Gastineau Channel Memories

Paul

Sam Paul Jr.

Sam Paul Sr. was born in 1878, in Harzernovi, Austria, and came to the U.S. and on to Alaska, settling in Treadwell. He later returned to the old country and married his sweetheart, Mazzie Travis Paul, who was born in 1894, in the same town in Austria near the Mediterranean Coast. Mr. Paul changed his last name from Paulovich to Paul in Alaska. They resided in Treadwell where he was a manager of a grocery store. Treadwell employed approximately 2000 men in the mine and was a much larger town than Douglas. They had three children in Treadwell, Senna, born in 1914, Cheda, born in 1915, and Sam Paul Jr. (Specks), born in 1916. They had one more daughter, Olga, who was born in 1922.

When the town of Treadwell was destroyed by fire, everyone lost everything. Some friends tried to save a piano and hauled it to the beach but it, too, had keys scorched. They then came to Juneau and were taken in by Mr. Paul?s brother, Gabe and his wife Donisca, who lived near Tenth and Willoughby. Gabe had been encouraged by Mr. Paul to come to this country and area to work as jobs were plentiful and much better living conditions than in the old country. Gabe worked in the AJ Mine. Sam Sr. found a house to rent at the corner of Sixth and Gold Streets. They once took the family back to the old country for a visit.

Sam Paul opened a grocery store on Front Street, the Gastineau Grocery. They then moved to an apartment on Front and Main in a building that housed the ACS office and the Light Company. He eventually purchased the building, made the lower floor into apartments and it was called the Paul Apartments. Sam Sr. died in 1971, and Mazzie in 1962.

Gabe Paulovich passed away of pneumonia and his wife later returned to Seattle. They had four children, George and Raymond, both deceased, Mary, now living in Seattle and Violet, living in Anacortes. Gabe is buried in the Juneau Cemetery in the Serbian Section where many settlers from the old country are buried.

Sam Paul Jr. served in the Navy for nearly four years and after discharge went to work in the Gastineau Grocery with his dad and three others: Gil Bixby, Bud Whiteside and Jay Williams. Specks used to do many grocery deliveries around Juneau and the area. You could charge your groceries at the Gastineau and pay once a month.

Lorene Maag Paul came to Juneau in September, 1945, to work as a Registered Nurse at St. Ann?s Hospital. Specks? mother had Lorene as a nurse and introduced the two of them. They were married in November, 1946, and lived in an apartment on Telephone Hill (Victor Apartments) where they had three children. Vickie, born in 1948, is married to Vic Baer and they have two daughters, Lynette and Heidi, both married and living in Colorado. Cherie Ann, born in 1950 is married to Ken Rudolph and they live in Juneau. Gary, born in 1951, is married to Robin Herdman and they have three sons, Garrett, Austin and Carson. They also live in Juneau.

Sam Paul Jr. later broke away from the grocery store and was a salesman for groceries and liquor. He and Lorene are retired and living in West Juneau.