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As part of this month’s #SpookyNews as the theme of this month’s #ChronAmParty, here’s an article about Chirikof Islands that reads as though it came straight from Washington Irving. A former Russian penal colony, Chirikof Island is currently a part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge for livestock. ... 📷: From the June 1, 1918 issue of the Iditarod Pioneer, text reads: “It Holds No Lure for Prospector: There is one place in Alaska that holds no lure for the prospector, the fox farmer, or the agriculturist. It is Chirikoff Island about eighty miles south west of Kodiak, declares mail advices from Kodiak. Lonely in its solitude, stern and forbidding, wrapped in eternal mists, frowning and sullen, Chirikoff is the island of ghosts. Surrounded by dangerous reefs and stormy seas, it is at best an uninviting place and is seldom visited unless stress of storm make a landing there imperative. Those whom necessity have compelled to stop there tell harrowing tales of the unseen inhabitants of that desolate place, of the moans and cries which filled the air during the hours of darkness, and drove them at the first opportunity to seek other shelter. For Chirikoff, according to the legends of the natives, was the prison of the early Russian inhabitants of Kodiak. To this bleak and desolate island were banished the offenders against the Russian law or the edicts of the officials in command of the Russian settlement. There was no escape and the unfortunates, prey to horrible sufferings, from hunger and exposure eked out an existence until death relieved them of their sufferings. Many years have passed since the last of these unfortunates died but their restless spirits still roam, according to the tales of the natives, this bleak and desolate island, filling the air with their lamentations and the clanking of their chains.” Image description: News article bordered by a photograph of a forest with dark tree branches and fog. ... #NDNP #ChroniclingAmerica #GhostStory #ChirikofIsland #Haunted #PenalColony #Kodiak #HauntedPlaces #Ghost #👻 #💀

Today we celebrate #IndigenousPeoplesDay in Alaska! Did you know that Alaska is home to the largest indigenous population relative to state population? According to the National Congress of American Indians, 19.5% of Alaska's population are Alaska Native. Pictured is a map that shows the many Alaska Native tribes throughout Alaska and Canada (📷: University of Alaska Fairbanks.)

Don a “fetch”-ing pink ensemble- it’s Wednesday AND #MeanGirlsDay aka October 3rd! And because we live here in Alaska, we can’t forget about the pink salmon! ... 📷: Julia Bottomley’s "The Very Latest Styles" column from the July 17, 1919 issue of the Cordova daily times, featuring a photo of a woman wearing a blouse and skirt. Text reads: “Pink Crepe de Chine Skirt: This is a charming box-plaited skirt of pink crepe de chine. The coatee is of pink georgette crepe edged with the same material, embroidered in pink and blue flowers, and a sash of blue brocaded ribbon.” ... Article from the September 18, 1915 issue of the Valdez daily prospector. Text reads: “’Pink’ Fish Likely to Come Here: If the scheduled run of “pink” fish fails to materialize on Puget Sound– and it is now twenty days overdue– Southeastern Alaska salmon canners this year will make fortunes. Pink salmon in unlimited numbers have been the catch in Southeastern Alaska this summer and it is because of the great abundance of that variety of salmon that has enabled all Southeastern Alaska canneries to register record packs. If the pink run is a failure on Puget Sound, and all signs point that way, Southeastern Alaska’s pack will control the market- at the expense of the Sound and Westward canners. Reports from Seattle are that only 40,000 cases of red salmon have been packed for the entire Puget Sound district, which has a canning capacity of 5,000,000 cases. About 1,100,000 cases has been the average pack on Puget Sound. A prominent canneryman told the Empire last night that he would not be surprised to see pink salmon yet quoted at $5.00 a case. Sixty-five cents a case is the usual opening price for that species of salmon, but as the red salmon pack in Southeastern Alaska this season fell off considerably, the pinks will be the headliner, it is believed. –Juneau Empire." ... #October3 #OnWednesdaysWeWearPink #ThePlastics #TinaFey #PinkSalmon #PinkCrepeDeChine #Fashion #WildAlaskaSalmon #CordovaAlaska #ValdezAlaska #JuneauAlaska #ThatsSoFetch #NDNP #ChroniclingAmerica #HistoricNewspapers #YouGoGlenCoco

