No,·emlX'r 2017 Nc"slcltcr ~ Kenai Historical Society ~ P.O. Box 1348 Kenai, Alaska 99611 ~ ·- ~ Board of Directors: Officers: President- June Harris Joe Harris Betty ldlcman Vice President-Virginia Walters Bill Nelson Dave Thompson Secretary-Sharon Fisher Frosty Walters Treasurer- Katherine Thompson Preserving History When Kitty Thompson asked if I would be interested in an INSIDE THIS ISSUE: article about researching the origin of the name of Pickle Hill, I had recently read a thread in the website of Growing Up on the Kenai on the same subject. I was curious as to what she had learned and asked her to send it to me. As I read it, I im­ • PRESERVlNG HISTORY mediately identified with some of her thoughts. Researching is a lot like wandering through a maze- -you find information that takes you nowhere, you get sidetracked time after time, • RES.EARCH ADVENTURE and you are lucky if you ever find a complete or final answer by Kitty Thompson because a lot of information out there is questionable, incom­ • November 2017 Minutes plete, and sometimes outright false. Over the years, as I be­ came interested in trying to record and preseive local history, • THE GENERAL STORES OF the trail remains enticing and somewhat elusive. KENAI by Cori Fandel in a 1975 Kenai High School pro­ I am including in this newsletter a narrative prepared 4 dec­ ject "Narratives of the Kenai­ ades ago as a Kenai High School History Classes Project. I Soldotna Communil y chose this particular story from that booklet because it con­ • ANNOUNCEMENTS tains further information on the history of stores in the Kenai area, and further information about the character I have writ­ ten about before-Bill Dawson (or as in the narration, Daws­ in). • •••••••••••••• KENAJ HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLE'ITER Written by Sharon Fishe.r If you would like lo contribute ideas and information to the newsletter, please contact me at 776-8254. l welcome and would entertain any ideas you may have for articles, and would appreciate being contacted if you see errors in the information con· tained in the newsletter. RESEARCH ADVENTURE Recently, during our daily drive around Kenai and to get a coffee, friend husband (thank you Pastor Chuck for the kind term) asked or rather urged me to "find out how Pickle Hill got its name." Well, that sounds simple enough, right? My first step, of course, is the World Wide Web. You can find everything you need to know there. Google gave me many articles that caught my attention: There is of course, PICKLE HILL BROADCASTING - KDLL Lany and Loraine Lancashire filed for a 160-acre homestead and built their cabin on top of Pickle Hill in the 195o's. They lived there the rest of their lives. Loren Stewart homesteaded at mile 2 of the Kenai River in 1946. He published the Cheechako newspa­ per starting in 1959. He and his wife, Dorothy, chose the name of their first child by closing their eyes and putting their finger on a peninsula map. Where the finger landed was to be the child's first name. The child's name ended up being 'Nikishka.' Later the child, Niki, was told this story and she said "I am glad my parents did not put their finger on Pickle Hill." Oh, by the way, the Cbeechako subscription rate was $1 for 3 months. It was published till 1986. The Peninsula Clarion started daily publication 1982. The Redoubt Reporter had a few interesting tidbits on the world wide web. One of these articles was interesting AND informative. Marge Mullen remembers a Pickle Creek when she arrived in the area in 1947. Al Hersberger, who worked for the Alaska Road Commission from 1948-1951, remembers lots of names of creeks on maps. There were animal names (beaver, mink, otter) and table top items (salt, pepper, sugar, and pickle). The creek flowing in to the Kenai River west of the Kenai Senior Center was called SHK'ITUKTNU. The NU at the end means "flowing water" (something else to research!). The flat park like area to the other side of the Senior Center was a Dena'ina village called SHK'ITUK'T meaning "we slide down." So they made use of the steep river bank to the river. The Civil Aeronautics Administration took over this land in the 195o's for their facilities and family housing. The Dena'ina bad left many years before. That information brought me to my "research" in the book Once Upon The Kenai. An article in that book was written by my long-time friend Judy (Spiller) Queen. Judy is an old timer here (even though she is much younger