Valdez News
VOL. 1. NO. 23
Jt
VALDEZ. ALASKA. FRIDAY. AUGUST 18. 1950
PRICE 10c
Richardson Bridge Washout Isolates Valdez
Visitor Drowns
In Swift Waters
Of Gakona River
The drowned body of 40-year
old Mrs. Perry Barnes, whose
home is in Monteuzma, Iowa, was
found lodged on a sandbar in the
Copper River late Wednesday af
ternoon of this week. She had
been the object of an intensive
aerial’ and ground search, when
she disappeared from her cabin
at Gakona on Tuesday evening.
The dead woman, who was
Visiting her husband employed
here on road construction, simply
disappeared from sight. Since she
was known to be subject to dizzy
spells, her alarmed husband and
sons instituted a search for her
late Tuesday night.
The search party beat through
the underbrush on Wednesday
morning, while several small
planes began an aerial search of
the nearby river area. The wom
an’s husband feared she might
have become ill and fallen into
th^ Gakona River.
Wednesday afternoon Mrs.
Barnes’ body was found by her
husband and son, where it rested
on a sand bar in the Copper Riv
er. It is believed she fell into the
Gakona River and that swift cur
rents carried her into the larger
stream. Her body evidently
passed near a spot where a road
crew was working on bridge con
struction, searchers said.
The woman’s body was flown
to Anchorage, and thence to her
home in Montezuma.
She is survived by her husband
and by three sons, the youngest
only 13 years old.
Insect Control Measures
Tested by Technician
Roy Eaton of the insect control
division of the territorial depart
ment of health was a Valdez vis
itor last Friday. Mr. Eaton was
accompanied by his wife. The
health technician came to check
on the efficiency of the insect
control equipment installed at
thv Valdez playground earlier
this year.
It was reported that the con
trol measures have proven very
effective thus far.
Flying Bishop Visits
Valdez Episeopalans
Bishop Gordon of the Mission
ary District of Alaska visited the
Valdez parish of the Church of
the Epiphany last week. Bishop
Gordon was honored at a brunch,
sefrved by Father Wanner, fol
lowing the Sunday church serv
ices. Members of the congrega
tion also attended the affair.
Bishop Gordon left for Fair
banks later that afternoon. He
flew north in his private plane,
which he pilots himself.
Services at the Church of the
Epiphany will be conducted by
Father Wanner each Sunday
through Sept. 10.
SCHOOL OPENS HERE
ON SEPT. 5
School will open in Valdez on
Tuesday, Sept. 5. a spokesman
for the school board announced
this week. Opening day will
be reserved for registration day.
The Valdez faculty is now
complete, it was further an
nounced. The resignation of
Mrs. Harold French, wife of for
mer superintendent French, was
received this week, and was
accepted.
Johnny Dieringer
Celebrates Birthday
With a Party
Young Johnny Dieringer was
honored at a birthday party, giv
en for him by his mother, Mrs.
Betty Dieringer, on Aug. 8. It was
Johnny’s fifth birthday. He en
tertained his young guests with
games played out of doors.
Mrs. Stuart Starbuck and Mrs.
Dieringer took group pictures of
party guests. After the birthday
lunch was served, Johnny opened
his gifts.
Guests for the birthday party
included:
Tommy and Theresa Binek,
Chuck Parker, Freddie O’Dell,
Karen Archer, Stevie Starbuck
and Beulah Starbuck.
clinic held here
ON AUGUST 15
A well-child clinic was held at
the Valdez Health Center on
Tuesday, Aug. 15. The clinic was
conducted by Dr. Kenneth Ham,
medical consultant, and Miss Rita
Dingman, local public health
nurse.
COLORFUL PETUNIAS, LARGE STRAWBERRIES
AMAZE EVEN HARDENED CALIFORNIANS
The beauty spot of Valdez this
summer, to which all boat tour
ists flock, is the garden at the
Ktossell Sullivan home. Mr. Sul
livan’s hobby is flowers, and his
efforts this summer have reaped
a richer floral reward than usual.
