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  • Anchorage Skiing Memories

    Anchorage Skiing Memories
    2025/11/30
    In the 1963 photo above is Romig Hill, which was across the street from West High School.Downhill and cross-country skiing are some of the great things about living in and around Anchorage, Alaska.Now, let’s take a look at some areas used by early Anchorage pioneers and some places we remember for having a fun time on our skis.1910 to the 1950sIn the 1925 photo above, early Anchorage homesteaders are using the Lake Otis/South Chester Creek Ski Trails.City Ski BowlFrom 1917 to 1957, the City Ski Bowl, also known as the Army Ski Bowl and Watertank Hill, served as the go-to place. The City Ski Bowl was located on the bluff, northwest of Gambell and 3rd, overlooking Ship Creek. It featured a downhill run, a ski jump (pictured above), and cross-country ski trails.In the picture above, notice part of the Recreation Bowling Alley sign in the upper right.In the winter, from 1917 into the 1950s, the downtown streets of Anchorage were unpaved and covered with snow.Because of that, they used to race on cross-country skis right down 4th Avenue as part of the Fur Rendezvous winter carnival. The races began in front of the Recreation Bowling Alley. Photo by Nancy SimmermanIn the 1969 picture above, Barbara Britch is seen on the right, tagging Anne Thomas, the number 3 cross-country skier on the left.Arctic Valley Ski HillPictured above is Arctic Valley in the 1960s.Beginning in 1941, the military developed Arctic Valley, a ski hill in the Chugach Mountains overlooking Anchorage. Arctic Valley is near Site Summit, where the Christmas Star is located, a gift from the military.There was also a civilian ski hill right next to the military ski hill.1950s to 1967Remember the Forest Park Golf Course Rope Tow Ski Hill?Located just south of Westchester Lagoon and east of the railroad tracks.This one was a private ski hill; however, the Anchorage Nordic Cross Country Ski Club also used the hill in the 1960s. Remember the Government Hill Ski Run?In the 1950s, this ski hill was next to the Curling Ice Rink.It had no rope tow, so skiers would ski down the hill, then they had to hike back up to the top. How many trips up and down do you think they could make in a day?Point Woronzof Ski TrailsYes, you could cross-country ski near the airport.The Point Woronzof Ski Trails were located in the northern part of what is now Ted Stevens International Airport.The Old Hilltop Ski AreaHilltop got its start in 1962 with a rope tow set-up in a gravel pit west of the old Seward Highway.In 1967, things changed.A new ski hill and ski jump were located on Abbott Road near where the road turns into Hillside Drive. This was a ski hill and a ski jump, lighted for night skiing. Centennial Park in 1973Located in the western part of Anchorage, this facility featured a rope tow for downhill skiing and cross-country trails.Glen Alps Early Season Cross-Country Ski LoopLocated near the base of Flattop mountain, this 1970s location was the first place to get snow in the Anchorage area.Muldoon ParkThis ski location was built by the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation.Anchorage Schools and SkiingIn 1968, Dimond-Mears had a cross-country ski trail across Arlene Street from the Dimond High School track.Then in 1969, you could use the Wendler Junior High School Ski Trails and Alaska Communitry College (ACC) Ski Trail. Those trails were located to the east and south of Wendler.Outside of AnchorageAnd not far from Anchorage is Alyeska Resort.Located in Girdwood, Alyeska is a great place to ski for beginners and experts.Are You Ready to Ski?After all this talk about skiing, Mike and Mary are ready for a run down one of our favorite slopes. And if you’re a cross-country fan, time to get those skiis ready.From our North Stars (that’s you)From our Independence Gold Mine edition of Alaska Stories.Eric has this memory:“My Dad work at Independence Mine in 1941. He was a mining engineering student at the University of Alaska. He is in the picture of the miners standing in the mouth of the mine on display at the park headquarters. (The only one with glasses.)”Connect with Mike and MaryThat’s Mike in the picture above at Alyeska Resort in the 1970s. Mary was behind the camera.Like we said at the begining, downhill and cross-country skiing are some of the great things about living in and around Anchorage, Alaska. Do you have a skiing memory you’d like to share?You can also reply to this email.Or you can Contact Us right here. Until Next TimeMike and MaryAnchorage, Alaska Memories Club Get full access to Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club at www.anchoragememoriesclub.com/subscribe
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    6 分
  • Anchorage Band Memories

