Wrangell History Unlocked

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Thanks for 5 Years of Wrangell History

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Featured
Thanks for 5 Years of Wrangell History

Five years ago this month, I released my first podcast episode and officially began this journey as an amateur historian. Here’s what it means to me.

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More on the blog:
Thanks for 5 Years of Wrangell History
Thanks for 5 Years of Wrangell History
Presidential Passage: Warren G. Harding in Wrangell
Presidential Passage: Warren G. Harding in Wrangell
The Eyes of Skak-Ish-Tin
The Eyes of Skak-Ish-Tin
Time Capsule: A.C. Pillsbury’s 1898 Photos of Wrangell
Time Capsule: A.C. Pillsbury’s 1898 Photos of Wrangell
War Clouds: Liquor, the Gatling Gun, and the Death of Shegan
War Clouds: Liquor, the Gatling Gun, and the Death of Shegan
High Hopes: Wrangell’s Wrecked Ship That Became a Home
High Hopes: Wrangell’s Wrecked Ship That Became a Home
LandBack 1899: The Right to Kick
LandBack 1899: The Right to Kick
“We Teach in Alaska:” A Handbook for BIA Teachers in Alaska
“We Teach in Alaska:” A Handbook for BIA Teachers in Alaska
LandBack 1898: Kadashan Confronts the Past
LandBack 1898: Kadashan Confronts the Past
LandBack 1890: The Tlingit Hire a Lawyer
LandBack 1890: The Tlingit Hire a Lawyer
Wrangell’s Declining Presidential Turnout
Wrangell’s Declining Presidential Turnout
Fish Trapped: Salmon Streams of Wrangell’s APA Cannery
Fish Trapped: Salmon Streams of Wrangell’s APA Cannery
The Wrangell Population Project
The Wrangell Population Project
Etched in Memory: The Artwork of Vincent Colyer
Etched in Memory: The Artwork of Vincent Colyer
Walking the Bombardment of Wrangell
Walking the Bombardment of Wrangell
Reading Wrangell’s Historic Newspapers
Reading Wrangell’s Historic Newspapers
Capturing Wrangell: The Photos of Eadweard Muybridge
Capturing Wrangell: The Photos of Eadweard Muybridge
“Feed My Sheep:” The Letter That Brought Sheldon Jackson to Alaska
“Feed My Sheep:” The Letter That Brought Sheldon Jackson to Alaska
Wrangell Votes for U.S. House
Wrangell Votes for U.S. House
Who Killed Moses Shakes?
Who Killed Moses Shakes?
Wrangell Memorial Cemetery: City of the Dead, Playground of the Living
Wrangell Memorial Cemetery: City of the Dead, Playground of the Living
City Park Cemetery
City Park Cemetery
Star of Bengal Bonus: The Taylors’ Version
Star of Bengal Bonus: The Taylors’ Version
Paying Respects at the Choquette Family Cemetery
Paying Respects at the Choquette Family Cemetery
Shakes Grave
Shakes Grave
Dividing Line: The Etolin Harbor Breakwater
Dividing Line: The Etolin Harbor Breakwater
The Cannery at Labouchere Bay
The Cannery at Labouchere Bay
Troubled Waters: The Store That Sold Out Wrangell
Troubled Waters: The Store That Sold Out Wrangell
Walking John Muir’s Wrangell
Walking John Muir’s Wrangell
How Elephant's Nose Got Its Name
How Elephant's Nose Got Its Name

Story Map

Topics of Research

1869 Bombardment of Wrangell

Illustration of a night sky with stars, a small house with a glowing yellow window, and some totem-like statues in a rural landscape. Text overlay reads 'The Christmas Bombardment' in large yellow font.
Map of Wrangell, Alaska, showing a walking route from 1043 Case Avenue to Wrangell Medical Center, passing various streets, landmarks, and points of interest along the route.
Illustration of a man dressed as a historical military officer, wearing a dark uniform with white buttons, standing against a plain white background.
Historical military service oath document with decorative text, a crest in the center, and ornate handwriting.

BLOG: “Repugnance and Reluctance:” The Personnel Files of Lt. Melville Loucks.

BLOG: The Man Who Bombed Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw

BLOG: Walking the Bombardment of Wrangell

PODCAST: Episodes, research, and timeline

1870s The ArmY Era

Text overlay reading 'King Lear of Wrangell' on a background of buildings and trees.
A black background with text in white, red, and orange reading 'The Trial of John Boyd for the Murder of Thomas O'Brien'.
A portrait of an elderly man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a hat with red text, next to the text 'STRANGE CUSTOMS' on a vintage-style background.
Book cover with the title 'John Muir and the Fire on the Mountain' against a background of a mountain with fire and smoke.

PODCAST: In 1874, a scandal exploded when a career-criminal from Portland became the customs office for Fort Wrangel.

PODCAST: When world-renowned naturalist John Muir arrived in Fort Wrangel, his life changed forever.

PODCAST: The sad story of John Boyd, a gold-miner who was tried for murder in Fort Wrangel for cold-blooded murder.

PODCAST: The true life story of William King Lear, an influential Wrangell merchant who saw much change.

1908 Wreck of the Star of Bengal

Red background with the text 'Rise & Fall of the Star of Bengal' above a sailing ship and fish, with a star behind the ship.
Black and white image of a man with a bald head and serious expression, with red text that reads 'The James Kennedy Tapes'
Poster for the film 'Rise & Fall of the Star of Bengal' featuring a whale and a steamship in a circular design on a red background.
Map of a small harbor with labeled buildings including warehouse, lodgings, store house, mess house, and China house, next to Labouchere Bay, with marked areas for the airport runway, wharf, and cabins occupied by Indians. The map includes a north arrow and depicts surrounding green forest and blue water.

BLOG: Original audio of Bill Taylor telling his eyewitness account from aboard the Hattie Gage.

BLOG: A history of Labouchere Bay, the site of Wrangell’s APA cannery and the modern-day Wrangell Airport.

PODCAST: An unearthed, original audio recording of James Kennedy telling the story from the steamer Kayak.

PODCAST: Episodes, research, and timeline

The Roaring 1920s

Book cover titled 'The Murder of Harry Nakamoto' with illustrations of two flying cranes above a snake.
Historical black and white photo of a waterfront town with wooden buildings on stilts and a train track on a stone pier extending into the water, with hills and houses in the background.
Image of a woman with short blonde hair and glasses, with an American flag background, and text that reads 'Tillie-Paul Tamare & The Right to Vote'.
Old black and white photo of the Bear Yolem Store in Wrangell, Alaska, featuring animal statues outside including bears and a moose.

PODCAST: The landmark legal case that defined voting rights for Alaska Natives.

BLOG: A curios trading post for tourists that left Wrangell without its cuture.

BLOG: How the construction of a breakwater for Etolin Harbor changed life.

PODCAST: The true story of the 1921 murder of Harry Nakamoto.