In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago.
June 26, 1913: Yesterday was a red-letter day in Wrangell. For weeks the citizens have been hearing that soon the Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce contemplated a trip through Alaska and their itinerary would bring them to Wrangell. They were also informed that many notable men of the newspaper would come as guests but were not prepared fully for the great surprised that awaited them. At 9:30 o'clock last night the Jefferson steamed into port conveying 125 of the “liveliest bunch” that ever assembled on our shore. It could be read in every face “I am out for a good time and I guess I have come to the right place to get it.” The party, headed by J.L. McPhearson, Secretary of the Alaska Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce of Seattle, filed down the gang plank and were placed in the hands of committees from the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce who proceeded to show them as much of the town as was possible considering the late hour of their arrival.
June 17, 1938: While most women's clubs recess for the summer months, the Wrangell Women's Civic Club meets as usual. The club began its twenty-sixth year of existence and helpful activities for the community last Sunday. The usual sandwich luncheon at one o'clock opened the meeting with seventeen members present. Mrs. Bjorge and Mrs. Barnes were the dessert hostesses and had centered the long table with violas and white lilacs. Bowls of other flowers were placed around the room. With committee appointments still pending, the president had arranged the short program consisting of piano music by Miss Dorisanne Barnes, and this was followed by roll call and activity suggestions and discussions. A membership drive and a club cookbook were suggested and after a discussion, Mrs. Osterman and Mrs. Carry were appointed to report on the latter project, while the membership committee will be appointed when other committees are named. Resumption of the sponsorship of the park was approved and for the third consecutive year, the club will pay a custodian for five months police duty. Picnickers are still reported as careless about leaving trash around the grounds, although containers have been placed there by the Forestry department, and broken bottles constantly present a menace to small children, especially.
June 21, 1963: Our five-digit ZIP Code is 99929, Postmaster Marjorie L. Sharnbroich announced this week. “Everyone in Wrangell, Alaska, will use this ZIP Code on all their correspondence to speed mail deliveries and reduce the chance of missent mail,” Postmaster Sharnbroich said. ZIP Code, the Post Office Department's revolutionary new system of improved mail dispatch and delivery, goes into effect nationally on July 1. Postmaster Sharnbroich stressed the importance of all citizens of Wrangell learning the city's ZIP Code and using in their return address on all correspondence in answering mail, she said. ZIP Codes taken from return addresses on incoming mail should be used.
June 16, 1988: A self-service gas station and mini-mart will go up on Zimovia Highway if Ed Bradley gains permission for the development from the City Council. Bradley's plan passed muster of the Planning and Zoning Commission June 9 when the group voted unanimously to recommend his request for a contract zone for the development. Bradley purchased the land on Zimovia Highway from the city in 1965. At that time, he said he had plans to put in a gas station at the site. Bradley on June 9 told the Planning and Zoning Commission that he hoped to have a gas station operating before the end of the year. And he said he was willing to agree to a two-year time limit for construction of the mini-mart. Most likely, he said, construction would proceed more quickly. The land now is home base for C&E Bradley's Inc. Bradley said the mini-mart would be a modular building placed on top of an existing foundation at the lot. The gas station would be in the same area, he said. Underground storage tanks for the gas station would be equipped with sensors to sound an alarm if fuel leaks. “We want it to be one of the better installations,” he said. Later, he said, “I can assure you, if we're allowed to do it, it will not be junky.” Bradley said the mini-mart likely would open at 6 a.m. to offer early morning risers an opportunity for a doughnut and cup of coffee for the ride to work. Similarly, he said, it would remain open until 11 p.m. “We have to see what the trade will do,” he said, noting that hours aren't set for certain at this time.
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