    Anchorage Band Memories
    2025/11/16
    Pictured above are the Heartbeats. Left to right are John (Raphael), Eddie, and Raul, the Apostol brothers. In the front is Emerson Crivello.A big thank you to Anchorage DJ Ron Moore, the Coke Show, the Heartbeats, and their hit song “Anne” for the fun audio introduction to this edition of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club.Note: You can hear the entire song “Anne” at the end of the article voiceover above.Who were your favorite Anchorage bands?Did you play in an Anchorage band?Anchorage, Alaska, was blessed with a lot of musical talent, both teens and adults. And the music they gave us is dear to our hearts.The teen bands played at teen nightclubs and dances, while the Anchorage club scene had its own bands and entertainers.So how does an Anchorage teen band come together? There are many ways, but here’s how the Heartbeats began, as told by John Apostol.“On February 9, 1964, after watching the Beatles’ debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. We were so inspired and motivated by the Fab Four's music that night and couldn’t seem to stop talking about them.My brother Eddie, half joking, said to Paul (Raul) and me, “Let’s create a band for our enjoyment,” but at that time, none of us knew how to play any musical instruments. That summer, my brother Eddie worked and saved all his hard-earned money and bought us the musical instruments we needed from the Sears catalog. He bought me my first electric guitar, an amp, and a guitar chord book. He bought Paul a drum set, and he bought an electric bass guitar and amp for himself, and then he asked us to learn how to play the instruments he gave us. And that’s how we got started.”BONUSYou can enjoy the whole story of the Heartbeats.Take a look at In John’s Own Words: The Pulsating Heartbeats and enjoy.But our story begins long before the HeartbeatsPictured above are the KFQD Serenaders. Photo courtesy of Gary Smith. In the 1930s, the KFQD Serenaders band was formed by Gene Smith, who is the dad of Gary Smith. Gary is a contributor to Anchorage Memories. KFQD radio was the first radio station in Anchorage and Alaska, and KFQD featured local music talent.The Five PagesPictured above in 1963 are the Five Pages. Photo courtesy of Gary Smith.In the 1960s, The Five Pages were performing all over town. They included Don Huhndorf on guitar, Gary Smith on guitar, Cradoc (Dick) Bagshaw bass, Bob Smith (Brother) on sax, and Ceasar Romero on drums. The singer was Fred Bibbler.Yes, You Can Share This EditionAnd when you do, your friends and family will send you on a one-week, all-expenses-paid stay at the most expensive hotel in the world… well, it could happen.Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.The First Band to Play at the Royal PadPictured above is Blain’s paint store in Spenard.The second story of Blain’s paint store in Spenard was home to the teen nightclub known as the Royal Pad.Anchorage radio DJ Ron Moore was known as the “Royal Coachman,” and still is, by the way. For that reason, his teen nightclub (pictured above) was called the Royal Pad, and his car was the Royal Coach. The first band to perform at Ron Moore’s Royal Pad was a group called The Von Essex's, which included Jackie Goodman on piano, Gary Smith on guitar, Fred Johnston on bass, and Darryl Smaw on vocals.Plenty of Teen BandsDo you remember the Arsons? They were a popular Anchorage teen band in the 1960s.In the photo above is the Blue Chip Stock.The Blue Chip Stock was a popular Anchorage teen band in the 60s.Skip Conte, the keyboard player for Blue Chip Stock and the Heartbeats, went on to co-write the hit song “Ride Captain Ride.” The Outlaws were a 1960s Anchorage teen band. If memory serves, Gary Sloan (pictured above) was the lead singer.BONUSDean Forbes played guitar for Mother’s Apple Pie and Baseball Band. Dean was interviewed by Anchorage Memories some years ago.Take a look at Dean Forbes and Mother’s Apple Pie and Baseball Band and enjoy.The Heikes Family band was based in Eagle River. They also played the Alaska State Fair.BONUSAuthor Sandy Heikes tells the story of her family's band.Take a look at The Heikes Family Band and remember.The Anchorage Music SceneBecause of limited space, we were barely able to scratch the surface here.Remember Burgundy Rose, G. Morgan S. and the Jets, Fantastic Zoot, and Albatros? And we remember the Chandels, the Gatormen, the Johnson Brothers, the Nomads, the Prophets, and the Quarrymen just to name a few.How about the house band at the Pines called The Pacesetters, and another was Family Tradition?And “Johnny Collinsworth and the Country Capers Music Variety Show”Some time ago we wrote about the Anchorage music scene on Anchorage Memories.com. And since then, many band members have sent us comments about the local teen bands and the many nightclub bands. It’s a great read.BONUSYou’ll love these memories.Take a look at The...
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    8 分
  • Anchorage Radio Memories

