Alaska: Scenes :: 2nd Edition

Alaska: Scenes :: 2nd Edition - Page Text Content

S: A L A S K A : S c e n e s Bud & Geneva

FC: A L A S K A | Scenes | lilililililillililil

1: Tununak | Kwethluk | Bethel | Anchorage | Juneau | Barrow | McGrath | Ketchican | Ketchican | Juneau | Anchorage | Nunivak Island

3: For Bud and Geneva in honor of their legacy CONTENTS Years 1949 - 1955 Tununak on Nelson Island first school Kwethluk second school Bethel and Friends Juneau

4: North to Alaska We traveled by train from Kentucky to Seattle. This part of the trip was at our expense. It was quite an interesting and scenic trip, but not nearly as unique as was the remainder of the journey. From Seattle to Tununak our expenses were paid by the ANS. This was done by the following method: TRs were issued for the ship part of the trip, which covered the expense of travel and meals. Also we were paid $2.50 per diem. After leaving the ship TRs were issued for travel by plane and we received $8.00 per diem until our destination was reached. We traveled from Seattle to Juneau by way of the SS Aleutian, which would be classified as a large inland steamer. The accommodations were very good. Our stateroom was small, but clean and convenient. The stewards were prompt, courteous and pleasant. The food was excellent. There was a large sun deck on the top deck which was in use during the entire trip. The weather could not have been nicer. From the moment we left Seattle until we docked in Juneau there were continuous things of interest popping into sight, such as sea gulls playing games at the ship’s stern, porpoise putting on a show along side the ship, the most beautiful of scenery, unique towns we passed, and most intriguing of all, the gorgeous sunsets. I have never read any description nor seen any painting that could | duly describe their beauty. The nights were also beautiful, with a sky full of stars and a full moon throwing its silver carpet on the water. We were aboard ship for about four days, stopping for several hours at Ketchican and Wrangle. It was daytime when we docked at Ketchican. Ashore we got our first glimpse of Alaska and Alaskan life. Ketchican is situated at the foot of a mountain. Many of the houses are built on pilings (due to the permafrost in the area). One house of interest belonged to an elderly lady who had made her garden in boxes which were lined all around the house, containing vegetables as well as flowers. We also visited a mink farm and an Indian graveyard. The canneries were closed but we did watch the small fishing boats come in and unload their salmon. As we moved on and stopped at different places, each presented a new and different picture, in respect to the civilization as well as the physical environment of the location. One of the most outstanding physical changes was the presence and growth of trees, In the southern part of the Territory, there is a thick and heavy growth. As you move northward, the trees gradually grow smaller until they have finally dwindled to Tundra grass. We were in Juneau from Tuesday night until Friday, receiving a brief course of instructions on how to fill out the million and one forms which we must submit weekly, biweekly, monthly and yearly. During this time

5: we also had the pleasure of meeting the ANS Staff. Unfortunately for us, many were away attending conferences at the time. We found what little we were able to see in Juneau very intriguing and the people most friendly. From Juneau we flew to Anchorage. This trip was a pleasant one. But since there was a low ceiling, we traveled the entire trip above a blanket of white, billowy clouds. The sun was shining brightly, which helped to make the clouds look very white, soft and cottony. Every once in a while you could see a snow-capped mountain peeking through the blanket of white clouds. We spent the night in Anchorage (Lane Hotel, on 4th St., I think.) The streets were not paved and pretty muddy in places. The next day we flew on to McGrath and then on to Bethel. Each stop showed us we were getting farther and farther away from the kind of environment and civilization we had always known. When we reached Bethel we began to feel as though our journey was nearing its end. We both were, at this point, anxious to reach our destination, yet wondering more and more just what was in store for us. We had not seen an Eskimo until we reached Bethel, and I, in particular, had thought of many things I would like to know about them, since we were to be the only white people in our village. I wondered how I could possibly teach people who could not speak nor understand English, much less | understand Tvffi (the latter is still a question to me). Bethel had but one “Hotel”. Hotels are referred to as “Roadhouses” in towns such as Bethel. The people were very friendly, as all the people we had encountered so far in Alaska had proven to be, Natives and Whites alike. We were in Bethel for four days, waiting for good weather so a plane could take us to Tununak. The trip from Bethel to Tununak took approximately an hour in a small amphibious plane. (Elmer Nickolson was our pilot). Up to this time we had flown on large Northern Pacific planes. When we landed in Tununak, the whole village was lined along the slough to get a first glimpse of the new schoolacktas (schoolteachers). There were several Native men who met the plane and helped us to the school building with our luggage and belongings. After escorting us to the school and explaining about things we needed to know at the beginning, one Eskimo gentleman remained. He worked very hard assisting in trying to start the Kohler generator so we might have electricity. All the Native gentlemen were a little shy, but very friendly and eager to help. (After a couple of days and much hard work, Bud and Bob Hooper did get the generator working). We were very glad to be at our journey’s end, but will never forget the grandness of the trip. Geneva Lusby August 1949

6: Tununak aerial views

7: Tununak & Cape Vancouver

8: Rock Cairn on top of Cape Vancouver

9: Petrified Wood

10: Graveyard

11: Tununak in the winter

15: HighTide: inlet bay Low Tide: mud flats Sometimes very high tide causes tidal waves and flooding.

