Digital Bob Archive

One hundred years ago, in January 1887, Juneau was just entering its seventh year as a community. It did not have an organized local government and would not have for another 13 years. It did have one organization that is commonly a part of local government. This was the Juneau City Fire Association, a predecessor of today's Juneau Volunteer Fire Department. Exactly when it was first organized seems lost in the mists of time but it definitely was functioning, with its officers in place, as the year 1887 opened.

Juneau at that time did have five federal officials: a postmaster, a deputy collector of customs, a commissioner who was also the ex-officio recorder and justice of the peace, and two deputy U.S. marshals. Perhaps the school teacher should also be included as he was paid by the federal government.

On January 1, 1887, Dr. F.F. White, a physician and surgeon who was also the school teacher that year, made a head count of residents. He divided his tally into whites and Indians, adults and children under 21, and he found 860 people in Juneau. It included 285 white men, 123 Indian men, 57 white women, 145 Indian women, 46 white boys, 85 Indian boys, 35 white girls and 79 Indian girls.

How many of the 245 children were of school age is unknown, but there was a public school for all children, white and Native, and there may also have been a Catholic school operated by the Sisters of Charity, although it possibly did not start until 1888. The public school was in a log building at Third and Main Streets, a former carpenter shop that would a couple of years later be converted into a church. Total enrollment in December, 1886, was 45 but average daily attendance was only 12.

Before the year 1887 ended a new schoolhouse would be erected above Fifth Street, where the Capitol School playground is today. Because a number of white families refused to send their children to school with Indian children, separate schools were soon established. The Indian schoolhouse stood on the present site of the Governor's house.

Juneau's first newspaper, The Alaska Free Press, made its appearance on January 19, 1887. Ten days later there was a second issue and two weeks after that, a third. The paper then settled down to weekly publication and continued for five years.

The proprietors were John C. Howard, a veteran of the Civil War who had operated newspapers in Colorado, and his son, Frank E. Howard, who was the editor. They set up shop in a building on Second Street and put out a newsy, well printed paper. Unfortunately the available file at the Historical Library is incomplete and it seems unlikely that the missing issues will turn up at this late date.