Historian tells story of controversial businessman

In his most recent work, historian Ronan Rooney published a blog post about Walter C. Waters, a man he calls the Walt Disney of Wrangell.

Waters was a businessman brought to Wrangell during the gold rush, who opened a curio store in 1922 called the Bear Totem Store which sold Native artifacts and attracted tourists from far and wide.

Rooney said this has been his most popular blog post yet, adding, “controversy is always popular.”

Waters, Rooney explained, is a controversial figure. He was a successful businessman who did some great things for Wrangell, but he was also responsible for the loss...