    Anchorage Radio Memories
    2025/11/02
    Pictured above is Lester Peter Aloysius Snow (Gene Miner) in the KBYR radio studio.Do you remember those wonderful days when you listened to your favorite Anchorage, Alaska, radio personalities?Sometimes you listened at home. Maybe you were tuned in with your car radio. And who can forget that nifty invention called the portable transistor radio? You could take those with you just about anywhere.An anonymous reader remembers:“Sitting here with my coffee in hand, I started thinking about a long time ago.I used to wait in my bedroom until “The Scotty Ferguson Show” would come on the radio on KFQD.The music was so good, and I really got a kick out of his commercials. There was the soft drink team, whose jingle I can still sing, and there was “Gerald McBoing Boing”.I remember when his show ended, Gardner Ted Armstrong would follow. I listened to Ruben Gaines all the time; he had a way of making you feel things were good.It was a wonderful time to grow up in Alaska.”First in Anchorage and AlaskaPictured above is KFQD radio when it was located on 4th Avenue in 1924.Did You Know?When KFQD radio went on the air on May 24, 1924, it wasn’t just a first for Anchorage. They were also the first radio station in Alaska.Note:The station’s call letters. K-F-Q-D, don’t mean anything; they were assigned randomly. The Second Radio Station in AnchorageIn the photo above is the KENI radio building. The building sits on a bluff with the rear of the building overlooking Westchester Lagoon. The building is now a private residence. 24 years after KFQD began broadcasting, “Cap” Lathrop, the owner of the 4th Avenue Theatre, also built the second radio station in Anchorage, Alaska. KENI radio, which began broadcasting on May 2, 1948, from inside the 4th Avenue Theatre building. Later moving into its own building. KENI Radio and the Coke ShowIn the photo above is Ron Moore, the Royal Coachman.Did you listen to the Coke Show, hosted by Ron Moore on KENI radio? You could call in, request a song, and dedicate it to your friends.Photo courtesy of Ty Pierce.The Coke Show originated from the small radio booth you see above on the roof of the Bun Drive-In. And remember, when the cars in the parking lot would beep their horns, Ron called them “Honker Bonkers.”BONUSYou can hear the Coke Show again and Ron Moore’s Royal Coachman theme.Take a look at Anchorage Coke Show Memories and enjoy.Yes, You Can Share This EditionAnd when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will send you on an all-expenses-paid Alaska cruise every summer for 5 years straight… well, it could happen.Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.Mukluk TelegraphRemember how you could connect with Alaskans who were in remote areas? The radio station would broadcast your messages.GrandmaRobbie had a comment:“We also used the Mukluk Telegraph to contact friends who homesteaded at Sunshine near Talkeetna.”The KENI radio program, Mukluk Telegraph, was a great service for Alaska audiences.Mary of Anchorage Memories recalls that her family used Mukluk Telegraph to communicate with other family members at their commercial fishing site at Point Possession, across Cook Inlet from Anchorage.“Everyone used Mukluk Telegraph to communicate with family while we were going back and forth to our commercial fishing site during the summer. People in places like Tyonek, Chickaloon and Point Possession all relied on Mukluk Telegraph.”Because that type of radio program was such a well-received community service, other Anchorage radio stations had their own versions. North Winds on KHARJim remembers:“In 1959-1961 my father was assigned to Fort Richardson.Around dinner time there was a regular radio program, probably out of Anchorage, that preceded or followed announcements from people on the grid to homesteaders beyond routine contact.“For Bob & Sue on Triple Creek: Arrived safely, baby boy 7 lbs 6, mom doing fine. Home on the 13th.”The program that followed, something like Tales of the Tundra, Jack London-like Sourdough stories read by a man over a background of the song,Claire d’Lune or other mood music.Note:The show that followed North Winds was hosted by Rubin Gaines, a favorite Anchorage radio personality.When you listened to his radio program, you heard Ruben, a fellow named “Six-Toed Mordecai,” Mrs. Malone, Chilkoot Charlie, and a few others. Each one had a strong voice and distinct personality—and Ruben Gaines had created every one of them in his very creative mind—and brought them to life with his incredible vocal talent. As you listened to Ruben’s show, you couldn’t help but be amazed at how he seamlessly weaved his characters in and out of conversations. And speaking of conversations, his radio program “Conversations Unlimited” was heard in the afternoons on KHAR, Monday through Friday, to the absolute delight of Anchorage ...
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    7 分
  • Anchorage Mountain View Memories

