Digital Bob Archive

15 December 1978 issue

SEPTEMBER 15, 1913-Juneau?s newest hotel, the Alaskan Hotel, will have its formal opening tomorrow night at 7:30 o?clock and will be open for public inspection during the evening. It was erected by the owners, Charles E. Hooker, Jules B. Caro and John and James McCloskey and is three stories plus basement. It has been leased by the owners to the Alaskan Hotel Company of which P. L. Gemmet and Frank McCoy are owners. There are 46 rooms for guests, a ladies? grill with lunch counter, an ample bar and other features. The restaurant feature is under the direct management and control of A. T. Spatz.

SEPTEMBER 16, 1913-The annual Bazaar of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Douglas takes place in the basement of the church this weekend. Handiwork of all kinds is being offered.

FEBRUARY 14, 1914-Captain Niels Peter Madsen of the good ship Hegg, formerly of Skagway, has secured the contract for carrying the mail on the route from Juneau to Kake from July 1, 1914 to June 30, 1918. The contract is for $3,866.99 per annum and calls for stops at a number of ports between Juneau and Kake.

MARCH 11, 1914-William Short has purchased the Circle City Hotel from George F. Miller and has taken over its operation. The hotel is on Third Street near Franklin and the three story building stands on a lot measuring 100 feet on Third and 50 feet deep. Mr. Short is one of the best known hotel men in Alaska and was in Ketchikan for 10 years. Since coming to Juneau he has been associated with the Occidental Hotel. Mrs. Mary Bergman, who has been operating the Circle City, is looking for a location for a new hotel building.

MARCH 19, 1914-Gus Erickson, a well known fisherman who is employed this winter on the Juneau-Douglas ferry, says that is something is not done soon to regulate trolling, the king salmon will be greatly depleted. Power trollers are doing the damage, he says, as they have several lines out at one time and never stop running. Consequently, according to Erickson, many fish are torn from the hooks and mutilated. Also, he says, the power trollers often crowd the rowboat fishermen into the beach or the kelp patches.

SEPTEMBER 4, 1914-Butler Mauro Company?s drug store will open for business tomorrow evening. It occupies space in the new Guffey Building on Front Street just south of Franklin. Butler Mauro has two drug stores in Nome where it was established in 1900. J. H. Guffey, one of the principal owners of the company, has been in Alaska since 1897 and will remain in Juneau to give the store his personal attention. (Note: The building is now occupied by the Red Dog Saloon.)

FEBRUARY 22, 1917-Simpson MacKinnon of Juneau has passed the entrance examination for the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis according to a telegram received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lockie MacKinnon.

FEBRUARY 20, 1920-All that remains of the old James sawmill, for many years a landmark of Douglas, is the lumber from the building and it is rapidly being cut up for firewood.

MAY 5, 1924-The purchase of the old Heidelberg or Palace of Sweets property on Front Street by Gunnar Blomgren, proprietor of the Sanitory Grocery, was announced today. The property was formerly owned by Joseph Miller of San Francisco. The building on the lot was almost entirely destroyed by fire several months ago. Mr. Blomgren said the purchase was made as an investment and he may build on the lot later.

JUNE 1, 1926-Bart L. Thane, managing director of the Alaska Gastineau Gold Mining Co., who has been devoting much of his attention toward utilization of the company?s hydro-electric power for the purpose of manufacturing paper and pulp, arrived back in Juneau on the steamer Yukon today. He reports that several Pacific Coast newspapers have decided to manufacture their own newsprint and he is attempting to interest them in the Thane site and the power available here. B. Frank Heintzleman of the Forest Service also returned on the Yukon and said he is much encouraged by the interest in Alaska timber for pulp and paper.

MAY 28, 1928-After a three day trip to Skagway and Whitehorse in celebration of the Queen?s Birthday, the 11th annual excursion party sponsored by the Juneau Ferry and Navigation Company returned to Juneau on the ferry Alma, Captain Tay Bayers, at 2 a.m. today. The party left Juneau on Friday, spent the night at Skagway and started for Whitehorse by train on Saturday at 6 a.m., arriving at 11:30. There were two baseball games: a combined Skagway and Whitehorse team against the Sitka Indians, and Juneau against a Chilkoot Barracks team.

MARCH 20, 1931-Following approving action by a recent meeting of the Grand Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska in Juneau, two Pioneer Cabins will be organized here, one to be known as the Native Sons of Alaska, and the other the Native Daughters of Alaska. Membership will be limited to men and women over 16 years of age who were born in Alaska or the Yukon Territory after 1905, the closing year for admission to membership in the parent organization.

MARCH 5, 1932-The Bluebird Caf? on Front Street will be reopened next week under new management and with a new name. John Kelly has taken a lease on the premises and will conduct it as Kelly?s Caf?.