The Way We Were

Oct. 31, 1912: Owing to the Cable Ship Burnside being out of commission and in dry dock for repairs, the Alaska Cable, broken between here and Sitka, will probably not be repaired in time to transmit the presidential election results to the eager citizens of Wrangell and Ketchikan. The only excitement “along the way” will be the election returns of the Wrangell and Petersburg legislative elections. After having the cable service installed and instant communication with the outside a matter of fact incident every day for many years, the waiting for returns will seem like “them happy” days in '90 when news from the states was an event.

Oct. 29, 1937: M. E. Monagle, member of Elks Lodge 420 at Juneau and Alaska District Deputy for Grand Exalted Ruler Charles Spencer Hart, was an official visitor Wednesday at the local Elks meeting. Initiatory ceremonies of the lodge were exemplified by the officers with Wm. L. Eastaugh as the initiate. During the evening Mr. Monagle in addressing the lodge gave much interesting information and explained the Grand Exalted Ruler's plans for his fiscal year. One part of the plan includes a desire for closer fellowship between the various lodges of the Order. The district deputy was pleased to learn that Ketchikan, Petersburg and Wrangell are planning a get together about the middle of next month at which time the Drill Team from Ketchikan will come to Wrangell to initiate a large class of young men from Wrangell and Petersburg. In connection with this it is interesting to recall that before Wrangell Elks got their charter by special dispensation Ketchikan was Wrangell's “mother” lodge. Now Wrangell is Petersburg's “mother” lodge.

Oct. 26, 1962: Mr. and Mrs. Harry Thorburn announced this week that they had sold the Thunderbird Hotel to Everett W. Buness and Dick Stough of Wrangell and planned to move to Seattle to make their home. While south recently they purchased a duplex there and Thorburn expects to be engaged in the fishing industry. He has been manager of the Wrangell Storage Cold Storage here. The Thorburns built the hotel two years ago, the first commercial hotel to rise in the community after the big fire in 1952, which wiped out half of the business district. Mrs. Frances Davies will remain, as manager of the hotel and her husband, Winston, will succeed Thorburn at the cold storage.

Oct. 29, 1987: The City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday to appoint former Councilman Earl Kloster to a one-year stint on the council. The decision culminated two weeks of controversy that erupted after the council's Oct. 13 meeting. Flyers from both sides in the controversy had gone into the mail system this week from anonymous sources, while the existence of a legal opinion from City Attorney Ed Stahla also had sparked heated debate during the two-week break between regular council meetings. At issued in the debate is the council seat vacated by Mayor Fern Neimeyer when she was elected to the mayor's post Oct. 6. She defeated Kloster in the race for mayor. At the council's Oct 13 meeting Neimeyer had asked the council to name Jamie Stough to fill the vacancy, saying she felt he should be appointed because he was the next highest vote-getter in the Oct. 6 balloting for council races. However, a motion made by Councilwoman Donna Galla at the Oct. 13 session died for a lack of a second. Mayor Neimeyer then deferred the matter to the Oct. 27 meeting. However, Councilman Bob Grant made a motion, seconded by Council Ken Mason to name Kloster to the seat. Neimeyer ruled the motion out of order. Wrangellites for two weeks had debate the issue in the coffee shops, taverns and at the Post Office. Flyers sent by both sides in the controversy Monday and Tuesday had called on residents to attend the council meeting.