The Way We Were

Nov. 2, 1922

The Civic Club held its monthly meeting last Saturday at the library and went on record in favor of legislation giving women the right to serve as jurors. All women voters of Wrangell are urged to go to the polls at the coming election to express themselves for or against such legislation, and if a bill is favored it is understood that the presidents of the Alaska Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Alaska Woman’s Christian Temperance Union will ask that jury service for women be made permissible but not compulsory.

Oct. 31, 1947

At a meeting of the Territorial Road Board this week in Juneau, $15,500 was approved to be spent in Wrangell for harbor improvements. They include the dock approach to the shrimp cannery, repairs to pilings, etc, $5,000; for construction of a new small seaplane float and approaches, $4,000; and for purchase of creosote pilings to replace a float dolphin, $6,500. The money comes from funds collected by the territorial gasoline tax which is earmarked for harbor, road and airfield work. On Territorial Highway Engineer Frank Metcalf’s recent visit to Wrangell, Mayor Doris Barnes and members of the city council, took Mr. Metcalf on an inspection trip of the local harbor and later drafted a brief of the most pressing needs of the town. The result was the $15,500 approval for funds granted the town of Wrangell this week.

Nov. 2, 1972

A small boat harbor with space for 150 boats and estimated to cost approximately $1.7 million to develop is being proposed at Shoemaker Bay four miles south of Wrangell. Plans call for the construction of a breakwater, dredging of the harbor area and the building of access, parking and harbor and dock facilities. Development of the proposed small boat harbor will be accomplished without cost to the City of Wrangell, Dick Ballard said. The federal contribution to the project is $1 million and the state's share is $700,000. This funding is included in a state bond issue that will be voted upon this coming Tuesday. Of the $700,000, $400,000 is earmarked for basin dredging and $300,000 for harbor and dock facilities, according to a report made recently to the Southeast Conference by Don Statter, Alaska’s director of waters and harbors. If the necessary state bonding is approved, it is anticipated that the harbor could be completed within two years.

Oct. 30, 1997

At the city council meeting Tuesday night, City Manager Scott Seabury described the proposed use of the logs taken down on the Spur Road. On Nov. 7, the city will take over the ownership of the extension of the Spur Road and trees taken down for right of way will be offered to the public. Once hauled to the new fill by Benjamin’s, the logs will be available for free-use firewood. More choice logs will be scaled and graded for sale. The city received a small grant from the U.S. Forest Service for log sales. Seabury says a harvest plan will be formulated and there will be logging on the uphill. The public is reminded to not take or cut wood on the Spur Road. The road will be closed until they can get wood out and available to the community.