Seattle P-l, 1940
Kodiak Boom Town
With Law & Order
(Ed. note: Kodiak’s growth dur
ing the prewar years is pretty well
summed up in this article, a re
print from the Seattle Post-Intel
ligencer during the late ‘40’s, when
R. H. Chadwick, Kodiak’s first
mayor, visited Seattle and was in
terviewed.)
The old Russian town of Kodiak,
where the United States navy is
building one of its great strategic
bases, is one of the fastest growing
towns in North America.
But take it frem its mayor, R. H.
Chadwick, visiting in Seattle, it
isn’t one of those wide-open, hell
roaring Alaska camps that Rex
Beach wrote about in the old days.
“Of course, with a population
made up of a thousand or more
construction men and fisher
men, we can’t be a Sunday school
town,” his honor said. “We have
to let the men have their fling
but we insist on law and order,
and get it.”
Chadwick, who has lived in Ko
diak for only two years, was
elected as its first mayor last Sep
tember wihen the town incorpor
ated.
FREE FROM DEBT
He has the distinction of being
the first mayor of the oldest Pa
cific Coast city north of Eureka,
Calif. His town was founded 147
years ago.
‘^Kodiak also is unique in that
it is entirely free of municipal
debt,” he added. “I guess we’re
only one of the few cities in the
Western World that way.”
Kodiak was a sleepy town of 400,
mostly natives and fishermen,
when the navy decided to build its
base there a little over two years
ago.
Now between 1,2000 and 1,500
people live there and the popula
tion is increasing so rapidly they
can't take a census, he said.
START FROM SCRATCH
“We are starting our city gov
ernment from scratch,” Mayor
Chadwick added. “We have to
increase ur water, lighting and
sewer facilities, build sidewalks
and make other needed improve
ments.
“Our city councilmen are kept
busier than bird dogs passing the
necessary ordinances, planning
improvements and worring about
the housing shortage.
“We’re putting up homes in
town as fast as we can, but we
can’t catch up. To take care of
construction crews, 400 temporary
houses have been built at Buskin
ville, on the government reseiwa
t on.
“Anyone who wants to build
homes in Kodiak for a profitable
investment will be welcomed with
open arms.
HEAVY BANK DEPOSITS
“We opened a bank less than
a year ago and deposits are now
at the half-million mark. And all
of the business men doing business
with the bank are very much in
the black.”
The new mayor has lived in Se
attle most of the time since 1807.
For the pa*t twenty years ke has
been ...traveling Alaska for the
United States Rtubber Company.
He located in Kodiak at the be
ginning of its boom. Now he is in
Seattle to take Mrs. Chadwick
back^With him to make her home
there as Kodiak’s first “first lady.”
Put the finest label
on your table
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A BEAUTIFUL SCENE—So quiet, so peaceful. It was not always inus. inis is w-~ »-»««»•* i
be ore the small boat harbor was constructed.
Downtown Kodiak from Alaska Way and Brook yn Ave.
Edna Kraft
(Continued from Page 2)
for. I bought a Hammond organ
and took music lessons, and start
ed sewing. I also learned to bowl,
and last year even won a mink
stole from Bruswick Company.
Didn't really believe them when
they announced I’d won, but it
wms true.
“There are so many new things
to learn; I hope I can always con- |
tinue to pick up new interests. I
don't feel I should ever sit and
, vegetate.”
■ •
p 1
n$SAVI !
TIIE OLD AND THE NEW—Above is the main throughfare in
Kodiak 20 years or so ago. In those days you didn’t have to share
the street with the cows, as formerly, but much of the time you did
wear boots.
IN CONTRAST, lower picture is Kodiak up-to-dai2.
W. • ........ X WYr‘'\ • */" v> ••••»■• >v. ' .