots which will be put on the market.

July 14, 1950

This summer the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to tag approximately 25,000 pink salmon in the Icy Strait and upper Chatham Strait areas. Tagging operations will commence shortly after July 20 and will continue intermittently through August and a few days in September. White plastic disc tags will be used, two of which will be affixed to each fish by a pin through the dorsal ridge. Fish and Wildlife is asking the cooperation of fisherman and fish buyers in turning in all fish caught with this tag. A 50-cent reward is offered for each tagged fish reported. Carl H. Elling is in charge of the program and will be assisted by Paul Macy and four fishery aides. Two service vessels, the Heron and Sablefish, are to be used in the operation.

July 16, 1975

The city council and the port commission last week agreed on a design for the new deepwater wharf and directed the engineer to draft final plans. The 230-foot-long concrete wharf will extend into Zimovia Strait alongside the present Wrangell Wharf and will include a 300-foot frontage capable of handling the largest tourships now operating in Southeast Alaska. The wharf complex also will include a large fill area to house at least one warehouse, and a barge loading and unloading ramp. The $1.6 million wharf complex will be largely financed by the state through port improvement bonds approved by Alaska taxpayers last year.

July 13, 2000

“Better than the Fourth of July,” was one comment heard from a passenger, smiling like a little kid after descending from one of two vintage planes visiting Wrangell this weekend. Dozens of Wrangellites got an eye-opening glimpse of life inside a WWII bomber when they toured a B-17 and B-24 here as part of a tour of the Pacific Northwest. Due to arrive Thursday evening, the aircraft were thwarted by fog and forced to land in Petersburg for the night, after some tense moments during which the B-24 was out of radio contact. Antiquated radio equipment may have been responsible for the radio silence lasting 20 minutes, but all turned out well and the planes torched down Friday, even extending their stay until Sunday morning to make up for the delayed arrival.