The Way We Were

March 29, 1923

Miss Durkee and Miss Elmer, both of whom have visited Wrangell before, left on the Mary after a short stay here. The visit was made in the interest of the garnet ledge property which has been leased again, it is reported, to a company that makes abrasive paper. A considerable quantity of garnets were shipped from here for the same purpose two years ago.

March 26, 1948

On April 7, Mrs. Emma Case, one of Wrangell’s best known pioneer Wrangell women, will celebrate the golden anniversary of her arrival in Wrangell with an open house to which all of her great many friends are invited. Mrs. Case is one of Wrangell’s best loved and respected pioneers. She is the widow of the late Thomas Jacob Case who came here with his young wife in 1898 from Loring, Alaska where he was in the general merchandise business. At the outbreak of the stampede up the Stikine River for the gold fields of the Yukon, Mr. Case sold his store in Loring and came to Wrangell, then a town of 5,000, and opened a general store on the property on which Mrs. Case still resides on Front Street.

March 30, 1973

The Tokyo-based Wrangell Lumber Co. announced this week that it has purchased for $1.55 million the Wrangell Lumber Co. mill and property it has leased since 1954. Simultaneously, the firm announced it plans major improvements at the mill. Mill spokesman said the change of ownership of the downtown mill “will see a tremendous program of improvements take place here, including installation of anti-pollution systems and the removal of the “teepee” waste burner. “The mill will be virtually pollution free by the end of the year,” said manager Lance Ingle. “Many other improvements are also scheduled for this year,” he said.

March 26, 1998

This past weekend, the community witnessed a musical production whose proportions in volunteers and quality reached new heights in Wrangell. The production, “The Music Man,” was directed by Joe Rizzo. This year’s musical featured a large cast, with solos, dances, a lengthy script, costumes and a finely constructed town and library which were easily changed on a revolving stage. The community orchestra, under the direction of Haig Demerjian, heightened the excitement each night with the opening overture highlighting all the melodies and moods of the production. Actors of all ages then took the stage and presented nearly flawless performances all three nights. This production has set a precedent for those in the years to come.