Of the artifacts that GHAA has collected, is there any one item of special significance?

The Fact of the Matter Is. . .

From the Files of Gustavus Historical Archives & Antiquities (GHAA)

www.GustavusHistory.org - by Lee & Linda Parker

Q -  Of the artifacts that GHAA has collected, is there any one item of special significance?

A - That’s a hard one because every item has its own story to tell, and each brings us a little closer to piecing together the life our early homesteaders experienced. But there is one that stands out as a priceless treasure—made even more valuable because it was lost, and recently found.

Just last summer 2010, hidden deep in an attic, Nell Parker’s first 5-yr. daily diary was found spanning the time of her arrival at Strawberry Point as a single woman in 1937, through New Years Eve 1942. This diary had proven elusive and was sought after because of the contribution it could make shedding new light on known events and filling in the blanks on others. It did all that, and more. From Nell’s own hand (and taken from just the first 2 years), we would like to invite you for a sneak peek at some of the happenings that occurred in all of our backyards almost three quarters of a century ago—a snapshot in time.

Nell, and all of our homesteading pioneers, walked everywhere, constantly visiting, and often accompanying one another “half way home”. Windmills were called “wind chargers”. Dominos, monopoly, quilting, singing, baking cakes and listening to a radio filled their evenings. Good reception was important enough to note in the diary, and “radio no good tonight” noted as well. It was their only connection to the outside world. Elections were followed through the static, and they worried and waited when they heard that California was on fire.

On January 20, 1938, Hank Johnson got 6 wolves. It was a year that coyotes were being reported everywhere. It was also a year that found our families hungry and low on supplies, so they went hunting for anything wild that could fill their plates. Free-range cattle seemed to out-smart them at every turn as they chased, branded, and rounded them up all over Gustavus. You might like to know that in 1938, Barney, Punk, Brownie, and Diamond frustrated the settlers for the last time when they were corralled and butchered, and their meat sold for $200.00. It was documented that “3 head went out with the mail” on the sailing mail boat.  Meatloaf was on the table that night. At other times it was baked goose. On May 20, 1938, 14 loaves of bread, 2 cakes, and “4 goose” were baked. The new teacher, Mr. Stonemen, was introduced to a dinner of roasted goose his very first night. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners featured goose and gooseberry pie. Popcorn filled Christmas stockings.

The homesteaders were planting hops, carrots, potatoes and rutabagas and picking lagoons, blueberries and strawberries. Molasses and divinity candy were made and exchanged between Gustavus and the Ibachs on Lemesurier Island.  Orange pie was popular. There was butter churning and ice cream making. Icebergs were snagged in the bay, followed with “I wore my arm out” cranking the ice cream. Sometimes ice cream was made for lunch and for many nights in a row. Cross-country snow skiing and tobogganing were often followed by ice cream—even when it is noted how freezing cold the participants had become. Without electricity or refrigeration, ice cream was obviously our homesteader’s number one sweet and creamy treat.

So, just for fun we checked it out—and some things don’t change much. Not many of us crank it anymore, but at Toshco in Gustavus, Alaska 2011, ice cream is still the Flats number 1, year round treat, and sells at a faster pace on cold, wintry days then in the dead of summer. Go figure.

But…doesn’t it feel just a little bit like listening in on the old party line? Turning the pages we know who was mad, who was glad, and who asked for forgiveness. Sometimes, perhaps, it’s a little too much information. And historically priceless, just the same. To be continued next month…

Of the artifacts that GHAA has collected, is there any one item of special significance?

The Fact of the Matter Is. . .

From the Files of Gustavus Historical Archives & Antiquities (GHAA)

www.GustavusHistory.org - by Lee & Linda Parker

Q -  Of the artifacts that GHAA has collected, is there any one item of special significance?

A - That’s a hard one because every item has its own story to tell, and each brings us a little closer to piecing together the life our early homesteaders experienced. But there is one that stands out as a priceless treasure—made even more valuable because it was lost, and recently found.

Just last summer 2010, hidden deep in an attic, Nell Parker’s first 5-yr. daily diary was found spanning the time of her arrival at Strawberry Point as a single woman in 1937, through New Years Eve 1942. This diary had proven elusive and was sought after because of the contribution it could make shedding new light on known events and filling in the blanks on others. It did all that, and more. From Nell’s own hand (and taken from just the first 2 years), we would like to invite you for a sneak peek at some of the happenings that occurred in all of our backyards almost three quarters of a century ago—a snapshot in time.

Nell, and all of our homesteading pioneers, walked everywhere, constantly visiting, and often accompanying one another “half way home”. Windmills were called “wind chargers”. Dominos, monopoly, quilting, singing, baking cakes and listening to a radio filled their evenings. Good reception was important enough to note in the diary, and “radio no good tonight” noted as well. It was their only connection to the outside world. Elections were followed through the static, and they worried and waited when they heard that California was on fire.

On January 20, 1938, Hank Johnson got 6 wolves. It was a year that coyotes were being reported everywhere. It was also a year that found our families hungry and low on supplies, so they went hunting for anything wild that could fill their plates. Free-range cattle seemed to out-smart them at every turn as they chased, branded, and rounded them up all over Gustavus. You might like to know that in 1938, Barney, Punk, Brownie, and Diamond frustrated the settlers for the last time when they were corralled and butchered, and their meat sold for $200.00. It was documented that “3 head went out with the mail” on the sailing mail boat.  Meatloaf was on the table that night. At other times it was baked goose. On May 20, 1938, 14 loaves of bread, 2 cakes, and “4 goose” were baked. The new teacher, Mr. Stonemen, was introduced to a dinner of roasted goose his very first night. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners featured goose and gooseberry pie. Popcorn filled Christmas stockings.

The homesteaders were planting hops, carrots, potatoes and rutabagas and picking lagoons, blueberries and strawberries. Molasses and divinity candy were made and exchanged between Gustavus and the Ibachs on Lemesurier Island.  Orange pie was popular. There was butter churning and ice cream making. Icebergs were snagged in the bay, followed with “I wore my arm out” cranking the ice cream. Sometimes ice cream was made for lunch and for many nights in a row. Cross-country snow skiing and tobogganing were often followed by ice cream—even when it is noted how freezing cold the participants had become. Without electricity or refrigeration, ice cream was obviously our homesteader’s number one sweet and creamy treat.

So, just for fun we checked it out—and some things don’t change much. Not many of us crank it anymore, but at Toshco in Gustavus, Alaska 2011, ice cream is still the Flats number 1, year round treat, and sells at a faster pace on cold, wintry days then in the dead of summer. Go figure.

But…doesn’t it feel just a little bit like listening in on the old party line? Turning the pages we know who was mad, who was glad, and who asked for forgiveness. Sometimes, perhaps, it’s a little too much information. And historically priceless, just the same. To be continued next month…