The Roaring Forties.......
Kodiak, Its People, Daily Events In 1940
Kodiak, Its People, Daily Events
In 1940.
(Ed. note: The items of news ap
pearing below are from the files of
the Kodiak Mirror with date of is
sue given and are for the year end
ing, Dec. 31, 1940.)
Jane 21. Recently, Jack McCord,
who is well-known in this town, has
put over another deal. He has in
duced a number of Seattle men to
put in with him in organizing a
public utility company for Kodiak,
and the concern recently filed pa
pers with the Territorial Auditor
. . . The company plans to furnish
cold storage, telephone and power
service to the community. It is in
corporated for $100,000.
June 28. Arriving in town on the
boat “KasUoff” last Sunday, was a
large consignment of beds, furni
ture, rugs and other household
furnishings. This comprised the
first shipment by West Rhoades, of
Cordova, who is planning on open
ing a new business establishment
here, a furniture store.
June 28. Strike. The United risn
ermen of Alaska yesterday voted
100 per cent to continue the strike
for higher fish prices in the Kodiak
area.
July 12. More Room. To take care
of the increase in business antici
pated in the near future the Ship’s
Tavern is adding to its present
building a 14’xl6’ storage room.
July 12. “Vic” Loughhead, local
contractor, was recently awarded
the contract for constructing the
new Baptist Church, on the same
site as the old one.
July 26. Preparing the founda
tion for the new church began on
Wednesday.
July 26. The McConaghy cannery
is going full blast this week with
an estimated 40,000 fish canned.
August 2. Another Son. One last
Tuesday morning, a bouncing baby
son was born to Mr. and Mrs. E. C.
Christofferson in town. This young
gentleman is the seventeenth child
erf this couple and the eighth con
secutive boy born. Both mother and
baby are reported doing very well.
August 2. Great interest is being
shown in the recent Maritime
Board’s hearing in Juneau, relative
to the anticipated raise in freight
rates on steamships serving Alaska.
August 2. Due to the extreme
shortage of water in town these
days, and the fact that all wells are
contaminated and unfit for use,
citizens were urged to boil all
water. /
August 2. Notice of dessolution of
partnership between Otto Kraft
and Ben Kraft, date July 31,1940.
August 15. Promptly at 7:30 Sat
urday night, the four glass doors
of the new Kraft building opened
to the public and allowed hundreds
of spectators to gaze upon the beau
ties of this fine new store.
Construction cost was given as
$25,000.
August 22. Erskine Company Ex
pands. The Company’s main store
was completely remodelled, an
other floor added, a large new
warehouse built, an office addition;
a: new meat market, with a York ice
machine and a storage capacity oi
300 tons is a new innovation . .
new piling under the dock.
Cost given as $25,000.
August 22. First baby born in the
new Naval Station hospital was
Patricia Ellen; proud parents were
Mr. and Mrs. Art Plummer.
August 22. Otto Kraft leaves.
August 29. Kodiak became an in
corporated city Tuesday, August
27 and elected a council of seven.
September 6. New Bus. L. L.
“Red” Shaw returned to town
aboard the North Coast last Friday
with a brand new bus for his Brown
Bear Bus line between Kodiak and
Naval Air Stationl.
October. Gov. Earnest Gruening
Here. On his arrival Wednesday,
he was met toy Mayor R. H. Chad
wick, and W. J. Erskine, president
of the Chamber of Commerce and
other representatives of the city.
October 18. The Retail Clerks
have gone Union . . . and are now
working under Union conditions as
to hours and wages.
October 18. Names, lne street
Improvement committee, with Ed
na Kraft as chairman, has been
very busy placing names on the
various streets and roads in and
around Kodiak.
October 25. Pianist. The dances
that have been held lately in
Blinn’s Hall have taken on new life.
Bill Lamme, who was the maestro
of his own orchestra in Tacoma, at
American Lake, is playing the pi
ano in an “Eddie Duchin” manner,
and from the crowds that attend,
is very much appreciated by them.
November 1. Boy. A bouncing
baby boy, weighing iVz pounds was
born to Mr. and Mi's. Bryan Thor
sheim at 6:40 a. m. last Thursday.
November 1. Charles Madsen,
proprietor of the Sunbeam Hotel
began the work of exterior deco
rating of his hotel last week.
November 1. Word was received
by Ben Kraft, owner of O. Kraft &
Son, that the Post Office Depart
ment has awarded him the “shut
tle” mail contract between Kodiak
and other points around the Island
of Kodiak for the next 12 months.
November 15. Hospital. This af
ternoon promptly at 2 o’clock the
doors of the Griffin Memorial Hos
pital were opened to the public for
their inspection and the facilities
of this beautiful institution made
available to the residents of Kodiak
and the vicinity.
December 6. Chamber of Com
merce Meeting. Correspondence
from Commander Coryell of the
U. S. Naval Station stated that the
“condition of the base road was
considered highly dangerous and
that it should be closed entirely to
traffic within a few days.”
November 15. No Mail. Postmas
ter A1 King announces that definite
instructions have been received
from the U. S. Post Office Depart
ment that no mail can be sent on
any of the freight steamers leaving
this port.
