1913 – Winter & Pond have just put in a stereopticon projector in the second story of their business house on Main Street at the head of Front and every night Alaska and other views are shown on a large screen formed by a window. Hereafter Juneauites will be able to get the election returns on this screen as fast as they are received. Other features are expected to be added to advertise Alaska and its attractions for visitors. Gastineau Bygones – 12/08/1978
1930 – The cannery at Auke Bay was gutted by fire. “Today in Alaskan History…” 1990
1944 – The 65-foot Coast Guard vessel Prince of Wales, once a mail boat on the Juneau to Sitka and Juneau to Skagway routes, was destroyed by fire at the north end of Chatham Strait on January 5. One man, Seaman first class Kenneth A. Kraft of Ketchikan, lost his life but 16 others aboard the vessel were rescued by the motor vessel Stormy Petrel of Juneau, Captain Jack Westfall. The Prince of Wales was taken over by the Coast Guard at the beginning of the war. Gastineau Bygones – 07/03/1980
1954 – Alaska Native land claim issues were presented for both sides at yesterday’s Juneau Chamber of Commerce meeting. Patrick Paul, Grand President of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, stated that their organization would use every constitutional means “to protect their property” and cited history of how Native peoples lost their land and property rights since American possession of Alaska. Chamber members countered to declare that H.R. 1921 “A Bill to Settle Possessory Land Claims in Alaska” now before Congress would be a disaster for developing Alaska natural resources and strongly opposed passage of the bill. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/08/1954 (2 articles)
1964 – Voters along an unincorporated section of the Douglas Highway from the present West Juneau city limits to a point just before Lawson Creek voted 6-4 yesterday to accept annexation by the city of Juneau. Primary reason for the voters petition to annex the area was to get connection to the city’s water system for their property development. The Juneau city council passed an authorization ordinance and the area was annexed starting March 1. Daily Alaska Empire – 01/08, 017; 03/06/1964
Back to This Day in Juneau History