The Way We Were

July 21, 1921

Local strawberries of large size and delicious flavor have been on the market for nearly two weeks. Shipments of berries from Haines have also been received by local merchants. A beautiful Wrangell-raised geranium exhibited in a window of the Matheson store has attracted a great deal of attention this week. It is owned by Mrs. Patterson, who decided to share its beauty with the general public. The plant is unusually large and has 10 bunches of perfect flowers of a lovely shade of pink.

July 19, 1946

A lively blaze in the basement of Wrangell hotel last Saturday at dinner time caused a flurry of excitement among guests and did damage estimated at $20,000. But for the prompt work

of Wrangell’s volunteer department, the fire might have been far more serious with even greater loss. The fire started from a short circuit, it was said, back of the boiler in the basement and had charred the girders badly under the floor of the dining room and kitchen before the flames were brought under control. Upper floors of the hotel were filled with smoke and lack of gas masks by the department made the work of the fire fighters extremely hazardous. They fought their way through the dense smoke to arouse guests and carry out their effects as long as they were able. After the source of the fire was discovered, the fire hose turned on the flames, but not before the boiler, meat house and refrigeration plant in the basement were entirely destroyed.

July 23, 1971

Sisters Amanada Westlake, 71, and Edith Clark, 67, who lived here as girls, came back for a visit this week, after 54 years. They are former Horgheim sisters. Their father, the late Lars Horgheim, came to Wrangell in 1903 to work lumber and to mine and fish. He moved his family to California in 1917. They have talked for years about coming back to see the town of their youth and have planned the trip the past year. “It is as I remember it,” Mrs. Clark, “Wrangell is beautiful. The prettiest scenery in Southeast Alaska.” The sisters were met at the ferry by an old schoolmate, Neil Grant. “The really big difference,” she said, “is the cars, I guess I knew they would be here but I just wasn’t ready for it.” There were no automobiles but there were horses in Wrangell when they lived here, the sisters said, and the streets were of wood, not paved, and sternwheelers on their way up the Stikine piled the waters of Zimovia Strait. “Is a little different, but it is still Wrangell after all these years,” said Ms. Clark.

July 25, 1996

They came to work, and they did. But they also ate, and ate, went sightseeing and fishing, and made friends all over town. Eleven college-age youngsters and three adults came north from the Presbytery of Peace River, Florida, this month to help Wrangell’s Presbyterian Church add a classroom and extra storage room to the back of the building. Footings for the addition were laid last year by another group from Iowa, using a $7,500 grant from the Nolan Trust. “We’ve had more fun than any place we’ve ever been,” said Debbie Endell. “It’s nice to be in a place where people really love where they live.” With the walls and roof rafters up, and wiring in progress, Pastor Mark Olson is hopeful that the building will be nearly finished by winter.