1905 – The beautiful new lodge building erected by Silver Bow Lodge No. 2, Improved Order of Oddfellows at Second and Franklin Streets, was dedicated yesterday afternoon with nearly 300 people in attendance. Charles Carter, grand sire, presided at the ceremony. Gastineau Bygones – 11/14/1980
1923- The Douglas Camp of the Alaska Native Brotherhood has elected its officers for 1923. Thomas J. Bowman was re-elected president; Henry Stevens is vice president; Sandy Stevens is recording secretary; Joseph Stevens is corresponding secretary; William Bradley is financial secretary and James Martin is treasurer. Gastineau Bygones – 08/29/1980
1935 – The work of installing ski and toboggan slides in Evergreen Bowl has been completed and the city will soon have lights installed. The work was done by a crew of the Alaska Emergency Relief Administration. Both slides are for the use of small children. Gastineau Bygones – 08/04/1978
1949 – Richard E. Garrison was badly bruised but miraculously escaped serious injury this morning when he was caught under a 40-marquee which crashed to the sidewalk under a load of wet snow. Garrison was able to duck back into a doorway in front of Fern’s Portrait Studio on Second Street before the full force of the falling marquee struck him. The marquee had been attached to the Hixson Building, formerly the Opera House, at Second and Seward. Gastineau Bygones – 01/23/1981
1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed Alaska the 49th state of the Union, “ a moment after the stroke of noon” Washington D.C. time, after signing the official proclamation affidavit and a separate one authorizing a new 49 star flag with alternating rows of seven stars in each. The flag will become the official U.S. flag this coming July 4. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/04/1959
– William A. Egan was sworn in as the first Governor of the State of Alaska, at 9:18 a.m. Pacific Time by U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Kelly, who then also administered the oath of office to Alaska Secretary of State Hugh J. Wade. Shortly afterwards the Liberty Bell replica by the federal building was rung 49 times to announce the occasion A formal Admission Day ceremony was held a few hours later before a standing room only crowd at the 20th Century Theatre, for the first public appearance of Alaska’s first publicly-elected Governor. At 1 p.m., however, Egan was admitted to Juneau’s St. Ann’s hospital, later to have surgery for removal of a gall stone. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/02, 04, 06/1959
– The new 7 cent Alaska commemorative air mail stamp went on sale today at the Juneau Post Office as the first day point of sale. The office has received 1.5 million of the stamps and 24 workers have been busy canceling 500,000 first day collector covers in response to world-wide queries of interest. The stamp features the Big Dipper star constellation superimposed across the state map. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/02, 04/1959
1962 – Juneau taxpayers won’t have to stand in line to get quick and accurate tax information. IRS District Director Lewis J. Conrad announced today that residents can now call the local office weekdays between business hours to get answers for their tax filing concerns and the free service helps both them and the IRS. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/03/1962
1964 – The newly formed Greater Borough of Juneau now has offices in the Juneau city Municipal Building. The Borough has now taken over the function of taxation and assessment, although the agreement between city of Juneau and the Borough is still in draft form and being reviewed by the city council. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/03/1964
1966 – Rampaging Taku winds New Year’s Day were no respecter of persons in authority. The roof of the new Cheechako Apartments building, recently completed by owner Borough Chairman Claude Millsap, was ripped off that morning and thrown across the street to slam into the duplex owned by Douglas Mayor Guy Russo. The roof sheared off a utility pole between the buildings “like it was a toothpick”, said Millsap, before it twisted up the Russo house and then flattened Mrs. Russo’s car and that of their renter, Coast Guardsman, Frank Dorninen. No one was hurt but both buildings were heavily damaged forcing all occupants to seek other lodgings until repairs can be made. Down at the waterfront, the inoperative cannery building’s roof was also partly torn away and a small boat wound up high and dry – blown against a nearby residence. Hundreds of area residents also shivered through an eight hour power outage that day. Juneau Alaska Empire – 01/03/1966
1967 – Celebration of Alaska’s Centennial Year purchase from Russia kicked off this last weekend with a series of gala events to start a year of continuing centennial activities both in the local area and throughout the state. Over 400 guests showed up at the governor’s mansion for the kick-off reception, followed by a preview of the centennial year art exhibit at the top of the federal building. Saturday morning winning exhibit awards were presented at a luncheon, with the final weekend event being a New Year welcome dinner and dance aboard the M/V Malaspina, that was docked downtown. The official opening ceremony of the Alaska Purchase Centennial was held this morning at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium, with Governor-elect Walter Hickel giving the welcoming address before keynote speaker Sen. Ernest Gruening spoke on Alaska’s destiny. Juneau Alaska Empire – 01/01, 03/1967
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