than me). When she was 12 years old, her family moved to the metropolis of Kenai from Moses Point (population 17). Judy tells of living in the FAA housing right there. One of the fun things the children of the families living there enjoyed was watclting the trash going down the chutes from the bluff to the river. Cans and everything else went splashing into the river. All I can think is if the environmentalist were around than as they are today, the Spiller family would still be in shackles. Did I mention the FAA built a chute for each family to use. 2 So now on to some more research, where else? A place we can find news, weather, political opinions, sports scores, friendship, live events, and wishes for all occasions. You got it-Facebook. In particu­ lar, one belonging to a group called:"A WORK IN PROGRESS-GROWING UP ON THE KENAI", I posted the question, How did Pickle Hill get its name? Boy, I got answers: Art M. - I found my thrill on Pickle Hill. (wrong hill I think) Mark B. - Named after the last territorial governor of Ridgeway, Dilliard R. Pickle. (OK I get it, funny one) Diana J. - When the road was being built, the man operating the tractor would slide and get stuck and call it in saying "send help, I'm in a pickle. ( I gave that a Heart response. For all you non -facebookers, that means "I loved" that answer, a little more emotional than a thumbs-up like.) Harry A. and mayor W. - Ifyou are going too fast, you could be in a pickle. Dennis J. - a truck load of pickles went on it's side and everyone said "you know the hill that had all the pickles all over it." (my question, why would there be a truck load of pickles coming to this area in the 4o's and so's? Who would eat them?) Mike W. - Ashlyn E. - The shape of the hill. (I looked at a topographical map and just could not see a pickle.) Carol B. - no one told me but I thought because it is a pickle to get up in icy weather. (Always my thoughts also.) While on Facebook I "discovered" many pictures of Kenai buildings that I probably knew about, but it was great to refresh my memory. The former post office/thrift store beside the Cabin Park is still empty. The many uses of the Civic League Building and Art Guild beside the Cabin Park also. I had a desire to see more pictures of Old Kenai. I went back to Once Upon The Kenai and Snapshots and spent hours there. A little old out of the way bar called Kenai Joe's has a history of serving the people of the Kenai area for many years. The folks at Kenai Joe's, John Consiel and Fred Miller, went above and beyond the responsibility of a business. True dedication by our early pioneers. The first phones in Kenai were battery operated. Gee that is where we are today. The Representative from Kenai to the 111t Alaska State Legislature in 1959 was Allan Peterson. There was also a representative from Chicken,Alaska. But as the wee small hours of the morning approach, I best bring my research to a close. By the way, ifyou know how Pickle Hill got the name, please let me know. I can tell friend husband the answer and perhaps he can give me another research adventure. Kitty Thompson 3 KENAI HISTORICAL SOCIETY MINUTES *** NOVEMBER 2017 On Sunday, November 6, 2017, the Kenai Historical Society met at the Kenai Visitor's and Convention Center in Kenai. President June Harris opened the meeting at 1:34 p.m. The minutes of the September 10, 2017 meeting were reviewed by the membership and approved with the exception of a typo. Treasurer Kitty Thompson reported the Alaska USA checking balance stands at $9772.61 (2017 YTD dividend $3.53) and our Credit Union Money Market account balance Is $10,294.52 (2017 YTD divi­ dend $19.21). The Edward Jones Account is $26,675.95 (cash of $1,251.38 and invested amount of $25,424.57). These values are after the withdrawal of $1000 for the scholarship payout. There Is no current update on the Kenai Community Foundation Account., but a quarterly report will be given in December. President June Harris report on the cabins Park, the account balance is $15,557.61, with $6000 earmarked for the payment of the 2018 summer docent. Money will also be taken out for the slgnage of the Swanson River monument now sitting outside the Visitor Center. Joe Harris moved, and Virginia Walters seconded the ac­ ceptance of the financial report, which was approved without objection. Our membership count Is 62. Old Business: In September we voted to contribute $1000 toward the fencing of the drift boat by the Moosemeat John cabin.