    Anchorage Mountain View Memories
    2025/10/19
    photo above courtesy Patricia Brown. 1940s temporary housing in Mountain View.In the 1940s, Anchorage, Alaska, was growing, and some homesteaders headed out of town to stake their claim to some land.Norman Lange was just such a homesteader. Lange headed about 3 miles northeast from Anchorage to a spot that had a perfect view of the Chugach Mountains. Lange ended up subdividing his land and naming it, appropriately, “Mountain View.”Other early homesteaders in Mountain View now have a neighborhood street named after them. Those include a Norwegian immigrant named Nels Kleven. For some reason, his street name was misspelled “Klevin.” Robert Bragaw was a territorial legislator and photographer, and Harry Bliss was a contractor. Both have Mountain View streets named after them. But more about Bragaw Street shortly.In the 1940s, construction workers and others were coming to Anchorage to build Elmendorf Air Force Base. But there was a big problem. Anchorage didn’t have enough housing to accommodate them.As a partial solution, small temporary housing structures were put up in Mountain View (pictured above).And speaking of Bragaw Street, you probably didn’t know that from 1942 until 1951, a man named John Vanover ran a 20-acre pig farm in the area.Pictured above is Brewster’s on Mountain View Drive.In 1949, Charles H. Brewster and his wife, Betty, opened the Mountain View Washaroo Laundry. But the Brewsters were ready for more, so they started selling clothing in their spare time from their log cabin home located in the Muldoon area of Anchorage.Then in 1959, the two opened the first Brewster’s Clothing Store in a small log cabin at North Bragaw and Mountain View Drive. They later expanded and became an Anchorage fixture.Yes, You Can Share this editionAnd when you do, your friends and family will send you a year’s supply of your favorite bakery item. Yummy… well, it could happen.Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.In the picture above is Mountain View Elementary, first opened in 1956.Mike of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club attended Mountain View Elementary School, and one summer, he was a pitcher for the Indians Little League team that practiced on the Mountain View Elementary School baseball field.A&W Root BeerIn 1957, the first drive-in, A&W Root Beer, opened in Anchorage. It was located in Mountain View.The location was also home to Timbo and Princess, the A&W lions.BONUSTake a look at A&W Drive-In Memories and enjoy.In the photo above, taken by Ward Wells, is Mountain View Drive on July 2, 1958.Notice the large building in the background? That’s Caribou’s Department Store.The picture above is the original Clark Junior High School.First opened in 1959, Clark Junior High School was the first junior high in Anchorage. Located on Bragaw Street, the school was named after Orah Dee Clark.Clark was the very first schoolteacher and principal hired in 1915 in the new town of Anchorage, Alaska. After Clark Junior High opened, Clark herself often visited the school, and students were able to speak with her between classes and after school.Mountain View Community CenterIn the 1960s, Mike of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club attended weekly square dancing get-togethers in the Mountain View Community Center. Mr. and Mrs. Topolski ran the dances.During each weekly dance, they took a short break from square dancing and played some rock and roll for the kids to dance to. Mike of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club even got his first announcing gig one week when he was asked to play the rock and roll records and introduce each song. “I remember playing “Harbor Lights” by the Platters. After I introduced the song and started the record, I looked down from the stage, and there were 3 or 4 girls looking up at me, all wide-eyed and smiling. Wow, my first fan club.”Then one week, a well-known KENI radio DJ named Bob Fleming was the special guest at the dance. We had a great time at that community center.In the photo above is the Anchorage teen band, the Heartbeats.All but one of the Heartbeats band members were the Apostol brothers, and their family lived in Mountain View. Both Mary and Mike of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club were friends of the Heartbeats.In 1966, the “Pulsating Heartbeats” released the hit record “Anne.” On the flip side of the record was “Talkin’ Bout You.”BONUSGet the story behind the Heartbeats band and hear their song, “Anne.”Take a look at In John’s Own Words and enjoy.Remember Park Lanes Bowling?Beginning in 1976, Mountain View enjoyed bowling at this Anchorage favorite.And for a short while, KTVA channel 11 broadcast the weekly TV show, “Bowling for Dollars,” hosted by Chuck Talsky and shot on location at Park Lanes. As a side note, Mike of the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club was one of the camera operators on the show and also edited the program for ...
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    6 分
  • Anchorage Visitor's Log Cabin Memories

