The Way We Were

June 21, 1923

At a meeting of the town council last week, consideration was given to the matter of entertaining the President Warren G. Harding during his brief visit in Wrangell on Sunday, July 8. After some discussion, it was decided that a reception committee composed of men and women should be appointed, and that the Wrangell Commercial Club would be requested to name the men on the committee for general supervision of the town’s reception for the president. It was further decided to request the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion to name the women who are to serve on the committee. The council voted to make a $25 contribution toward the amount that will be required for decorations and the proper entertainment of the president.

June 18, 1948

The U.S. Senate this week approved and sent to the White House for signature a record-breaking $573 million appropriation for flood control and navigation improvements. The amount specified for Wrangell Narrows dredging, which was started recently, was $1,038,400. The largest appropriation for the Northwest was $22 million for the McNary Dam project in the Columbia River.

June 22, 1973

Collection jars to move Wrangell’s hopes for a swimming pool along will soon appear in the community. Recreation-hungry Wrangell has been talking about a swimming pool for some time, and at least two swimming pool savings accounts have been set up to accept contributions toward this end. One account, a parks and recreation account, now has a balance of $706. The more recent account, earmarked specifically for a swimming pool, contains $103. Mrs. Mitchell Prescott, active in efforts to drum up community support for a pool, said Monday she is preparing the collection jars and hopes to have about 10 of them located before July 4. Wrangell does not have to look far afield for an example of how active citizen effort obtained a pool for a community. Petersburg has enjoyed an Olympic-size swimming pool since late 1971. The enclosed pool cost just under half-a-million dollars to build. The town’s drive for a pool began with citizen donations which eventually totaled $18,000.

June 18, 1998

It’s official! The City of Wrangell is the owner of a seafood processing plant. According to acting City Manager Jeff Jabusch, the final papers were signed on June 12, through the city’s attorney in Ketchikan, Mitch Seaver. The former owners, J.S. McMillan Fisheries of Canda, had filed for bankruptcy, including its Wrangell asset. Although NorQuest Seafoods attempted to negotiate with the city for help in purchasing the cannery, they withdrew their intention soon afterward. A local group of investors stepped forward, and calling themselves Wrangell Seafoods is now in the process of negotiating a six-month lease with the city to get the operation up and going. With the purchase completed with the Canadian receivership, the cannery is already anticipating the lease negotiations to be finalized this week and is currently soliciting workers for the crab season.