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MAY 28. 1955
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
iiem you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 30
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1955_
PRICE TEN CENTS
BIG CROWD EXPECTED FOR COLONY DAY
t
COLORFUL PARADE
PUNNED FOR
COLONY DAY
Following special services in
many valley churches on Sunday,
May 29, the 20th anniversary
celebration of the colonization of
the Matanuska Valley will get
under way with a colorful parade
through the streets of Palmer.
Assembly point will be at Cen
tral School, from which the par
ade will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Many valley organizations and
businesses have been busy the
past two weeks gathering materi
al and building stuctures for
floats which will be entered in
the’parade. Prizes will be award
ed: to winning entries and will be
judged by persons from outside
the valley. Parade chairman, Ed
Smith said this week that the
floats will not be jcidged on
beauty alone, but rather on a
point system, which includes four
catagories.
“It is most important that all
groups planning to enter the par
ade contact me by Friday,” Smith
said. The committee must know
the type entry, whether or not
it will be a marching unit or a
mobile float. The committee said
this week that it feels each or
ganization in the valley should
participate in the parade, if at all
possible. “With the thousands of
visitors expected in Palmer for
this big event, the success of the
program will be judged by the
actual participation of the valley
residents” they pointed out.
Units which have already sign
ed up for the parade include:
Marching units: Palmer Pioneer
(Continued on Page 12)
HISTORY OF VALLEY
TOLD IN BOOKLET
Several weeks of research and
collecting old photographs have
resulted in a finished product
and collecting old photographs
have resulted in a finished pro
duct that will not only be a sou
venir booklet of the 20th anni
versary of the colonization of the
Matanuska Valley, but will be
of great informative value to
those who are not acquainted
with what has transpired the past
20 years to bring the Matanuska
Valley up to its presentday
‘‘bread basket of Alaska” status.
James Hurley, Alaska Rural
Rehabilitation Corporation man
ager and general chairman of the
Colony Day celebration, and Pa
• " trick Hemmer, original colonist,
worked together to correlate the
many facts and statistics needed
lor the booklet. A profusion of
pictures of early and present day
happenings are scattered thro
ughout the book. Interesting
articles, contributed by colonists
and officials, add humor and in
erest to the pamphlet which will
be on sale at the Colony Day
celebration in Palmer Sunday,
May 29.
SMART HAIR STYLINGS
by LaVonne
Evening Appointments
VALLEY BEAUTY SHOP
Phone 3301
MEMORIAL DAY
FLOWERS
Telegraph Delivery Service
Matanuska Valley
Gardens
Theater Bldg.
MEMORIAL DAY
SERVICES PLANNED
BY AMERICAN LEGION
The Matanusxa Valley Post
American Legion and Auxiliary
Unit will hold memorial day ser
vices at the Palmer Cemetery at
11 a.m. Monday, May 30.
The local veterans organization
conducts Memorial Day services
each year and extends an invita
tion to all organizations and in
dividuals of the valley to partic
ipate in honoring the dead of all
wars.
Members of the Auxiliary and
Legion post will decorate graves
of all veterans with white crosses
which have been prepared for
the special observance. Red pop
pies will be affixed to the crosses.
American Legion Commander
Ray Lancaster announced mem
bers of the Girl Scout troop
sponsored by the Auxiliary Unit,
will participate in the program.
The Army Reserve unit of Pal
mer, Co. C, 180th Engr. Bn. will
form the firing squad. Taps will
be sounded by one of two bug
lers, Cmdr. Lancaster said. The
second bugler will play the echo.
Included in the observance
will be a flag raising ceremony.
Cmdr. Lancaster asked this week
that all business houses and home
owners display the flag on the
30th of May in honor of the liv
1 ing and dead veterans who
fought in defense of their coun
try.
New Auto Parts
Store Plans
Opening Saturday
Door prizes and refreshments
are being planned for all persons
visiting the Palmer branch, Auto
motive Parts and Equipment
Company store which will have
its grand opening this Saturday,
May 28.
The newest Palmer business
will open its doors at 9 a.m. on
Saturday, with Matt Onkka, val
ley resident the past 20 years, as
store manager. Warren Polsky
will assist Onkka in the modern
parts and equipment store.
With the opening of the Pal
mer branch, Automotive Parts
and Equipment Co. now has four
outlets in the Territory, with
stores in Anchorage, Fairbanks,
and Ketchikan. The business is
owned and operated by Mr. and
Ms. Ed Glover and Mr. and Mrs.
Ed McElligott, all of Anchorage.
Onkka extended an invitation
to the public to “ . . . come in—
look the store over, have a cup
of coffee, and get acquainted”.
