JOPPER NUGGETS.(cont)
Irs Agnes Colegrove of Bakersfield, Calif
ornia, has returned to Tonsina ’Lodge again
'his season as acting hostess for her daugh
ter and soni-in-*law, Margaret and Bob Fraser,
las Tommy Hykes wandering house finally
found a home? We see it now sitting on the
bluff near the old Community Chapel.
Several months ago the house was near.
Bayliss 1 garage, several weeks ago it was
near the storage tanks, and now on the bluff]
Where next, Tommy?
Myrt and Rube Oswald have had a hectic
v eek without referigeration. Their light
plant burned out in the midst of the heat
?ave, so it's been canned pork and beans
ince then. REA should be extending it’s
lines as far south as Tonsina by this fall,
so that disasters like this will be a thing
of the past.
The little black bear in the front of the
Grizzly Gift shop was stuffed by Bill, Rube
and Myrt, It does give the passing motor
ists a moment of astonidiment.. .looks for
all the world like it was stillHiving. We
understand the horses were scared out of
their wits when they first saw it. The
community can be proud of the way the Oswalds
have made an interesting, informative and
attractive showplace out of what was once
a one room cabin,
Mrs Josephine Van Orman has returned to
Copper Center Lodge again this summer to
work as cook. During the fall and winter
months Mrs Van Orman is employed as cook
at Oregon State University, This year Josie
drove her car over the highway.
Frank McCrary returned to Copper Center after
an absence of over U5 years. Frank is the
son of John McCrary, pioneer of the Copper
Valley country, and the brother of Nelson
McCrary, former Marshall at Copper Center.
Accompanying Frank on the trip are his w$fe
and eleven year old grandson Kenneth.
Davenport, California is McCrary’s home now,
where he and his two sons own a total of
8I4.O acres in the rich lands near Santa Cruz.
They employ over I4O men in their "Big
Creek Lumber Co.n The trip from California
was made in comfort in the camper designed
and built by Frank.
It was 1916 when McCrary decided to strike
out for himself, with a nest egg of $15,00,.
twelve from his father, and three from his m
mother. He got a ride free from friendly
stage drivers as far as Rapids where he
p> art the winter working at the Rapids Road
house. The next winter found McCrary in
Fairbanks working for Bobby Sheldon. When
the temperature managed to stay in the minus
thirties for most of the winter, Frank
vowed that the next winter would see him
in California, While many of us make the
same statement, few of us make the tripj
McCrary (Cont) McCrary has been busy looking
up old s&ool chums, and is anxious to go
across the Copper River to the old village he
knew so well.. In the two weeks he has been
in Copper Center, Frank has been busy almost
every day helping around the old homestead.
He expresses no desire to remain here per
manently though i Many of the old landmarks
are covered with brush or have completely
disintegrated since McCrary’s departure.
The old fox pens on the hill are just a few
rough boards now, and the only evidence of
the nutria imported by his father, is the
remnant of a dam, and miles of fencing, most
of'it sagging precariously. Frank remembers
that he and his brothers cleared the fields
in back of the Cash Store by themselves.
With such memories, it is no wonder that
California holds the greater attractionJ
MCKINLEY PARK
Motorists are properly gloomy these days
about the condition of the road into Mount
McKinley, but past history of the park shows
the tremendous strides that have been accom
pli died.
The Park was open in 1923, and in that
year a total of 12 visitors registered^
By 1929,• the park had 912 visitors, and was
able to boast a k0% gain over 1928.
"Splendid progress” had been made in the
year 1929 on the road, and automobiles were
able to drive $0 miles into the park. There
was no lodge at this time, and Bobby Sheldon,
operator of the Mt McKinley Tourist and Tran
sportation Company was optimistic that he
would be able to build in 1931* in the vicinity
of Copper Mountain, Guests were taken to the
Savage River Camp, where a number of pack
and saddle horses were available for the more
hardy pioneers. Sheldon then had automobiles
sufficient to handle 76 persons# The. horses
were wintered in the Healy district, about
15<miles north of the park. Sheldon claimed
the horses wintered in splendid condition,
and.had ample grazing. Optimistically,
Sheldon predicted that by the year 1^33, the
Park would be host to 2,000 visitors8
JOY MORGAN
"F A . A
Miss Panels Brown began summer employment as
a waitress at Rosents Cafe, June 21.
Barbara Klopp celebrated her number five birth*
day June 2, Dickie Klopp celebrated his fourth,
June 26, most of the small fry at the FAA
Station gave" them a helping hand. : ■
Mr and Mrs Edwin Klopp and fan ily departed V -
July 2, for a few days vacation at.Circle Hot
Springs and Fairbanks.
Mr ai d Mrs Herbert Hanson will be departing
Friday June 6, for a four day trip to Fairbanks
Edward Devine brought in his fifth consecutive
sweet water well at Lakeview Motel at a depth
of approximately twenty feet. He and Father
Spils w ere remarkably close on their select
ion for the well site and depth at which water
would be encountered0