    Anchorage Visitor's Log Cabin Memories
    2025/10/05
    Anchorage Visitor’s log cabin, year unknown.When you had out-of-town visitors, where did you take them? It’s likely that you took Uncle Bob and Aunt Darlene to 546 West 4th. Avenue in downtown Anchorage so they could see the visitor’s log cabin.There it was (and still is), an old, sod-covered Alaska cabin, right smack dab in the middle of our city. How Alaskan.And displayed there on the ground, right beside the front door, your guests spotted that very impressive 5,445-pound Alaska copper nugget.Did You Know?The Visitor’s Log Cabin was built in Homer, Alaska, in 1954. If you’re into log cabins, you’ll be delighted to learn that this one is made of round logs with saddle-notched corners. It also features a gable roof covered with sod.Photo by Jet Lowe. Notice the downtown Woolworth’s store just across the street.The cabin was designed by an architect named Edwin B. Crittenden.Building took place in Homer at a sawmill owned by “Cap” King. Others who created the cabin include a logger from Washington state, Otis R. Russell, who had become a homesteader in Alaska’s Kachemak Bay, and Bob Cole. Both were the craftsmen who cut the logs and assembled them.After the two put the cabin together and checked everything, the cabin was then taken apart, loaded on a truck, and sent to Anchorage.Meanwhile, back in AnchorageA foundation had been laid in Anchorage, next to city hall at 4th. and F Streets.When the truck hauling the cabin arrived from Homer, the cabin was assembled on top of its new foundation, and presto, an instant visitor’s center… Alaska style.Watercolor by Alaskan Artist Cindy PendletonThe Anchorage Visitor’s Log Cabin is a part of Anchorage that many of us remember from our childhood. Others may recall the first time they saw this little gem as a grown-up coming to live in this special place called Anchorage, Alaska.Yes, You Can Share This EditionAnd when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will have a parade in your name, featuring you as grand marshal… well, it could happen. Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.BONUSThe original Anchorage City Hall was built in 1936.Now, since the Visitor’s Log Cabin sits on the lawn right next to Anchorage’s original City Hall building, we thought it would be fun to include these facts.Located at 524 West 4th. Avenue, the original City Hall was designed by Ellsworth Sedille and constructed in 1936.Did You Know it even housed a Jail?When it first opened, the building was home to the city mayor’s office, a telephone switchboard, city council chambers, the chief of police, the city engineer, the public utilities superintendent, and the city library. The building’s basement also housed three jail cells and a “tank room” for drunks, a caretaker’s apartment, as well as quarters for on-duty firefighters. Visit Anchorage MemoriesA treasure chest of great memories. Take a look at AnchorageMemories.com.From Our North Stars (that’s you)From our Anchorage Denali Elementary School Memories.Joe remembers:“I went to Denali for first grade in 1955. My teacher was Miss Rook in Room 47. Yup, I remember Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot, and Puff: “Run, Spot, run! Run, run, run!” Reading opened a whole world for me.”Claudia recalls:“I attended North Star until 3rd grade, then we moved and I attended Inlet View before going to Central Jr. High.”John tells us:“I attended kindergarten at Government Hill Elementary in 1960. For the 1st grade through the 3rd grade, I was at Elmendorf attending Aurora Elementary School.”Gary says, “She became a star”:“I went to Denali for first and second grade. In my first grade class (Mrs. Johnson was the teacher) was Rosie Hamlin.She became best known for “Rosie and the Originals - and the song Angel Baby.”Jerry and his family went there:“Tom, Jim, Jerry, Patsy, Joe & Jack Ward all went to Denali. Great memories.”Allen informs us:“I went to Willowcrest and, in 5th grade, to Northwood Elementary.”Joe attended these:“Primarily Nunaka Valley and then Chester Valley. Then, on to Clark in 1973.”Paula remembers:“Nunaka - K through 6th grade.”Melinda recalls:“From 1959 to 1963, I attended Government Hill Elementary School as we lived in Panoramic View apartments. And we all walked to school. My parents bought a new house on Abbott Loop Road, and we rode a school bus to Abbott Loop Elementary School from 1963 to 1964.”Patricia informs us:“Regarding Mt. View Elementary. I attended grade school in that same building, but it was then called Talkeetna Elementary. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Gilman of Gilman’s Bakery fame. In 4th grade, we had 44 kids with only one teacher who was with us the entire day. If my memory is correct, there was a fire in the school during the 54/55 year, and we double-shifted at Airport Heights Elementary. When our school reopened, it was renamed ...
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    4 分
  • Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club

    Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club
    2025/09/26

    Why should you join the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club?

    Here are just four good reasons:

    Reason #1:

    Mary and I are both Alaskans who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska.

    Reason #2:

    Every edition of our publication and podcast is filled with memories of the Anchorage, Alaska, you love.

    Reason #3:

    Every edition is special.

    Join Us

    So here’s your invitation to join the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club.

    Yes, You Can Share This with friends and Family

    Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

    Until Next Time

    Mike and Mary

    Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club



    Get full access to Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club at www.anchoragememoriesclub.com/subscribe
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    1 分
  • Anchorage Denali Elementary Memories

    Anchorage Denali Elementary Memories
    2025/09/21
    In the photo above, Mike and Mary of the Anchorage Memories Club are standing in front of the old Denali Elementary School circa 1990s.You, and well, most all of us, remember where we attended the first grade. Mike and Mary, pictured above, have a unique memory. Both began their education as first graders in Anchorage’s Denali Elementary School. “We didn’t attend at the same time. I began some years ahead of Mary, and after the first grade, our family moved to the Mountain View area of Anchorage, where I attended Mountain View Elementary,” says Mike.In the photo above is Mary of Anchorage Memories. She is posing with her third-grade class at Denali Elementary. Her teacher (left side) is Mrs. McGraw.Fire Trucks and Ice Skates at Denali Elementary?by Mary of the Anchorage Memories ClubI was in the third grade in 1960. I was so excited on that dark, cold, crisp morning as my classmates and I stood in the playground watching the firemen. They were filling the previously prepared ice skating rink with water from the fire trucks hoses. Finally, the day came when we could ice skate. It was very cold; however, I was wearing my mittens and scarf. And after skating several times around the rink, I warmed up.I started ice skating at the age of four. I was the youngest of eight, and ice skating was a sport my mother wanted her children to do. So, I was an experienced skater and helped my classmates who had never skated before. I felt a deep sense of pride helping them.As spring came, the ice skating rink melted, and we hung up our skates. At recess time, my friends and I grabbed jump ropes and ran around in our sneakers, having loads of fun.I went to Denali Elementary School from first grade through the sixth. Walking from 2nd Ave to 9th Ave with my family and friends.Denali Elementary School was damaged in the 1964 Alaska earthquake, and all the students had to finish out the school year at Mountain View Elementary. That was the