The Way We Were

May 31, 1923

During the past few days, several trappers have come down the Stikine with good catches of fur which they sold to local buyers. Seven huge bales of furs were included in the cargo of the Hazel B No. 4 which arrived last week from Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. The fur was placed in the bonded warehouse and reshipped on the Princess Mary on Monday, being consigned to the Hudson’s Bay Co. in Victoria. Yesterday afternoon the Hazel B No. 4 arrived from her second trip to Telegraph Creek. This time her cargo included two large bales of furs for Charles Goldstein, of Juneau. The riverboat also brought two consignments of furs which were being shipped by J. Frank Callbreath, of Telegraph Creek.

May 28, 1948

Wrangell has taken on a gala air this week with the stringing of flags and banners along Front Street. A large “Welcome” sign, with Wrangell scenes painted by George Case and Nick Johnson, is stretched across the street by the Bear Totem Store and gives the opening date of the Stikine Stampede for all tourists to see. The new American flags, purchased by the city, are in place, and smaller banners of various colors, made by R. W. McKibben, are up. Mr. McKibben reports that now that the flags are all in place he is going to see what can be done about colored lights. He hopes to see enough salvaged to brighten up the street. This is the first time since the war that Wrangell has been so decorated.

June 1, 1973

What are Wrangell’s sons and daughters thinking about? In an attempt to discover this, The Wrangell Sentinel interviewed a number of students at the junior and senior high school levels. Their comments were tape recorded and the speakers are identified only by age and grade. In spite of the current “return to religion” by the young, a majority interviewed did not feel that religion holds the answers to their problems. Three-quarters of those questioned feel the police do not treat young people fairly. Sixty percent feel the use of marijuana should be legalized and 40 percent are opposed. Most feel that hard drugs are “a bummer.”

May 28, 1998

“Try to get more equity into the equation,” said Councilman Angerman as the city council and school board struggled to understand the inequity of state funding and ways to balance the school budget. This topic and hospital budgets, garbage and utility hikes were the main items of interest at last night’s city council meeting. A public hearing had been held the hour before to discuss the proposed ordinances to increase water, sewer, electricity and garbage rates. When approaching the council with the proposed budget, Schools Superintendent Woody Wilson was questioned by council member Harding as to why the board’s proposed budget included an increase of more than $200,000 over last year’s budget. Wilson explained that insurance costs have gone up, in addition to other costs.