William A. Hagevik was born on January 17, 1930 in Ketchikan.

He graduated from Ketchikan High School, and attended the University of Washington and University of Alaska Fairbanks.r

He married Rosemary Wagoner in 1962, and had children, Bill Hagevik, Barbara Hagevik-Douchet, Beth Hagevik of Santa Cruiz, California, Ann Bogge of Everett, Washington, and a daughter that died as an infant, Karen.  Barbara married Bill Doucet of Lake Stevens, Washington and had a daughter, Danielle Doucet.

He served as a captain in the Ketchikan Fire Department. He moved to Douglas in 1969. He worked at the SOA Director of fire service training, retiring in 1985. He created the first marine firefighting training center which simulates firefighting onboard of a ship.  The Southeast fire training center in Juneau is named after him.  Havevik was twice named the Alaska State Firefighter of the Year in 1966 and 1984. He aware distinguished as the National Volunteer Firefighter of the Year in 1990, and was an honorary member of several other fire departments in the state.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting, studying history and the workings of masted sailing ships.

He died 23 October 23, 1991 at home of Diabetes at age 61, and was buried in the Douglas City Cemetery. Services were held at the Cathedral of the Nativity. Pallbearers include Gordon Bruton, Romer Derr, Al Dwyer, John Feero, Win Germain, Al Judson, Ted McIntire, Ernie Polley, Louie Pusich, Lou Ridle, and Tom Take.  He was survived by his siblings, Al Hagevik and Dorothy Hagevik of Ketchikan.

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James Stevenson was born in 1884

He died in Ketchikan on June 9, 1926 at age 42, and was buried in the Douglas Eagles Cemetery.

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Virginia Margaret Pakke was a Charter Member of Juneau Igloo Women's Auxilary Number 6. 

She born in Wellsburg Brook County, West Virginia on April 9, 1863. She arrived in Sitka, Alaska in May 1886 and was a school teacher at the government school, later known as Sheldon Jackson Community College.

She was married by Sheldon Jackson to Bernard "B.M." Behrends on October 25, 1889. They had one daughter Beatrice Margaret born in Juneau on September 25, 1893.

Virginia Behrends died of pneumonia on February 12, 1936 in Ketchikan while returning from a trip south.

1910 U.S. Federal Census Juneau, Alaska Vital Records Record of Deaths, Evergreen Cemetery Burial Record

Venetia Ellizabeth Pugh was a Charter Member of Juneau Igloo Women's Auxilary Number 6.

She was born in the U.S. Customs House in Ketchikan on August 13, 1904 to John F. "Jack" and Venetia L. Pugh.

The family moved to Skagway in 1904 and to Juneau in 1909 where her father was assigned as the Collector of Customs for the District of Alaska. Her father was aboard the S.S. Princess Sophia when she ran aground and sank at Vanderbilt Reef near Juneau with no survivors.

After her father's death she and her mother moved into the Baranof Hotel. Her mother started a tea house and she worked there and at the Baranof Gift Shop.

She graduated from Juneau High School in 1922 and from the University of Washington in 1927 and began a 30-year career as clerk of the District Court.

She married Karl Austin Hahn on October 12, 1935 and they moved to Skagway. Their son Karl A. was born in Skagway, Alaska in July of 1939.

The Hahn family and Venetia's mother moved to Anchorage in 1947 and lived on Government Hill in a Quonset hut until 1953.

She retired from the Clerk of the Court Office in 1969. Karl and Venetia moved to the Anchorage Pioneer's Home in 1987. Venetia died at the Anchorage Pioneer's Home on January 11, 1999.

1910 U.S. Federal Census Juneau; 1940 U.S. Federal Census Skagway; Gastineau Channel Memories, Vol 1, p. 425.; Daily Alaska Empire 10-12-1935; Juneau Empire 1-18-1999; Anchorage Daily News 1-14-1999 85

Venetia Lauretta Fehr was Charter Member of Juneau Igloo Women's Auxilary Number 6.

She was born in in October 1878 in Cullman County, Alabama to Martin Fehr and Elizabeth K. Manshardt.

She married John Fraser Pugh in Alameda County, California on December 20, 1900 and they moved to Skagway arriving on March 18, 1900. Her husband was appointed to the U.S. Customs Service in June 1902 and they were transferred to
Ketchikan. Their daughter, Venetia Elizabeth was born there on August 13, 1904. They were transferred back to Skagway in 1905 and to Juneau in 1909.

Her husband John was the Collector of Customs for the District of Alaska and he perished on the wreck of the S.S. Princess Sophia on October 25, 1918.

