The early years of Wrangell's sawmills

Editor's note: Frank Roppel was in the timber industry from 1956 to 2002 and a

Wrangell resident since 1992. After graduating from high school in Ketchikan and

receiving a degree from Oregon State University, he began full time employment for Ketchikan Pulp Company in 1959. Rising to sawmill manager,

Roppel became the first president of Sealaska Timber in 1980, and served as executive vice president and general manager of Alaska Lumber and Pulp from 1984 until its closure.

At the advice of his wife, the writer and historian Patricia Roppel, he had begun putting together a history of the local timber industry. The work went unpublished, and at the advice of a friend, Frank has asked the Wrangell Sentinel to run his history. The paper is pleased to present the first of a three-part serialization of his work.

Practically every community in Alaska had a sawmill

at one time or another to supply the needs for buildings,

boats, fish boxes, mines, docks and wooden streets. Wrangell was no exception. There has been continuous sawmill

operations in Wrangell for 122 years, longer than any other community in Alaska. There were earlier sawmills around Southeast and Kodiak Island, some operated by Russians, but none of those early mills survived.

The history of Wrangell's sawmills begins in 1889 with the Willson's and

Sylvester's sawmill in the center of town. Founders were Captain Thomas A. Willson, Juneau's first customs

inspector, and a retired fur trader Rufus Sylvester. During that first year of operation, Willson and Sylvester produced one million feet of lumber from their steam-operated mill. At that time, Alaska Mining and Milling in Juneau produced five million feet, and Father Duncan's mill at Metlakatla produced three million feet exceeding the first production at Wrangell.

By 1898, the Wrangell

mill had a capacity of 35,000 feet per day and employed 60 men. Equipment included

an "immense" circular saw, gang edger, two planers and a "fine set" of box making machinery. Cost of logs "on the bank" from 3 to 40 miles from Wrangell was $3 to $5 per log. "On the bank" meant "on the beach," where the trees were cut before being towed to the mill.

By 1900 the Wrangell

mill was producing more lumber than any of the other 13 mills operating in Alaska. Wrangell's production was 3,225,000 feet of the total 8,115,000 feet produced in Southeast Alaska. For the next few years, records show that the Wrangell mill produced about 40% of the lumber cut in Southeast Alaska.

In 1906, a major

fire destroyed most of the

business community in Wrangell. The mill, however, was spared. The local

newspaper reported: "Early Monday morning, the sawmill commenced cutting lumber to be used in the erection of

temporary places of business and has been in operation early and late since that time. The merchants who were fortunate enough to save portions of their stock, nothing daunted, went to work with their characteristic enterprise, and in a few days will be doing business at their new stands."

Fires were also a

problem for the mill itself. The paper reported in March 1918: "The sawmill, planning mill and box factory of the

Willson and Sylvester burned to the ground on Monday forenoon... For almost 30 years the mill has been Wrangell's most steady and dependable source of revenue. The absence of a payroll of thousands of dollars each month is bound to have its effect on any businessman in town." The mill was rebuilt and back in operation the next year.

Developing worldwide

technology played a role in Wrangell's sawmilling

business. In 1917, the newspaper reported that a "New York lumber dealer was in Wrangell for the purpose of securing

contracts to supply timber

for aeroplane factories in both the United States and England. The buyer's mission to Alaska is to buy picked spruce timber for the manufacture of

aeroplanes and he was willing to place as large an order with the Willison and Sylvester mill as they were willing to accept. The buyer said the entire

framework, except for the

propeller, is always

picked spruce. Only the most perfect timber available is used for the construction of

aeroplanes. The Alaska spruce is of a closer grain and stronger than the spruce of any other portion of the American continent."

Being the largest business in town with expertise in electricity and steam, the sawmill became involved in supplying power to the city and changed the name to reflect its new business. Under date February 1926: "Within the year the Willson and Sylvester Mill Co... grew into the Wrangell Lumber and Power Company. The company has taken over the electric light and power franchise for the city of Wrangell."

The newspaper noted "Wrangell now has the largest sawmill in Alaska and is proceeding with the further important improvements. Work begins on a new deep water dock 60 x 600 feet, which will make it possible to load ocean going vessels direct from the mill yard."

Box shook or lumber pieces to construct shipping boxes for canned salmon continued to be an important product until cardboard boxes became prevalent. That part of the business was so big, the mill had a separate "Box Factory".

Next came World War II that changed the production of the mill.