Three tiers of window boxes
cover the entire front of the Sul
livan home. The boxes are filled
to overflowing with a luxuriance
of beauty that amazes even the
California visitors.
The predominant flowers in
Mr. Sullivan’s boxes are nemesia,
schizanthus, petunias and pansies.
In addition to the flower boxes,
the garden hobbyist cultivates
three additional plots beside his
home. One is filled with every
imaginable variety of Alaskan
wildflower, another is a small
vegetable plot and a third is filled
entirely with strawberry plants.
But Mr. Sullivan’s plot is not
the only garden in Valdez which
excites tourist comment. Com
missioner Margaret Marais re
ports that she has grown a rose
six inches in diameter and a
strawberry seven inches in cir
cumference in her own garden.
To complete the story of these
big, big Alaskan flowers and
fruits, there is Mrs. Fawcett’s
record delphinium, exhibited at
the last garden show in Valdez.
The skyscraper blue spikes meas
ured a full 10 feet, two inches in
length.
GOLD AWAITS VALDEZ YOUNGSTER
WHO PROPERLY DUBS CRAFT SHOP
Because so many entries are
pouring in, <or the name contest
of the arts and crafts shop here,
the contest will be extended for
one more week, Rev. Richard
Teeter announced today. •> Contest
entries should be submitted to
Reverend Teeter some time this
week.
A gold nugget, suitable for
mounting in the jewelry course
that will be taught in the shop, is
first prize in the name contest.
The shop now is nearly ready
for complete use. All electrical
work is completed. Tools for the
various craft courses to be taught
will be installed in the shop this
week. Those tools will include
table saws and intricate ivory
working instruments.
The first project for the first
craft classes in the shop will be
model plane and model boat
building, and ivory jewelry man
ufacture. Classes will be held on
a “free for all” basis in the be
ginning, Reverend Teeter said.
Later, definite hours will be an
nounced for various classes.
In addition to the craftwork
first proposed, Reveren^ Teeter
will teach furniture repair and
upholstery. These courses were
offered in response to the many
requests made of Reverend Teeter
to include them in the handicraft
sessions.
Finishing work on the interior
and exterior of the shop is now
at a standstill, until further ma
terials arrive. Materials also are
needed to design the sign for the
building’s exterior, which will
identify it as a hobby shop for
the youth of Valdez.
Anchorage Horse Weds
George Maitland
Miss Honora Schanz of Anchor
age was married to George W.
Maitland of Valde2 in a ceremony
performed here by U. S. Com
missioner Margaret Harrais on
Aug. 12. Attendants were Miss
Marguerite Mattieson and Mil
ford A. Hansen.
Mr. Maitland is a piledriver
operator, at present working for
contractor George Date on the
construction at Valdez Dock. The
bride is a nurse.
The newlyweds plan to make
their home in Valdez, for the
present.
I Mrs. McGill Honored I
At Stork Shower
Mrs. Helen McGill was honor
guest at a stork shower, given
for' her at the home of Rev. and
Mrs. Richard Teeter on Tuesday,
Aug. 8. The shower was planned
by Mrs. John Baker.
Reverend and Mrs. Teeter en
tertained shower guests with
color movies of Alaska, and with
movies of their own baby daugh
ter, Carrie Lorraine, now six
months old. The films show Car
rie from the very juvenile age of
five minutes up to her present
six months.
Shower guests included:
Mrs. Dwight Swarthout, Mrs.
Mel Hamilton, Mrs. A. Welch,
Mrs. Russell Sullivan, Mrs. Math,
Mrs. Lydia Searles, Mrs. Kenneth
Ham, Mrs. James File, Mrs. Teet
er, Mrs. Schwab and Marlene and
Darlene Baker.
WIELER FAMILY BUYS
HOME IN VALDEZ
Another family has decided to
make Valdez its permanent home.
The John Wieler family of Mile
Nineteen on the Richardson High
way has purchased the Paul Kuth
house in the west end of Valdez.
The Wielers will move into Val
dez as soon as their new house is
available.
DOOLITTLES GO OUTSIDE
Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Doolittle
and daughter, Patty, left on the
boat on Thursday, Aug. 17, for
their home in Seattle.