first time I rode in a school bus. We were the second shift that started around noon.I was truly thankful for the firemen and their bright red fire trucks for coming back year after year to make us a really “cool” ice skating rink.BONUSTake a look at My Green Double-Bladed Ice Skates by Mary Jane DoughertyYes, You Can Share This EditionAnd when you do share this, your friends and family will be so happy that they will gift you with the largest flat-screen TV (292 inches) for your home theatre. Wow.Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.Mike Recalls His First Days at Denali in the 1950s.We lived on Fairbanks Street, just a couple of blocks from Denali. On my first day, Mom walked with me to school.My teacher’s name was Mrs. Rauch. She was a very nice lady.While at school, I discovered that those leather-looking airplane pilot caps were the cool thing for boys to wear to school. A little too cool in Alaska’s colder months. In the photo above is first-grade Mike, wearing his pilot hat with borrowed goggles. In the background, Mike’s dad and friends work on their race car. The hat was actually a dumb-looking skullcap with snaps to hold your goggles in place, should the wearer happen to run into bug-infested skies on his way to school. Mom and Dad bought me the hat but declined the goggles. I proudly wore my hat to Denali. My taste in hats aside, I was off on a great adventure. The first grade in Anchorage, Alaska, is where I was introduced to Fun with Dick and Jane, Sally, Puff, and Spot. Those five characters would, along with Mrs. Rausch, teach me how to read and write… So I guess I have them to thank for the Anchorage Memories Club.Fun Lunch BoxesBack then, Denali didn’t have a lunchroom, so we brought our lunches from home in brown paper bags or lunch boxes. Girls often had Dale Evans, Tinker Bell, or Alice in Wonderland lunch boxes. The boys favored Roy Rogers, Peter Pan, or Superman. For the record, I was a Superman lunch box guy.RecessAfter lunch and a last gulp of hot chocolate, we headed for the playground.Of course we had oodles of fun on the swings, slide, and merry-go-round. Plus, we met kids from the other classrooms. One of the other kids, Bobby Kallander, would become my brother-in-law around 15 years later.Mike's mom just happened to take the photo above. About 14 years later, Mary was looking at the picture and said, “Hey, Mike is standing right behind my brother Bobby.”In the red circle, Mike is on the left and Bobby is on the right.Anchorage Elementary SchoolsWhat elementary school did you attend?If you lived in Anchorage, you might have attended one of the following:Mountain View Elementary first opened in 1956Northern Lights Elementary first opened in 1959Ptarmigan Elementary first opened in 1967If you don’t know, a ptarmigan is an Alaskan bird, pronounced “tar-mi-gan.” And, if your parent was in the Air Force or Army in Anchorage and serving at Elmendorf Air Force Base...
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    7 分
  • Anchorage Star the Reindeer Memories

