February 19, 1924: Wm. Strong, Canadian customs officer at the boundary, returned to Wrangell last Thursday after a perilous trip down from Telegraph Creek. Mr. Strong and partner left Telegraph for the boundary station traveling down the Stikine and arrived there safe and sound where Mr. Strong's partner was left and Mr. Strong came on to Wrangell and after transacting his business here was taken back to the river by Kenig Johannsen on the Karen and will mush back to the customs station at the boundary.
February 17, 1939: Alaska will go “bone dry” once again if a bill introduced in the House of Representatives Friday passes the Territorial Legislature. The measure introduced by representatives Martin, McCormack and Smith would prohibit the sale or manufacture of intoxicating liquors in the Territory of Alaska. Martin added, “They say, take the liquor away from the Indian - he can't handle it. Well, the white man can't handle it either.” In Martin's opinion, other liquor measures now pending are “doomed” and the bone dry legislation is the “only answer.”
February 21, 1964: Twelve years after the disastrous fire which destroyed its original building, Wrangell Elks Lodge No. 1595 is burning the mortgage on its new $30,000 building erected after the fire. The Elks has paid off its last $10,000 indebtedness and plans a gala party Saturday night to reduce the mortgage to ashes. Out-of-town guests from Ketchikan, Sitka, Petersburg and Juneau are expected to be on hand, including high dignitaries of the state Elks Association.
February 16, 1989: Mabel Fennimore has an original suggestion for today's high school seniors who need college money: Make unique Wrangell lapel pins to sell to summer visitors. Fennimore crafted such pins for her daughters, and the money they earned, together with receipts from pins placed in gift shops across the state, paid her daughters' ways through college, she said. Helping her family is a way of life for Fennimore. Although she doesn't make pins anymore, her time is filled with craft projects for her children and grandchildren. Recently, she sewed a dinosaur costume for her daughter who teaches elementary school. Another project is a stuffed cheetah for her grandson. The idea for Wrangell pins originated in 1975, she said. Working with plastic cast was very popular at the time. Together with Edith James, they bought some molds and began making brooches. “At first, we put flowers in, but they were ugly,” she said. Fennimore wanted to create an original gift that captured the spirit of life in a small Southeast Alaskan town. After much experimentation, she designed a pin that showed visitors what is unique about Wrangell. Her final versions contained forget-me-nots and a tiny fern frond in a seashell vase, together with a tiny garnet and a piece of sheet gold.
Reader Comments(0)