Aug. 26, 1926

Hon. Henry O’Malley, Commissioner of Fisheries, was in Wrangell for a few hours Saturday. Mr. O’Malley stated that although there were a few canneries that had light packs, the pack throughout the territory was larger this season than any year since 1918. In company with Mr. O’Malley was Larence Ritchie, assistant to Secretary of Commerce Hoover, who is on his second trip to Alaska to make a study of the fisheries of the north. 

Aug. 24, 1951

The mayor and city council held a special meeting last Thursday evening with R. X. Riley, attorney for the Alaska Public Works, and passed a resolution voting to accept $12,000 from APW for further survey of the Wrangell water system project. The $250,000 project will give the town a complete new water system from the city reservoir along Church and Front streets to the cold storage. Riley said the project has been approved by APW and the advancing of the $12,000 will give it top priority when Congress allows more funds to APW. Under the public works program, the federal agency pays half the cost of the project and the municipality the other half. 

Aug. 25, 1976

The Wrangell planning and zoning commission at a special meeting Aug. 16 approved an application from Richard Olson for conditional-use status for a steakhouse-cocktail lounge-motel at 4-Mile Zimovia Highway. The unanimous vote followed a public hearing on the proposal. At the hearing, Olson said he included the 10 motel units to qualify for a liquor license under the state tourism program. “Almost every community in Southeast has shown it can support an operation like this (an out-of-town, restaurant-bar facility).” Dottie Olson told the Sentinel that the couple, who recently moved to Wrangell from Petersburg, hopes “for an opening by Nov. 15.” She said the steakhouse, to be called the Roadhouse, would be open evenings and feature an open grill, salad bar, Sunday brunch and “Road Runner” specials for children. 

Aug. 23, 2001

The industrial park, the focus of much “Wrangelling” over the winter, appears to be a subdivision in search of owners as of last Wednesday’s city council meeting. Eighteen lots were authorized for sale; only one was bid on but the bid was withdrawn. So, as of Aug. 15, all 18 lots were still up for bid. All lots are zoned industrial and range in price depending on size from $18,100 to $29,00. Because of the lack of interest generated by the bid process, all 18 lots are now authorized for an over-the-counter sale.