Digital Bob Archive

7 July 1978 issue

MAY 1, 1928-The Louvre Building on Front Street has been sold by Oscar Ashby to J. S. Stocker. This is one of the most noted buildings in Juneau. The original was built in the summer of 1891 by the Ashby brothers and they ran a saloon there with William Leak under the name of Ashby & Leak. When Leak retired, it was known as Ashby?s Hall until 1895 when it was leased to Holden & Secord who renamed it The Missouri. They retired from business after a year and the Ashbys took it over again and called it The Louvre Theater. The building had been 60 feet long and two story and they extended it another 80 feet and put in a stage and boxes. Max Engleman became manager of the theater portion while the Ashbys ran the saloon. In addition to stage performances, there were frequently boxing matches and musical events. In 1897 Winn and Insley, who also operated the Opera House, purchased the stock and fixtures and took a lease on the building. This lasted a few years when Engleman again took over and was running it on March 18, 1906,when the building caught fire and burned to the ground. The back portion, with the stage and boxes, was saved and the front of the building was quickly rebuilt and it became popular as a dancehall, saloon and theater again. Some years later, however, it fell on hard times and in January, 1917, a full year before prohibition came to Alaska, it closed for lack of business. For the past several years the building has been used as a department store.

MAY 25, 1903-Notes from Gold Creek Valley:

The tunnel of the Nowell Mine in Silver Bow Basin has filled in with snow and water and a force of men is clearing it.

A slide last night just above Casey?s dairy barn on the Basin Road is being cleared away this morning.

The Jualpa Company has a crew clearing a place for its flume where it crosses the big slide in Last Chance Basin, thus preparing to start up this hydraulic property.

The Ebner Mine is now working two shifts under Superintendent Bart Thane.

Two shifts are also at work at the Perseverance Mine, at the head of the valley, under Foreman Alex Nadeau.

NOVEMBER 2, 1912-The Canvassing Board today made its report on the results of the election last August 15 for Delegate to Congress. There were five candidates in the race and the vote each received was as follows:

James Wickersham, a Bull Moose Republican who ran as an Independent, 3,335; W. A. Gilmore, Regular Republican, 1,726; Kazis Krauczunas, Socialist, 1,688; Robert W. Jennings, Regular Democrat, 1,174; Martin Harrais, nominated by the rump Democratic convention, 281.

MAY 13, 1893-Koehler & James, the merchants who have their main store at Second and Seward in Juneau and a branch at Douglas, are opening another branch at Seward City, just above Berners Bay on Lynn Canal. Lumber for the building will be obtained from the Berners Bay sawmill. Seward City, which serves a number of mines in the vicinity, is becoming increasingly important as a supply center.

JULY 11, 1934-Diverted from Hawaii?s tropic seas to the sheltered waters of the Inside Passage, the deluxe cruise ship Halaeakala will arrive tomorrow on her first Alaska voyage. She is owned by the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company and is under charter to the Alaska Steamship Company for the summer season. The 360-foot vessel has accommodations for 360 first class passengers.

Captain Joseph Ramsauer, a veteran of the Alaska run, is the skipper.

JANUARY 8, 1935-The Coast Guard cutter Tallapoosa, stationed at Juneau, had rather a hum-drum year in 1934 according to Lieut. Commander Fletcher P. Brown, her skipper. Much of her work was on halibut patrol, which began on March 3, and she logged 14,422.7 miles in all in the Gulf of Alaska, around Kodiak Island and as far west as Unalaska.

JUNE 30, 1928-Flying the colors of the Queen City Yacht Club, the 32-foot Dolphin II, Captain Ray E. Stickler, led the field of 10 yachts and was first into Juneau in the 903-mile Capital-to-Capital yacht race. Her time for the course was 96 hours, 4 minutes, 35 seconds. The other nine boats are strung out all the way from Frederick Sound to Dixon Entrance.

AUGUST 7, 1913-The Casey-Shattuck addition to the townsite of Juneau is being placed on the market and it is proposed to try and sell the 200 lots in a period of two weeks. Sales are being handled by the Juneau Improvement Company which has an office in the Occidental Hotel Annex at Front and Main Streets.

JANUARY 30, 1914-Juneau Camp No. 4, Alaska Native Brotherhood, was organized in the school house of Auk Village in Juneau last night. There were 30 present but it was found that only 11 of them were eligible for membership under the qualifications set forth by the parent organization.

NOVEMBER 16, 1912-Yesterday the first power drill was set to work on the immense task of boring through 8,000 feet of solid rock in the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company?s extensive workings at Sheep Creek. The tunnel will run through to the Perseverance property at the head of Silver Bow Basin and will be 10,000 feet in total length, 8 feet high and 10 feet wide. At the Perseverance end, 2,000 feet have already been bored.

A millsite is being cleared near the mouth of Sheep Creek for a mill and other buildings necessary to the operation.