Gastineau Channel Memories

Scott, Robert M. And Evelyn (Braktko)

Bob Scott

I was born on October 25, 1923, in Juneau, Alaska. I graduated from Juneau High School in 1941, and was the president of the sophomore class and vice president of the student body.

With money earned washing cars with Lee Lucas, we spent a summer vacation in 1939, driving around the United States to the Worlds? Fairs in New York and San Francisco. I attended Washington State College in the fall of 1941, and enlisted in the service in January, 1943, serving in Europe in the Airborne Infantry. I returned to college in January, 1946, and graduated in 1948 in Business Administration. I was president of the TKE
Fraternity in my senior year.

In December, 1946, I obtained my license with New York Life Insurance Company and engaged in selling during college, then returned to Juneau in the fall of 1949, and was associated with Keith G. Wildes with New York Life. I was the Secretary of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce for several years, and also joined the Alaska National Guard and terminated after several years as Company Commander of Headquarters and Service Co. 208th Battalion.

Over a period of years, I was president of the Juneau Lions Club, president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of Juneau Rotary Club, Co Chairman of the Golden North Salmon Derby and Commodore of the Juneau Yacht Club.

My business activities included president of Juneau Ready Mix and partner in Hildre Sand and Gravel. With Charles Schneider, we purchased the old Switzer homestead, (then owned by Governor Frank Heintzelman and Dr. William Whitehead) and built the Switzer Village Mobile Home Park of 300 units. We had further property sales to K-Mart, Gruening Park, and the City and Borough of Juneau for the new police station.

The project which I most enjoyed was that of chairman of a special committee of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce to create a Gold Mine Tour at the end of Basin Road, in conjunction with the Little Theater?s production of Hoochinoo and Hotcakes. It was necessary to obtain permission for the project from AJ Properties, to build an access road and bridge across Gold Creek, and a road and parking area at the level of the old boardinghouse where the play was performed. An old electric mine locomotive was obtained and refurbished and a viewing platform was constructed on the Juneau side of Mt. Roberts. The train of miner?s cars ran through the shoulder of the mountain to the platform. Though there were no injuries, and we had operated for four summers, we were forced to close due to inability to obtain liability insurance.

I married Evelyn Bratko on August 25, 1950. We had three daughters: Roberta, who lives with her husband, Jack, in Gustavus; Jody Ellen, who lives in Missoula, Montana, with her husband, Scott; and Jennifer, who passed away in 1994.

I have basically been retired for fifteen years.