Who could use a hot cup of coffee today? 🙋🏻☕️I have just returned from Washington, D.C. from the annual National Digital Newspaper Program meeting, where I had the pleasure of meeting project representatives from all over the country. More photos from my travels to come! For now, it is #InternationalCoffeeDay and I could use a few cups to combat jet-lag: a 4 hour time difference from Eastern Standard Time back to Alaska Standard Time is no joke! Swipe for a collection of coffee ads from historic Alaska newspapers: ... 📷: Advertisement from the 3/9/1916 issue of the Cordova daily times for Cordova Cooperative Trading Company. Text reads: “COFFEE. Every family uses Coffee. Buy this week and save one-third. Cordova Co-operative Trading Co.” ... 📷: Advertisement from the 12/5/1914 issue of the Cordova daily times for Dwight Edwards Coffee. Text reads: “Kinney has a corner on Coffee. What we mean is COFFEE not the wishy-wishy kind you have been buying and nicknamed coffee. One can of Dwight Edwards will convince you that we are right.” ... 📷: Advertisement from the 1/16/1912 issue of the Daily Alaskan (Skagway) for Universal Percolators. Text reads: “President Taft is Fond of Good Coffee: Water from Dewey Falls, White House Coffee from Boston, and a Universal Percolator. With this combination you have the means of putting delicious, wholesome coffee on your table within SEVEN MINUTES. Think what this means. Gathered together from the three corners of the world in this remote possession of Uncle Sam’s you are enabled to serve President Taft with as good a cup of coffee as it is possible to get anywhere on earth, and a cup of coffee that would not cause his honor indigestion or any bad after effects. Of course it would be necessary for “Billy” to come up to your house in order to get the coffee hot. That would be the only difficult part in serving President Taft with a cup of the best coffee on earth, for C.W. Ask & Sons have the Universal Percolators and the White House Coffee, and the Water—well that is easy.” ... #HistoricNewspapers #NDNP #ChroniclingAmerica #Coffee #Caffeine #JetLag #MondayMorning #MondayMood #CordovaAlaska #SkagwayAlaska #DeathBeforeDecaf

This week, Alaska Historical Newspaper is participating in a state swap with Nevada. Swipe left for highlights from Nevada historical news coverage: ... 📷: From the Elko independent, 01 Aug. 1916. Text reads: ”Shoshone Indian Camp, at the outskirts of Elko, showing the ancient type of tepees still used by a few of these stalwart aborigines, who love the great out-doors. Indian mothers, bearing the papoose upon their backs, giant braves and troops of youngsters, are seen daily upon the streets of Elko, lending the city the requisite “Wild-West” flavor so confidently expected by the “Tenderfoot” tourist. These Indians are the last of a once mighty tribe and their present average superb physique and energy of action attest the prowess and superiority of their ancestors.” … 📷: Ad from the Tonopah daily bonanza, 03 Nov. 1909. Text reads: “Silver Bow Mining and Milling Company: Incorporated under the laws of Nevada capitalized for 1,500,000 shares at a par value of $1.00 each. The Company owns 14 full claims and two fractions in the heart of the Silver Bow Mining District. Two shafts have been sunk, one 60 feet and the other 70 feet in depth and both have encountered ore…There are numerous veins exposed on the surface from which assays ranging from $1.00 to $300 have been received.” … 📷: From the Carson City daily appeal, 07 Dec. 1920. Text reads: “Town of Rhyolite Deserted: Only two persons are residing in Rhyolite now, according to the statements of Roy Taylor and Roy Gillen, who have just returned from that place, where they have been for the purpose of removing a heating plant from the First National bank building. The two people are Mrs. Dyer and her son. She is the proprietress of the Mayflower hotel, but business is evidently dull in that town, for Mr. Taylor and Mr. Gillen were the first guests since last February who have stayed more than one night at the hotel. In its boom days the town had 7,000 or 8,000 residents, but the houses were rapidly falling into decay now and not even a prospect is being developed in that section. According to the men who have just returned, the town is truly a 'ghost city'."-Tonopah Bonanza. ... #ChronAmParty #StateSwap

Such an honor to visit the offices of the Nome Nugget, which has been publishing on Front Street since 1900! Swipe left for more photos: ... 📷: Exterior of the Nome Nugget office. ... 📷: Drafting table for newspaper layouts, with a current issue on the table. ... 📷: Antique printing block with an illustration of a man and a dog, used to imprint images (often for advertisements) on newsprint. Behind the block are drawers full of printing letters that had to be set for each issue. ... 📷: Desk opposite drafting table that features photographs, older issues, certificates, a paper cutter, trophies, and memorabilia. ... 📷: Bound volumes of the Nome Nugget dating from 1934- present day. ... #NomeNugget #NomeAlaska #NDNP #AlaskaDigitalNewspapers #HistoricNewspapers #ChroniclingAmerica #LibraryOfCongress #AlaskaStateLibrary #SoCool #NoPlaceLikeNome

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