- 1949

Anita Garnick, previously elected as a territorial legislature representative, won election for a four-year term to the territorial senate (1949 – 52), becoming Alaska’s first woman senator. Juneau voters approved increasing the mayor’s term in office from one to two years.

Juneau fires (Alaska Spruce mill) Aug 29, 1949. Alaska State Library, Captain Lloyd H. (Kinky) Bayers Photo Collection, P127-1080.

In a spectacular blaze June 23, the Salmon Creek Country Club (next to Salmon Creek) burned to the ground, with a total loss estimated to be $200,000. Equally disastrous, the mill fire on August 29 of the Juneau Spruce Corporation destroyed most of the plant and a large stock of lumber; total damage exceeded $600,00. Earlier on May 13 the company was awarded $750,000 damages in its suit against the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union, both local and national. The Union had refused to unload company barges at other ports because they were loaded in Juneau by members of another union, the International Woodworkers of America (but the union initially refused to pay and it took several years of negotiations before the company collected a lesser amount.)

The Alaska Road Commission begin a car-ferry survey of Southeastern Alaska May 18. The proposed ferry system for trucks and passenger automobiles would serve coastal towns of Southeastern Alaska in links starting at Prince Rupert, B. C., and continuing to Haines, probably with a terminus at Juneau and resumption of the water route at Tee Harbor.

The new Juneau Airport terminal was dedicated June 13. Juneau’s first model airplane meet, sponsored by the Juneau Rotary Club, was held November 1 in the Southeastern Alaska Fair Building. Nearly 100 model planes were entered, built by more than 50 Juneau boys.

Favorable comments concerning Juneau’s new parking meters were reported by Police Chief Bernie Hulk after installation in June.

U.S. and Alaska health officials set up equipment at Taku Lodge mid-June and began conducting experiments on adult mosquito control.

The U.S. Coast Guard re-established Alaska on July 1 as the 17th Coast Guard District, with its headquarters in Juneau. (Previously the 17^th district (Territory of Alaska only) had been abolished in 1947 and Alaska then was added to the 13^th District based in Seattle.) Navy airlift operations supplied the Juneau Icefield Research Project’s seven sites with six tons of equipment, for its season July – October.

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