PRESTON
(Continued from Page 10)
quakes are fairly frequent there.”
In 1939 an appropriation of $4,
000,000 started Ladd Air Force
Base; shortly afterward, Eielson
Air Force Base followed, and then
Fort Greely to the south. The in
flux of population changed Fair
banks from a small frontier town
to a thriving city, better off by
far, financially, but overrun with
people. Hunting and fishing moved
farther and farther out;, the early
easy informality disappeared as
the people Fairbanksians met on
the streets became in ever in
creasing numbers, strangers.
Houses went up all over the city
and the boundaries extended out
in all directions. There was good
and bad in the change. “Many of
the military became good friends,
and over the years a good many
we knew back in the forties have
returned to visit us. We enjoyed
our contact with the military.
“On the otherhand the construc
tion work gave employment to so
many people it destroyed the
pioneer nature of the town. Na
turally any trapper would rather
work for union wages than freeze
out in the sticks. Union wages
changed another aspect of life too,
and perhaps that was for the good.
In the days before the boom you
worked until you were through
and if there was more and more
work nobody thought of hiring
more help. Eudora used to say
that for the first ten years of our
marriage our children didn’t know
who their father was because he
was always at the office.”
In 1951 Northern Commercial’s
utilities department had 5400 cus
tomers for their electricity, and
the city bought the power plant.
Doug Preston continued, “They
wanted me to stay with the utili
ties but I became General Office
Church of God
Fred Mamaloff, Pastor
Sunday School.10 a.m.
Morning Worship.11 a.m.
Evening Service_ 7:30 p.m.
Mid Week Service ... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Youth Service .. 7 p.m. Friday
Located off Mission Rd.
near the hospital.
Christian Science
Society
Sunday School . 9:30 a. m.
Sunday Service .... 11:00 a.m.
Testimony Meeting .. 4th Wed.
8:00 p.m.
Reading Room.Wed.
7-8 p. m.
Located on Shelikoff
near Cope St.
Manager for Northern Commer
cial instead. Of course I belonged
to civic organizations and so on
but in 1954 I was looking for a
little ease; I was just completing
a term as treasurer of the school
district, a term as president • of
the Rotary Club, and a term as
vice-president of the Alaska Boy
Scout Council. I thought things
would quiet down but the Minis
terial Association, the Bar Ten
ders’ Association and other civic
groups, asked me to run for mayor
in opposition to Warren Taylor,
also well known in Kodiak. Well,
I got twice as many votes as he
did, and in 1956 I was reelected
without opposition.
“A year later I resigned and we
moved to Kodiak. Being mayor
was a wonderful experience in
many ways. We knew so many of
the military and enjoyed so many
contacts throughout the city and
Alaska. But my time was never
my own; I couldn’t hunt or fish
those last few years because even
on a Sunday there was a baseball
to throw out at 1:30 in the after
noon, or a plane to meet, or a meet
ing to go to. I must say that I
like this way of life better.
Some friends wrote us and urg
ed us to come back for a Pioneers
of Alaska Christmas party this
winter and I told them I couldn’t
stand the idea of riding on those
flat tires and getting my car start
ed. You know, every car owner
in Fairbanks has an electric plug
in front of his house. You take
out a head bolt and plug in a hea
ter to warm the cooling fluid; it’s
tremendously difficult in winter to
start a car. Then when you start
driving aU your tires are flat on
one side because they freeze that
way on the bottoms. You go bump
ing along for several blocks be
fore they go back into shape.”
We asked Doug what he does
in Kodiak for leisure. He and Eli
Metrokin have built a cabin on
Kiliuda Bay and do some fishing
from there in the summertime.
They also hunt together, and Mr.
Preston reads a great deal.
“As far as fraternal organiza
tions are concerned, I belong only
to the Pioneers of Alaska. It re
quires 30 years’ residence to join
so all the members have some
thing uncommon in common. I
keep my membership in Fairbanks
Igloo number 4. When we meet
there are always one to two hun
dred men there. It’s so interesting
to see these fellows who come in
from way out in the bush; it’s a
grand reunion. The dues are only
six dollars a year but after the
meeting there is a tremendous
lunch with beer. The merchants
supply the party. It’s a wonderful
organization and one of the great
GIVE
Alaska’s magazine
this Christmas!
First subscription $5; each
additional gift only $4.
Alaska Sportsman
Box 1271 Juneau
FOR ALL YOUR
Welding Needs
or Problems
Phone 486-5150
KODIAK WELDING WORKS
appeals to me is that the rituals
are all based on simple, natural
facts. “I’ll miss the party but I
have never regretted moving to
Kodiak. I love the island and the
people.”
THANK YOU NOTE
Sincere thanks is extended to all
our friends who were sympathetic
and helpful in our time of need.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Olssen
and family
j "
The Ceramunity Baptist Church
Rev. Lewis White
“The Big White Church on the Hill”
Sunday School—9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship—11:00 a.m.
Youth Fellowship Groups—6:30 p.m.
Evening Worship—7:30 p.m.
Mid Week Service—7:30 p.m. Wednesday
“HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE”
KODIAK DIRECTORY
BARTENDERS LOCAL 875 A.F.L.
Meets on 2nd Sunday of every
month, 11 a.m. at Fishermen’s
jHall.
KODIAK
EMBLEM
CLUB
No. 187
Meets 1st & 3rd
Thursday at
8 p.m. at the
Elks Club.
KODIAK LODGE NO. 1772 BPOE
Meets every Friday
evening
at 8:30 p.m.
Visiting Rieniheis Welcome
ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM
Hours of Business
Saturday, 9 am to 12 noon
Sundays and Holidays, Closed
Emergency wires may be filed
during the closed office hours at
the message center.
KODIAK ISLAND JAYCEES
Meet the 1st. and 3rd.
Wednesday of each
month.
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In the Montmartre
Basement.
Monday thru Friday, 9 am to 6 pm
KODIAK
LODGE
F. & A. M.
No. 295
Meetings — Stated 3rd Monday,
8 p.m. at Kodiak Masonic Temple
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN’S CLUB
Business Meeting—1st Monday at
7:30 p.m.
Dinner Meeting—3rd Monday at
7:00 p.m. at Island Fountain.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Regular meetings 1st and 3rd
Tuesdays, 8 p.m.,
at the VFW Hall.
JACK ALLMAN POST NO. 17
AMERICAN LEGION
meets the 1st Thursday of every
month at 7:30 p.m. at the
American Legion Dug-Out
above city hall.
KODIAK ISLAND
TOASTMASTERS CLUB NO. 1968
Dinner meetings every Tues.
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In the Montmartre Basement.
Visitors are cordially invited
t
For Your Xmas Shopping Convenience
DONNELLEY & ACHESON
i
Will be open ’til 9:00 P. M.
J
Monday Wednesday Friday i
Dee. 1fHh Dec. 21st Dec. 23rd
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