The new store will carry a com
plete line of auto parts and
equipment, handling such lines
as General tires, Exide batteries,
Valvoline motor oil, Dupont,
Yankee, Durkee-Atwood, Walker,
Dorman, Sioux, Lincoln, and
many other brands of parts, ac
cessories, supplies and equip
ment. The company is franchised
territorial jobber for National
Automotive Parts Association
and carries parts for all make
cars and trucks in the NAPA
line, as well as others.
The store is located on Valley
(Continued on page 12)
BAND TO ASSEMBLE
SUNDAY AT 12:30
All band personnel of the
Palmer School band program
are requested by their band
master, Lee Plumbley, to as
semble at the new high school
at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, May
29 to pick up instruments, uni
forms and music which will be
used in the Colony Day par
ade. This includes the major
ettes, Plumbley announced.
OPEN SUNDAYS
Closed on Tuesdays
COBB’S CAFE^
Matanuska St,
MAYOR FIRST TO POT ON POPPY
Acting Mayor Betty Mears of Palmer was wearing a bright
red flower on her shoulder today and was very proud of it.
The flower was the first of hundreds of memorial poppies
to be distributed throughout the city on Saturday by women
of the American Legion Auxiliary to be worn in honor of
the nation's war dead. It was presented to the Mayor in
ceremonies at the Clerk's Office by Judy Everett and Ruth
Henry, junior members of the local unit, and Poppy Chair
man Glady Jones. Funds derived from the poppy sales will
go toward the American Legion Auxiliary's work for dis
abled veterans and needy children of veterans.
Grange Plans Dance;
To Gbserva
20th Anniversary
Northland Pioneer Grange will
stage a public dance in the Cen
tral School gymnasium this Sat
urday night in celebration of
Colony Day. Dancing, to an An
chorage orchestra, will get under
way at 9 a.m. and continue until
1 a.m. Tickets may be purchased
at the door; $2 for men— the gals
will be admitted free.
On Sunday the local grange
crganization will celebrate,
along with the many colonists,
their 20th anniversary. Northland
Pioneer Grange was formed in
Palmer in 1935, receiving their
charter about one month before
the first of the colonists arrived
in the valley. The newly form
ed Grange was cheered to learn
of the coming colonists and of
fered sincere welcome to the
valley’s newcomers on the arrival
in May of 1935. Many of these
original charter members of the
Grange will be on hand to help
the colonists celebrate their 20th
anniversary in the Valley this
Sunday.
United Protestant
Church to Observe
Colony Day May 29
The minister who first held
services in the Matanuska Val
ley colony will be the minister at
the United Protestant Church
Sunday morning, May 29, a 11
a.m. The Rev. Bert J. B ingle,
first pastor of the United Pi;o
to. tant Church, and also the pas
tor under whom the “church of
a thousand logs” was constructed,
came to the valley from Cordova.
He was asked to come to Palmer
by the Home Missions Council,
a division of the National Coun
cil of Churches.
Many of the charter members
of the church still are in the val
ley. Several of them are in An
chorage and expect to be present
for the Sunday morning service.
Don Irwin, charter member of the
church, will give recognition to
the colonists present at the ser
vice.
A pot-luck dinner will be serv
ed immediately following the
morning service to which mem
bers and friends of the church
are cordially invited.
-,
Colony Day Program
MAY 29, 1955 — PALMER, ALASKA
Morning — Special Church Services
1:30 P.M. Parade
Music, Floats, Marching
2:00 P.M. Dedication ceremony .James J. Hurley
Master of Ceremonies
“Welcome to Colony Day 1955”.George Mumford
President, Alaska Hural Rehabilitation Corporation
“The First Colony Day”..Don Irwin
Director, Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station
“Agriculture and the Armed Forces” ....Col. Arthur Bass
Quartermaster, U. S. Army, Alaska
“Twenty Years of Progress”.Joseph T. Flakne
Program Director, Arctic Institute of North America
Unveiling of Commemorative Plaque Mrs. M. D. Snodgrass
Presentation of Park Deed to City of Palmer
George Mumford — Betty Mears, Acting Mayor
Music by the Palmer High School Band under direction
of Mr. Leo Plumley
2:45 P.M. Activities at Fairgrounds
Drill team — Co. C 180th Engr. Bn. U. S. Army Reserve
Games and Contests
3:30 P.M. Free Barbeque — Fairgrounds
Matanuska Beef
4:00 P.M. Demonstration and Races
Matanuska Valley Riding Qub
* * *
Sponsored by the Matanuska Valley Chamber of Commerce
Everett Adams, President
JAMES J. HURLEY
NAMED PRESIDENT
FAIR ASSOCIATION
James J. Hurley was named
president of the Matanuska Val
ley Fair Association during a re
cent meeting of the board of di
rectors. Named to serve with
him for thq year were T. A.