    Anchorage Star the Reindeer Memories
    2025/09/07
    In the picture above is Star the Reindeer with Oro Stewart.Photo above by Albert WhiteheadDo you know the story of Star the Reindeer?To know Star, you first need to meet Ivan and Oro Stewart.The Stewarts first came to Anchorage from Kodiak in 1944 and opened Stewart’s Photo Shop. Now anyone who has ever lived in or visited Anchorage has probably at least seen Stewart’s Photo Shop at 531 W. 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage, just across the street from the Visitor’s Log Cabin.She wanted an Alaskan PetIn 1960, Oro announced to Ivan that she wanted an Alaskan pet. At first, Ivan thought that his wife, Oro, wanted an Alaskan Husky. But what she had in mind was a reindeer.So Ivan contacted Larry Davis, a Native herder outside of Nome. Wait Just a MinuteIt was and still is illegal to own an Alaska reindeer unless you are an Alaska Native. However, there was a way around that law. A reindeer could be leased to someone.Now, before you head out to lease your very own reindeer pet, the law has been amended, and leasing a reindeer to non-Alaskan Natives is no longer allowed. Enter Star the ReindeerLarry Davis came through, and Oro happily received her leased pet reindeer.In reindeer land, most tend to be either brown or grey in color. But Oro’s reindeer looked a bit different. This reindeer had a white breast and white trim. But her most distinguishing feature was a splash of white, star-shaped fur on her face. So Oro named her reindeer “Star.” And a star she was.In the photo above is Star the Reindeer, delighting crowds in the Fur Rendezvous Parade in Anchorage, Alaska.What a HamStar the Reindeer quickly became a local celebrity, and in no time, Star’s fame had spread worldwide.In Anchorage, Star could be spotted in front of Stewart’s Photo Shop in downtown Anchorage, where Star was happy to pose for local paparazzi (news cameras). But Star wasn’t a diva. No, not Star. This celebrity reindeer was happy to pose for pictures with locals and visitors alike.Yes, You Can Share This EditionAnd when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will get you and a guest a ride on Santa’s sleigh, plus a photo op with Rudolph… well, it could happen.Thanks for reading and listening to the Anchorage Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.Enter Albert WhiteheadAlbert worked for Ivan and Oro and his responsibilities evolved into becoming the reindeer caregiver. A position he happily continued for many years.Star Got EvictedNo, Star wasn’t playing her music too loud, and she wasn’t behind on her rent.Ivan and Oro kept Star at their home at 10th Avenue and I Street near downtown Anchorage. Then, in 1973, a change in zoning laws ordered that Star could no longer stay in her home. But Ivan and Oro appealed that Grinchy law, and Star was able to stay.Years LaterStar lived to be 23 years old. The average life span of a reindeer in the wild is 15 to 18 years.Since Star’s passing, there were six more who continued the Star the Reindeer phenomenon in Anchorage.Larry Davis, the Herder, selected every Star, except the last one, Star number seven.The End of the Star the Reindeer LineStar number seven left us in 2025. And with that, so ended the long Anchorage tradition of Star the Reindeer.Our thanks to Ivan and Oro Stewart, Larry Davis, and Albert Whitehead for bringing such joy to so many people in Alaska and all over the world. And our thanks to Star.A great Anchorage memory. From Our North Stars (that’s you)From our Anchorage Bootlegger Cove MemoriesJackie had this comment:“Very much enjoyed this edition and Maggie Wilkinson's memories. I also attended the Quonset hut school, earlier than Maggie (1953-54) and with a real teacher (Mrs. Gordon), and went on to junior high downtown where she did. Things were so different back then - and in my mind, better!”Did You Know?Mike and Mary also publish Alaska Stories twice each month.Take a look at Anchorage Stories and enjoy.Connect with Mike and MaryStar was a wonderful, unofficial mascot for Anchorage. We wonder if Star ever met Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Hummm?Do you have a comment?You can also reply to this email.And you can Contact Us right here. Until Next TimeMike and MaryThe Anchorage Memories Club Get full access to Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club at www.anchoragememoriesclub.com/subscribe
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