December 6. A great number of
local residents have been “down
with the flu” during tihe last week
or so.
December 20. Death came Iasi
Monday to a well known residenl
of Kodiak, when Mrs. Alexandra
Gengo Leite died from cerebral
hemorrhage.
She was born in Kodiak on Oc
itober 18, 1893.
December 31. A new fire siren
ordered by the Kodiak Volunteei
Fire Department is on its way.
December 31. Word has reached
the Mirror of the formation of the
Kodiak Realty and Invesment Co
locally, for the purpose of complet
ing and operating the Felder build
ing here as an apartment-hotel.
Early Alaskan Days Re-created
In First Big Party Held On The Base
What was KoaiaK nice iweniy-uuc
years ago?
You can get all kinds of answers
by asking so-called old-timers •—
for anyone having been a resident
of Kodiak for 20 or more years is
an old-timer of sorts.
Then again you can turn to the
pages of old copies of the Kodiak
Mirror for your answers. The Mir
ror has enjoyed continuous publi
cation since June 14, 1940, and in
it you will find a chronicle of world
and local news as it happened in
those hectic years when this town’s
population jumped from 500 to
1,500 in a matter of months, with
construction workers, some Army
and Navy personnel, and others
who were civil service workers, as
well as tradespeople. Most of them
came from all sections of the coun
try, pursuing all types of trades,
businesses and occupations. What
did they do for recreation?
Here IS an account ui me mw
of many parties held on the then
Naval Air Station as reported in
the June 21, 1940 edition of the
Kodiak Mirror:
The Recreation Center at the
Naval Air Station construction
camp, opened last night in a blaze
of glory with a real old-time Alas
kan party consisting of home tal
ent, games and dancing. About 500
people were in attendance includ
ing 162 ladies. The new Recreation
Center consists of a theatre seating
450 people, and is designed for mo
tion pictures, basketball, volley
ball, smokers, and a game room
designed for pool, ping-pong, cards,
refreshments and other pastimes.
For the purpose of old4ime local
color at the party, the theatre was
called the “Katmai Opera House”
and the game room was christened
the “Malamute Saloon.” Mrs. H. G.
Beales with the name of “Kodiak
Mary” acted as hostess of the Op
era House, Mr. Frank Olseson with
the name of “Soapy Smith,” famed
Alaskan character, acted as master
of ceremonies at the dance and
Mr. Art Davis as “Mukluk Pete”
acted as the proprietor of the sa
loon.
The show was featured with a
pantomine entitled “Cavalcade of
Kodiak” with Rev. Warner taking
the leading role of a fisherman tell
ing the story of Kodiak, to a little
girl, Peggy McGirr, who was wait
ing on the dock for the bus going
to the Naval Station. The story was
written by Mr. H. G. Beales, and
was illustrated by 40 large pictures
from the fisherman's album, in pan
tomine with a cast of 50 people de
picting the major events and per
sonalities that make up the history
of Kodiak.
The cavalcade was followed by
six specialty acts well chosen and
played in a fine method with Mrs.
R. Clifton’s quartet singing with
the audience “God Bless America.”
Dancing in the theatre followed
the show, with music furnished by
Holden’s Orchestra. The music was
excellent and everyone enjoyed the
dance. The prize waltz was won by
Mr. Emil Kraft and Mrs. Vera
Pierce.
Gambling games featured the
opening of the game-room and in
cluded horse-races, roulette, c-huck
a-luck, number games and many
other games as were played in the
days of ’98. Phoney money was used
throughout .Six prizes were
awarded for those winning uie
most money with top money going
to Mrs. Larson for winning $450,
000. Costume prizes were awarded
to Mr. Matthews and Mr. Atwell
of the Base Lunch and refresh
ments were served during the eve
ning.
It was a stupendous nite at the
Naval Air Station camp and Kodiak
Island still rings with stories of
fun, frivolity and foolishment of
a very pleasant evening well spent
on Alaska’s last frontier.
(Editor’s note: We have gone in
to detail on the above party be
cause it was typical of base parties.
There was no end of parties in town
and as reported, similarly enjoyed,
most of them in Blinn’s Hall, which
no longer exists, Ol course, r ui ue
counts of other diversions, read
elsewhere, especially in the quotes
of the editor’s column entitled
“Around—About” which we will
quote from as the law permits.
Po You Know This Graduate?
FOHN DAY AND ALF MADSEN WITH A HUGE KODIAK
Kodiak
Bear Hunting!
The largest bear taken on Kodiak Island during the 1961
spring season was killed by H. H. Kissinger of Great Bend,
Kansas. The largest bear EVER taken by a non-resident
hunter was bagged this fall by Erling Hansen of Seattle,
Washington.
Both these huge bears were taken from our inland moun
tain camps—far off the beaten path.
The many Boone & Crockett winners to our credit reflect
35 years of experience and knowledge of terrain and game.
When you plan that trip-of-a-lifetime, write us for full
details and information.
REMEMBER
We’re the Pioneers of
Kodiak Bear Hunting!
ALF MADSEN
Guide & Outfitter
Box K-925
Kodiak, Alaska