Digital Bob Archive

John T. Spickett was in show business of one kind and another during most of his life, but in his nearly 35 years in Juneau he was also a hotel operator, merchant and postmaster. During his early theatrical career he was known as a burnt-cork artist and appeared in the then popular blackface minstrel shows both in America and Europe.

Spickett was born in Bristol, England, in January, 1857, and came to Detroit, Michigan, with his family at age 6. He first came to Juneau in 1896 as manager of a stage troupe, managed the Opera House theater for a short time, then returned to Seattle. He came back to Juneau in 1898 and made this his home the rest of his life. He staged theatrical productions at the Opera House and once each week he took over The Louvre, closed the bar and the games, banished the dance hall girls, and put on a very popular \"family night\" local talent show.

In 1903 Spickett leased the three-story Franklin Hotel at the corner of Front and Main Streets and operated it for several years. He was related to J.B. Caro, a local merchandise broker, who established his headquarters at the Franklin. During Christmas week in 1906 at San Francisco, Spickett married Miss Josephine Carlotta Clark who was related to the extensive Burford family of Juneau. He then operated the Northern Hotel in Douglas until April, 1908, when he was appointed Juneau's postmaster. He served for four years.

The post office was on Front Street and next door to it Spickett had the Post Office Store, also known as Spickett's Cigar Store, which sold tobaccos, Indian curios, Victor and Edison phonographs and records, and had the ticket agency for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company.

In November, 1912, Spickett opened the Douglas Orpheum Theater in the Palm Garden building. In Juneau, J.B. Caro & Co. was erecting a combination theater and hotel on Main Street at Marine Way and the Orpheum Theater, to be managed by Spickett, had a gala opening on January 13, 1913. Spickett himself was not present; he was locked in a room in the Court House, a juror in a murder case.
In addition to running the two show houses, Spickett distributed films to other Southeastern Alaska theaters.

Mr. and Mrs. Spickett built the Spickett Apartments on Fifth Street in 1916 and made their home there. The Orpheum closed in June, 1917, when Spickett took over the Palace Theater on Franklin Street from Perry E. Jackson. He also operated the Dream Theater in the Opera House building for a time and continued to operate the Palace until 1929 when he retired because of poor health. Mrs. Spickett was appointed Juneau postmaster in 1926.

Spickett was active in many local organizations, and was six times president of the Juneau Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska. He was the grand president of the organization in 1925. He died at Juneau on July 31, 1932.