The Way We Were

Dec. 5, 1912: Bills have been distributed advertising a wrestling match to be pulled off at Red Men's Hall tomorrow evening. Alf Olsen, who has boxed his way to the title of “Terrible Swede” among the Frisco sailors, will try to get two falls out of three from Ed Lynch, “Champion of Chemawa.” The contestants have been training faithfully this week. Lynch at the Wrangell Hotel and Olsen at his training quarters at the A.P.A. cannery. Everything has been arranged for a fine bout, except, of course, who will win and the division of the motion picture rights. A dance will be given after the match both for one admission.

Dec. 3, 1937: Rev. George Beck, well-known pioneer missionary in the work of the Presbyterian church in Alaska, arrived on the Yukon Monday to spend a week with the Rev. Russell Pedersen family and to assist in the church services during that time. He will preach the sermon Sunday at both the morning and evening services. Mr. Beck was sent to Ketchikan in 1920. He built a church there and was pastor until he retired in 1936. Since that time he has continued his home in Ketchikan, where he keeps occupied in community service. He stated that about 50 persons from Ketchikan journeyed to Metlakatla last Sunday on the coast guard cutter Cyane to be present at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Metlakatla. The ceremonies Sunday closed a five-day celebration and was featured by the unveiling by Henry Dalton of a monument erected by the present-day Metlakatlans to the Pioneers of the village. Dalton is the oldest living of the Metlakatla Indian Pioneers.

Dec. 7, 1962: Alma (Chicken) Davies, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winston Davies, was featured in the Abiqua school paper of Mount Angel College, Mt. Angel, Ore., in one of the recent editions. Chicken is the only Alaskan in the school and Chicken told the reporter interviewing her some interesting aspects of living in Alaska and Wrangell. One of the unfathomable facts hard to understand by the outsiders was why Wrangellites when they travel have only one way to do it - and that is biplane. Chicken's school mates raised in the states, have a hard time visualizing two towns like Wrangell and Petersburg only 40 miles apart with the only commercial transportation via air. The picture shows Chicken at the post office, looking for mail from home. Chicken, who is a freshman at Mt. Angel and her sister Madeline, taking nurse's training in Eugene, will be home for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Dec. 3, 1987: Ninety-one residents of the Airport Road area near the city dump concerned about possible noise and air pollution have signed a petition asking the City council to locate Wrangell's new garbage incinerator far from homes. The petition - presented to the council at its Nov. 24 meeting - was met with some objection from Councilman Earl Kloster, who said the matter of locating the new incinerator at the Airport Road site had been discussed for two years without any comments from area residents. The issue arose as the council faced having to approve an additional appropriation of $154,000 to construct the incinerator, bringing the city's 50 percent share of construction costs to $460,000. The city is under an order with the state to stop open burning at the landfill by the end of 1988, causing the rush to construct an incinerator. But Kloster expressed concern that the issue has been discussed for quite some time - and questioned why a petition was coming before the council now.