Moyer, vice-president, Tom Le
pak, treasurer, and A1 V. Hagen,
secretary.
Dates for the 1955 Valley Fair
were set during the meeting and
announced as September 3, 4,
and 5. Although the fair manag
er has not yet been announced,
Clair Stock has been named ad
vertising manager and is on the
job making contacts for adver
tising in the Fair premium book.
A tentative budget of $25,000
was discussed at the meeting,
with final decisions expected at
the next board meeting which
will be held in the Theatre build
ing basement on June 6.
Street Improvement
Work Now Under Way
City, officials have been busy
this past week making arrange
ments for the street improve-'
ment program now in progress,
The City of Palmer this week
puchased an Allis- Chalmers
tractor shovel with a bulldozer
attachment which is now being
used at the Eklutna Project to
load gravel recenly purchased by
the city from Palmer Construc
tion for use on city streets.
Trucks are hauling pit run
gravel which is being used as fill,
in low spots and spots where
frost heaves made it necessary to
dig out. This work is being done
on Valley street from the Glenn
Highway south. Work on the
business section from Horton’s
corner to Tost’s will not be work
ed on until after Colony Day.
When the sub-grading work is
completed, city officials announc
ed they plan to put down four
and one-half inches of crushed
rock. !
$600 TAKEN FROM
G0-0P OARAGE
The loss of $600 from the Co
Op Garage was reported to City
Police on Tuesday morning of
this week. The money was dis
covered missing when the gar
age was opened for business that
morning. About half of the sum
was in checks and is believed to
be recoverable. The police de
partment is investigating the ap
parent robbery.
NOTICE
Dr. E. E. Bach, optome
trist, will be in Palmer
for eye examinations
June 8
For appointment call Lavonne
Johnson at Valley Beauty
Shop, 3301.
PARK DEDICATION
AND PARADE TO
OPEN PROGRAM
Final plans for the biggest and
best Colony Day celebration
ever staged in the Matanuska
Valley were made this week.
The Matanuska Valley Chamber
of Commerce will sponsor the
20th anniversary celebration of
the colonization of the Matanus
ka Valley with a one-day event
that will begin with special
church services in the morning
and go into the planned program
at 1:30 p.m. when a big parade
will march from Central School
to the lower railroad crossing
and up to Colony Park where
special dedication ceremonies
will take place.
Invitations to attend the anni
versary event were extended to
Eleanor Roosevelt whose famous
husband was president of the
United States when the Matan
uska Valley project was approv
ed; to Governor of Alaska B.
Frank Heintzleman; Joseph T.
Flakne, program director Arctic
Institute of North America; Sec
retary of the Interior Douglas
McKay, and governors of the
states of Michigan, Wisconsin,
and Minnesota, states from which
the colonists were drawn.
Mrs. Roosevelt wrote James J.
Hurley, Colony Day chairman,
“Thank you for your kind invi
tation which I wish it were pos
sible for me to accept. However
I am sorry to say that I have
several previous engagements for
the weekend of May 28th which
can not be cancelled. With my
good wishes for a most successful
celebration.” Eleanor Roosevelt.
"I appreciate your invitation
to attend the program celebrat
ing the 20h anniversary of the
Matanuska colonization project.
It would be a pleasure to visit
the Matanuska Valley again but
I am attending meetings in Euro
pe during the first week in Juno
. . . with best wishes for a moat
successful program", Douglas Mc
Kay, Secretary of the Interior.
“In regard to your invitation
to participate in the celebration
of the 20th anniversary of the
Matanuska colonization project,
it is doubtful if I will be in the
Territory on the date mentioned.
If I should return home earlier
than anticipated, I will certainly
make an effort to be with you.
My warm regards to the mem
bers of your Chamber of Com
merce, and my best wishes for
a very successful and enjoyable
celebration.”—B. Frank Heintzle
man, Governor of Alaska.
Joseph T. Flakne, program di
rector Arctic Institute of North
American and first Valley Dis
trict Agent, sent an immediate
acceptance to the invitation to
(Continued on page 4)
George Woodruff of the Soil
Conservation office spoke to
members of Palmer Kiwanis at
the club’s May 23 meeting on soil
classification in the Susitna Val
ley. He illustrated his talk with a
short film.
SPECIAL! FOR COLONY DAY!
Starting 4:00 P.M. at
Palmer Bar
Bob and Ruth Burgess
“THE BLUES CHASERS”
PLAYING YOUR FAVORITE TUNES
-old and New - Popular, Western, Latin
and Scandinavian Music - Guitar, Accor
dian, Celeste and Banjo
also playing
FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS
9 till 2