The Way We Were

May 2, 1912: After eloquent pleas by Congressman Sulzer and Delegate Wickersham, the House of Representatives, unanimously passed the Alaska Home Rule bill providing Alaska a territorial form of government. This practically ends Alaska's long struggle for Home Rule as the Senate is expected to fall in line and ratify the measure. No opposition from the White House is anticipated. This bill provides for a legislative body of 16 representatives, four from each judicial district and eight senators, and two from each district to meet at Juneau on the second Monday in January each year, the convention not to exceed 60 days in any two years. The compensation of the senators and representatives is to be $15 per day and a mileage allowance.

April 30, 1937: May Day-Child Health Day will be observed tomorrow in Wrangell by the opening of the New Health Center at the City Hall and the immunization against diphtheria of all children who expect to enter school in September has been secured and while this list may not be complete, it will serve as a guide for the possible health examination of this class of pre-school children. Mothers who are certain that a child is of school age and will enter school in the fall should get in touch with the school board or the nurse at the Health Center. Dr. Clements will make the health examinations and Mrs. Mary K. Cawthorne of the Public Health Service will be at the Health Center to perform the immunizations. “Health Protection for Every Child” is the slogan for Child Health Day. There is no charge to the parent for these services.

May 4, 1962: Dan Roberts took high honors for the Salmon Derby this week with a 46-pound, 2 ounce king caught right under the nose of Bob Prunella, who had just hoisted anchor and was heading back to town. The Derby committee wished to remind participants that in order to enter a fish, the following rule must be complied with: All fishing out of the same boat must have a derby ticket, except that a boat owner or operator may have one guest with him. Helena Buness won the first and second week's derby prize. Her first week's entry was a 39-pound, 12-ounce king and her second week's entry a 45-pounder. The derby is now going into its third week with Roberts high man on the ladder.

April 30, 1987: Is it Pat Lake, Pat's Lake…or is it really Trout Lake? Evi Fennimore has launched a petition drive to change the name of Trout Lake to what most of Wrangellites always thought it was called - Pat Lake. While Wrangellites may debate whether it is really Pat Lake or Pat's Lake, the official map makers have been calling it something else for more than 100 years. A recent program by the Forest Service to erect signs at various landmarks on Wrangell Island caused the petition drive, Fennimore said. While Forest Service officials merely were doing their jobs in erecting signs by using the landmark names found on official maps, the name that came up for the lake located 10 miles out Zimovia Highway wasn't exactly the moniker most everyone thought it had. “No one realized it was named anything but Pat's Lake until now,” Fennimore said. “When the sign saying 'Trout Lake' went up this spring, everyone was kind of scratching their heads.” Did “Trout Lake” merely describe what fish swim in the body of water? Did it indicate a new fishery enhancement effort by the Forest Service? No, Forest Service officials say. It's just the name the lake has held in the official record book since about the time Alaska was purchased from the Russians.