The Way We Were

April 19, 1923

The home of John Bradley, which was badly damaged by fire recently, is being repaired this week through funds raised by a subscription list circulated last week by Mayor Grant. The Sisters and Brothers Society also made a donation of $50. Mr. Bradley is one of the older and well-known Natives of Wrangell and has always been highly respected. Last summer he lost his savings in a small hand cannery in which he was a partner, and this, added to the long illness of his wife, made it impossible for him to repair the damage done to his home from his own funds. Mr. Bradley had not expected help from the townspeople, and the donation came as a happy surprise to him.

April 16, 1948

The Carrie Circle of the Presbyterian Ladies Aid met Wednesday evening for their regular monthly meeting at the home of Mrs. H. B. Thornquist. Highlight of the evening was the announcement that Mrs. Dorothy Webb had agreed to organize a Girl Scouts troop, which the Circle voted to sponsor at its last meeting. Mrs. Webb has spent a great deal of time in Girl Scouts work and will be a capable leader. Mrs. George Bidwell called attention to the plight of many neglected young children in Wrangell and suggested that the women of Wrangell make some provision for the welfare of these youngsters.

April 20, 1973

Research to determine the effects of fresh water from the Stikine River on saltwater sealife was carried out this week during a three-day cruise by Wrangell High School marine biology students. The class, instructed by Dale Pihlman, embarked from Wrangell on Tuesday aboard the Blue Star and sailed west. Pihlman said stops were made at St. John Harbor, about 25 miles from the Stikine River mouth, and at Labouchere Bay near Port Protection, 45 miles west of Wrangell. The students earlier had done research on Wrangell area beaches on fresh water’s impact on sealife. Accompanying nine science students were five members of the high school marine navigation class and four members of a galley cooking course. The navigation students practiced their specialty and the cooking students provided the meals, Pihlman said.

April 16, 1998

The city council met Tuesday evening and City Manager Scott Seabury reported that two military surplus generators have been located and are possibly for sale. They would cost $50,000 each, instead of the $1 million estimated earlier. He said that if they are actually available, he would send someone down to look at them. The city could conceivably generate 7 megs of power out of one of the plants. The cost would affect how much money the city has to borrow for its power needs. “What we are trying to get out to the people is the money, or some part of it, is going to be spent; we have to.”