16: Tununak School, Store and Village

19: WINTER

20: old deserted barge | barrels of fuel

21: North Star - 1949

23: Fishing, mail plane School motor boat, Omiak - skin boat | Leaving for Camp

24: Hooper Home (Top) and Catholic Churches at Tununak (R) and Nelson Island - winter village (L)

25: Earth Igloos | "monkey" and Tom

26: Earth Igloos - Winter | George Kanrelak and Family

27: dog teams going hunting

28: "mushing" - kids at play

29: Eskimo ladies and their children | Geneva's "little" ones

30: The School Children

31: 4th of July school picnic

33: National Guard of Tununak

34: Tununak School and Quarters | Bud (guess what's for dinner)

35: Bud & Gen

36: "That can't be an apple!" | Bud and Taliak

37: Gen and Peppi

38: Bud, Eddie & John | Alex & Tommy Hooper | Harry Going Fishing | Pete Fixing the Motor

39: Gen & Children | "Ma" Hooper | Rosie Hooper (ma's daughter) | "dummy"

40: Gen & David Aniak | Harry (store Keeper) with a Fox | Father Deschout

41: Professor from Copenhagen | Bud & Children | Harry (store Keeper) with a Fox

42: en route to Nunivak Island

43: Village on Nunivak Island

44: Gen, Joe, and trout

45: Nelson Island terrain and tundra grass hiked across to get home.

46: boating on the slough and a lame duck | Kwethluk on the Kuskokwim River | 11:30pm

47: more boating

48: Food for All * ice fishing * walrus * beluga | Paul

49: "we got a flipper" yum

51: Plane wreck on the sleugh, down from the school. Planes landed on plit in the sleugh when the tide is out. Widgeon-Tosh-pilot.

52: Kwethluk in the Winter | "Budgen Bumper" | Kuskokwim River

53: school boat dock | Russian Orthodox Church & Graveyard | Plane landing on the River

54: Kuskokwim R. ice breakup | Kuskokwim R. ice breakup | Kwethluk School & Village | Kwethluk School & Village

55: Russian Orthodox Church and Graveyard | Moravian Mission up the river | Moravian Mission up the river | Gen on "Budgen Bumper" | Gen on "Budgen Bumper"

56: Ruth, Gen & Ruth's sons Myers Family | Winsors | Mail Plane | Mike and Floyd (Wilson)

57: Olinka wife of the special assistant...took care of the babies while Gen taught | Kwethluk School Quarters | "It's duck for dinner!" | Gen + Bud

58: Olinka cleaning smelt | Nicolai & son, Ivan

59: Kwethluk garden and greenhouse

60: Kwethluk spring flood

61: Alphonse (above) Teresa & Sam repair a kayak (R) Girls in older group (below, R)

62: School

63: Ivan | Christmas Pageant

64: Gen with King & Ivan and sister | Alfred

65: Geneva and baby Stuart Sept. 1, 1951 - born in Bethel the first year in Kwethluk

66: sled dogs | going up the river

68: Pike Lake fishing camp | Cliff with a string of Pike & Grayling

69: Bethel ahead | Jim Hoffman Bush Pilot | Bethel Main St.

71: Jim and Floyd on "The Ark" waiting for Bud to go hunting...and some of the geese sent home.

72: Akiachuk (other station on the river) Fishwheel at Aniak

73: National Guard Unit of Kwethluk

74: Baby Stuart

75: Bud, Gen, Gene and Pete camping trip (Juneau)

76: Geneva, Laura, Stuart and Bud | Ruby and Harry visit Juneau

78: Mendenhal Glacier (1953) Bud, Stuart and Geneva

79: Frieda, Bud, Stu & Gen | Salmon!

80: Douglas House in Juneau

81: Mendenhal Glacier, Juneau | Bethel School (aerial)

82: Stuart and Laura Douglas House

83: Laura and Stuart Douglas House and School

84: Juneau 1955: Laura and Stuart | Douglas Parade

85: Selections from Bud's later trips to Alaska | Moe (North Star) and Bud

87: The End