Veneta and her daughter worked in Juneau for the District Clerk of the U.S. Court. Venetia remarried to District Judge Thomas M. Reed on February 24, 1924 in Seattle. They resided in Juneau.

Venetia died in November 1967 in Anchorage, Alaska.

1910/1920 U.S. Federal Census Juneau; Gastineau Channel Memories Vol 1.,p 425, Washington Marriage Records; Alaska Daily Empire 2-25-1924

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Olson was Charter Member of Juneau Igloo Women's Auxilary Number 6.

She was born in May 1869 in Wisconsin.

She married Frederick Price on November 15, 1890 in Seattle. They had five children born in Washington. Hazel was born born in May 1892, Emily born in January 1895, Eleanor was born in in May 1898, Owen born in November 1900, and Myrtle was born in April 1907.

The family was recorded in Nome during the 1910 Census and Frederick was working as a miner. The family lived in Juneau in 1920 Census.

Elizabeth was widowed and living in Ketchikan with her youngest dauther, Myrtle Barnell in 1940.

Elizabeth died on September 8, 1958 in Tacoma, Washington.

1900 U.S. Federal Census Seattle; 1910 U.S. Federal Census Nome; 1920 U.S. Federal Census Juneau; 1940 U.S. Federal Census Ketchikan

Alice J. King was Charter Member of Juneau Igloo Women's Auxilary Number 6.

She was born in August 1889 in Alaska to Nicholas and Alice Devlin King.

She married Francis "Frank" W. Pettygrove in 1909. They had a son, Francis W who was born 1911 in Juneau. They divorced in 1924.

She was the proprietor of a store in 1920.

Alice remarried to Dr. William P. Kirby on February 16; 1925. They lived in Seldovia in 1940 where he practiced
general medicine and she was a nurse.

Alice died on November 1, 1954 in Ketchikan.

1900/1910 U.S. Federal Census Douglas; 1920/1930 U.S. Federal Census Juneau; 1940 U.S. Federal Census Seldovia;
Douglas Island Weekly News 11-10-1909 marriage; Alaska Daily Empire 12-9-1922; Alaska Daily Empire 9-27-1924;
Alaska Daily Empire 2-18-1925

Alaska Native Tlingit and Haida people reportedly occupied Southeast Alaska for hundreds of years prior to European contact.

The Haida lived primarily in the southwestern portion of Southeast Alaska, while the Tlingit resided in the rest of the region. The Auk, Taku and Sumdum tribes of Tlingit people lived in what is now the City and Borough of Juneau at the time George Vancouver's crew noticed smoke from a campfire at an Auke Bay village. This first recorded account of the Auks was in 1794.

In 1867, The United States bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. Gold was known to exist in Southeast Alaska as early as the 1860s located in a string of highly mineralized deposits along the coastline from Windham Bay to Berners Bay.

George Pilz, a Sitka miner, was convinced that gold existed in the Gastineau Channel area when Chief Kowee of the Auk people brought him ore from the mouth of what was to be called Gold Creek. He outfitted two prospectors, Richard T. Harris and Joseph Juneau, and sent them to investigate. Following the creek to its headwaters in Silverbow Basin, they staked a claim on October 4, 1880.

Harris and Juneau established a 160 acre townsite at the beach near the mouth of Gold Creek on October 18, 1880 and named it Harrisburg. In early 1881, a town meeting resulted in the name being changed to Rockwell in honor of the Naval Commander that was sent to the area to establish law and order. By the end of 1881, Joe Juneau lobbied the local miners, complaining nothing in the district had been named for him, and it was agreed to change the town's name to Juneau. In 1900, Juneau was incorporated and named the seat of government for the Alaska Territory.

As early placer mining operations gave way to large underground mines, transportation of vast amounts of goods, materials, and people became increasingly important. The glacial, mountainous, and coastal terrain surrounding the Juneau area made overland transportation impossible. The only reasonable options were by sea and later air.

Juneau's harbor developed with a number of ship docks to handle the influx of commerce to support the growing community. By1901, the Pacific Coastal Steamship Company had a wharf and warehouse facility at the subject site. The facility served the shipping needs of the community until 1924, when Pacific Coastal was purchased by Admiral Line, a competing shipping company, and moved to another location on Juneau's waterfront.

The Juneau Motor Company purchased the property in 1924, and erected a garage and office on the wharf to serve their new business. This was Juneau's first Ford dealership as automobiles became popular.

