The Way We Were

Aug. 31, 1922

A call for a meeting for the purpose of organizing a rod and gun club was made two weeks ago, but there was such a small turnout that those present thought it better to defer the matter of organizing until there could be a more representative gathering of those interested in such an organization. An organization can accomplish things that the individual cannot. Organizations in Wrangell and other small towns will tend to crystallize public sentiment and make it possible to check the wholesale slaughter of game animals that is now going on throughout Southeast Alaska. If the game of this region is to be conserved, it is imperative that there be some kind of an organization that will take some sort of hold on the situation. A rod and gun club could therefore in addition to furnishing much wholesome pleasure and recreation, be the means of accomplishing splendid work in the conservation of game. It is earnestly hoped that there will be a splendid turnout at the meeting called for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Wrangell Hotel.

Aug. 29, 1947

Wrangell will be host to two U.S. Senate committees tomorrow night. The Senate Small Business Committee, with Sen. Homer Capehart, of Indiana, will be interested primarily in pulp and paper, and the Senate Public Lands Committee, headed by Sen. Hugh Butler, of Nebraska, will hold hearings and make a study of the statehood situation for Alaska. Both parties will be traveling by small boat. The Capehart party, with Secretary of Alaska Lew Williams, will be aboard the Coast Guard vessel Wachusetts, and the Butler party, with Alaska Gov. Ernest Gruening, will be aboard the Fish and Wildlife Service vessel Brant. They expect to arrive in Wrangell around 6 or 7 p.m. Mayor Doris Barnes will greet the Senate groups and a public meeting, to which the public is invited, will be held at the Elks Hall, where Wrangell residents will have the opportunity of meeting the senators and their parties and discussing matters pertaining to the territory with them. A cocktail party will be held, for which the Junior Chamber of Commerce will host.

Sept. 1, 1972

A record $2.4 million in loans and grants was made in the past fiscal year by the Wrangell office of the Farmers Home Administration, according to Wallace Riehle, supervisor. A breakdown of loans and grants made by the federal agency’s Wrangell office, which serves Southeast Alaska, includes: Forty home loans totaling $860,500 and averaging $21,500 per home. The funds went for construction of new homes, purchase of homes, and home repair. A $35,000 grant went to the state for studies of water and sewer planning in Wrangell, Petersburg, Haines, Skagway and Craig.

Aug. 28, 1997

An ongoing project, the Spur Road Extension, recently hit a snag when it was learned that an additional 500 to 1,500 feet of road will be needed to access state lands due to be offered in timber sales. The city also is seeking to open up lots in the area to be sold for residential or industrial use. The city council authorized a change order not to exceed $50,000. City Manager Scott Seabury noted that the project still will come in under the original estimate.