The Way We Were

April 24, 1924

Perhaps no keener disappointment has come to a large group of individuals for some time than what came to the Wrangell school and PTA delegations Monday evening when the steamer Alaska left for Juneau without them. Gay with joyous anticipation, 18 contestants for the inter-school meet had left their homes when the boat appeared from the south. An hour or so later they returned to their homes and the community still had a right to be proud of them, for in spite of their disappointment they were showing a brave front and in many cases making laughing remarks designed to cover the deep hurt as the steamer departed for the north. It seems as if nothing of the sort could happen but the Alaska was at capacity, preventing the Wrangell passengers from getting onboard – even though all of them would have been willing to sit up all night if necessary.

April 22, 1949

Routine maintenance work on the Mill Creek, Pats Creek, Kunk’s Creek, Anan Creek, Aaron Creek, Wrangell Reservoir and Rainbow Falls trails will be done this summer by the U.S. Forest Service, according to Division Supervisor Knox Marshal. The work is scheduled to start sometime in May and will be done by local men as much as possible. Work on the Pats Creek trail will include clearing out a trail from the end of the road to the creek in addition to the trail from the beach to the lake. It is planned to do a small amount of repair work in the Wrangell Park, such as building a new bridge across the creek and fixing the broken tables and damaged shelters.

April 24, 1974

Volunteers were being sought this week to help with Wrangell’s second spring salmon bake. If help doesn’t come, though, the bake may be called off, according to the Chamber of Commerce Acting President Brent Ulmer. Last year’s bake, organized by the Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee, drew about 200 persons and was deemed a success. This year, however, the attraction may not be repeated because, though there are plenty of prospects to attend the bake, fewer are willing to help put it on, Ulmer said. “In short,” Ulmer told chamber members at a meeting last week, “it may not materialize this year unless we get some help. ”

April 22, 1999

They’re coming! Surveyors are already here, and engineers and geologists are heading for Wrangell, to the landfill behind Benjamin’s, to begin work on the city’s new museum. The proposed museum and civic center, after a year of discussion, planning and meetings, is now heading toward reality - but still not without some controversy. Although plans and designs have been available for public viewing for several months, and design consultants have found many people enthusiastic about the museum project, the funding for the new structure continues to be an underlying topic of dissension and heated discussion.