The Way We Were

Dec. 26, 1912: From the appearance of the Dolphin Christmas Eve, the Christmas Spirit which for a month had been lurking in the mysterious background, came into the open and reflected from the faces of all during the programs and ceremonies of the Yuletide. The Mecca of the children, the magic tree, appeared twice this year, first at the Rink Wednesday evening under the auspices of the local Arctic Brotherhood. With the united efforts of the fraternity, schools and churches a pleasing program had been prepared and was well presented by the young folks of the town and punctuated by wireless messages from sister cities of the north conveying reports of the progress of St. Nick which were kindly delivered as soon as received by Private Dale of Signal Corps.

Dec. 24, 1937: Wrangell has never been so beautifully decorated as this year. Colored lights and displays have been lavishly used in the business section and many homes have outside decorations. The big community tree blazing with lights in the middle of Front Street is the town's crowing glory. For the second year it was made the activity of the American Legion, assisted by the Elks. George Sylvester, Ernest Nelson, Jim Forrester and Van Fisk brought in the tree Sunday after making a careful selection. Jim Lovett and Carl Green did the decorating. This afternoon following a matinee, at which the coliseum Theater was host to the school children, Christmas carols led by Miss Conrad were sung about the tree, after which Santa Claus, representing the Northland Transportation Company distributed Christmas joy to the children through the medium of candies and fruit.

Dec. 21. 1962: Wrangell lumber export reached a total of 37 million board feet this year with outlay in payrolls of more than a half million dollars, according to figures made available by the Wrangell Lumber Company, the “Big E” (for export) mill and principal lumber producer of the state. Production at the local plant was approximately 34 million feet, the balance in export coming from the Haines mill under arrangement with WLC. A total of 18 foreign vessels called in port during the year just ending, and three took lumber cargo from Haines. Mill workers and long shore wages in the operation here exceeded $600,000 payroll figures reveal.

Dec. 24, 1987: About 15 Wrangell-based pilot met with a Federal Aviation Administration official last week to learn more about safe flying procedures. Herb Hinman, manager of the Sitka Flight Service Station, said pilots were encouraged to work together to help make flying conditions out of Wrangell more safe. Hinman said greatly increased traffic out of Wrangell has been experienced in the past year and even more is expected next summer as activity to the Johnny Mountain mine and other mineral sites in Canada is on the rise. Because Wrangell is a remote site served by officials in Sitka, Hinman said, it is difficult for the FAA to enforce safety standards. “It's up to them to police themselves’’ “Nobody is going to go over there to watch them operate. We just can't afford to do that.” Asked if the FAA had received reports of the six near misses that reportedly have occurred at the Wrangell airport in 1987. Hinman said he was unaware of the reports. “They should be reporting these thing, but not everyone does’’ he said. “And, one man's near miss may not be another's.”