Hip Fractured
In Home Fait
A serious fracture resulted,
when Mrs. Minnie Whitley trip
ped and fell in her home on Tues
day, Aug. 8. Mrs. Whitley suf
fered a fracture of her right hip
bone.
Dr. George Hale of Anchorage,
a bone specialist, was called in by
Dr. Kenneth Ham to do an open
reduction of the fracture.
The accident occurred when
Mrs. Whitley stumbled on a loose
piece of linoleum stripping.
TRUCKERS FORM
NEW COMPANY
A new trucking concern will
occupy a new office in Valdez
in the very near future. The
cabin on the lots near the Shu
maker Grocery has been
moved to the front of the lot
and will be converted to office
quarters of Alaska Motor
Freight, Inc.
Alaska Motor Freight repre
sents a consolidation of two
trucking concerns. The new
company includes the former
Devault Trucking Service and
the Doolittle Transportation
Co.
Parking area in front of the
new office will be reserved for
company trucks only, a firm
spokesman announced this
week.
MARLOWE FLIES OUTSIDE
Harry Marlowe, territorial high
way patrolman of Anchorage who
was formerly stationed at Valdez,
is now Outside on a short vaca
tion. Mr. Marlowe flew to San
Francisco to be with his son, Jack,
before the boy leaves for duty
with the Navy. The patrolman
left for the states on Aug. 16.
VISITS FROM PALMER
Vosella Hughes of the Lazy
Mountain Children’s Home near
Palmer is visiting with her Val
dez cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Owen
Johnson. Vosella is the daughter
of Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Hughes,
superintendents at the Lazy
Mountain Home.
CITY NOW SERVED
BY 1925 HIGHWAY
TILL REPAIRS MADE
Valdez was cut off from high
way communication with other
Alaskan cities this week, when,
the bridge over the Lowe River
at Mile Seventeen on the Richard
son Highway washed out. The
bridge was a temporary structure,
erected when a snowslide wiped
out the permanent bridge two
years ago.
The bridge went out in two sec
tions. High water swept away the
second span from that anchored
to the roadbed. An Alaska Road
Commission crew, called to repair
damages, backed a truck out on
the remaining span, to inspect
the bridge when the weakened
structure gave way.
No crew members were injured
but the track plunged into river
water so deep that it is complete
ly immersed.
While the bridge is being re
paired, the abandoned road across
the pass has been opened. At
first, this road was thought to be
too hazardous for heavy freight
ing trucks, but an inspection by
truckers and road engineers re
vealed that it could be put to
temporary use.
This abandoned road was con
structed in 1925, and was used
until the present road was opened
in 1946.
However, neither is the earliest
Valdez highway for the first trail
out of Valdez was opened in 1906,
when Valdez’ present banker,
John Gilson, blazed a canyon trail
for pack horses. Mr. Gilson, who
came to Valdez direct from earth
quake - destroyed San Francisco,
was an employe of S. Blum & Co.,
bankers and merchants, at the
time he assisted in locating this
first trail.
In company with Jack Ingra
ham, later the first district engi
neer for the Alaska Road Com
mission in Valdez, Mr. Gilst t
blazed his pack-horse trail.
The first real freight lines t .
operate out of Valdez was the
packing service operated by Ed
S. Orr. Mr. Orr was first to give
service on a mail, freight and pas
senger contract. He made three
round trips a week over the old
trail.
Packhorses only were used in
the summer. There were no sleds
and the animals waded or swam
into swift rivers that crossed their
path. In the winter, sleds were
the method of transportation.
These conveyances, drawn by
horses, sometimes carried 15 or
20 passengers. If the load grew
too bulky for the sled, trailers
were attached.
Passengers stopped overnight at
roadhouses, located at 10-mile in
tervals along the trail. They sup
plied all of their own warm cloth
ing and blankets for the trip.
Horses literally overran Valdez
during these early freighting days
in the 1900s, old-time residents
recall. The animals, 400 strong,
roamed the city and grazed where
they pleased. Garden - minded
residents built strong fences to
protect their products.
In those early heydays of the
freight lines, two steamship lines
served Valdez.