Aviation history was made on April 15, 1929, when Enscel Eckmann flew into Juneau in his Lockheed Vega named "Juneau." It was the first non-stop flight from Seattle to Alaska. Shortly after arriving, Eckmann formed Alaska-Washington Airways, Juneau's first airline. Alaska-Washington Airways operated out of a hangar built atop a large log raft anchored in front of the Juneau Motor Company facility. During the 1930s there were a number of companies providing float plane service out of the Juneau Harbor. These included Alaska Southern Airways, Pacific Alaska Airways, Panhandle Air Transport,Alaska Air Transport, and Marine Airways.

In 1936, the Juneau Motor company's building and dock were demolished by Alaska Air Transport (AAT) to make way for a hangar and repair shop. Local investors funded the hangar which was built to house five planes. The 5,000 square foot hangar was used in conjunction with a floating hangar already owned by AAT. A wood and steel ramp connected the new hangar to the sea level floating dock allowing loading/unloading of passengers and cargo.

In addition, a lift system, composed of a long boom, slings, pulleys and railroad tracks,was developed to lift planes out of the water and transport them into the hangar on the wharf. The 'crane' was designed by Shell Simmons and used for the first time to lift AAT's Bellanca on August 27, 1936.

Fire destroyed the Alaska Air Transport hangar on June 10, 1938. The Daily Alaska Empire (currently Juneau Empire) reported the fire started from a welding torch that ignited the fabric of a Bellanca Skyrocket float plane. Damage from the fire was estimated at $25,000 and included destruction of the Bellanca Skyrocket, substantial damage to the buildinq, and destruction of machinery, parts and tools. The buildinq was insured and plans were made to rebuild.

Sheldon "Shell" Simmons, owner of Alaska Air Transport, was quoted as saying, "We're in the flying business, same as usual."

Between 1938 and 1939,a new Alaska Air Transport hangar was constructed. In July 1940, Alaska Air Transport and Marine Airways merged to become Alaska Coastal Airlines. After the merger the new company purchased the hangar from the private owner from whom they had been leasing. In 1946, the building underwent a major renovation including a hangar addition of approximately 10,000 square feet. In addition, office space was added in 1951, and a baggage handling area was constructed in 1957. In the 1950's, Alaska Coastal Airlines served 33 towns throughout Alaska, only four of which had airports. Alaska Coastal Airlines was recognized as a model of independency because they were at least 1,000miles away from any repair-shop or parts department, thus all servicing and repairs were done in house.

In the July1959 issue of Popular Mechanics the article, "Alaska's Flying Bus Line", praised Alaska Coastal Airlines as being, "...a most unique air operation that's a tribute to old-fashioned American ingenuity." Many innovations came out of the Alaska Coastal Airlines hangar over the years, in order to combat the harsh Alaska climate and lack of available parts as well as making planes more efficient. Alaska Coastal Airlines retrofitted the first "Turbo Goose" by replacing the original engines with Pratt and Whittney PT6A turboprops.

Coastal Ellis Airlines continued their operations out of the Alaska Coastal hangar. They owned and operated the greatest exclusively amphibian airline in the world, with the largest fleet of the legendary Grumman Goose in private hands. Today five of Alaska Coastal Ellis Airline planes sit in museums around the world. These museums include the McChord Air Force Museum in Washington, DC, the National Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa, the Tongass Historical Museum in Ketchikan, the Yanks Air Museum in Greenfield,California, and the Swedish Air Force Museum in Linkoping.

In 1968, Alaska Airlines purchased Alaska Coastal Ellis Airlines. Alaska Airlines did not wish to continue float plane operations based out of the Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar building, so Dean Williams and Bill Bernhardt formed Southeast Skyways in late 1968 to fill the void, renting the hangar facility from Alaska Airlines. Southeast Skyways was strictly charter until 1969, when Alaska Airlines asked Southeast Skyways to take over the former Alaska Coastal Ellis Airline routes.

In 1974, Henry Camarot, Louis Dischner, and Frank Irich purchased the Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar. The building was remodeled for use as a retail center with restaurants, shops, and offices. They named the bulldinq "Merchant's Wharf" which continues to serve as a retail center today.

About this time Southeast Skyways was purchased by Wings of Alaska. Although the hangar and repair facilities have been converted to retail uses, Wings of Alaska continues to operate from a floating dock to serve the tourist trade. These floats and associated aircraft activity are reminiscent of former operations at this location and serve as a reminder of the history and historic events of this aspect of Juneau's past.

Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar Historic Survey, September 2006

The Alaska Steam Laundry Company building at 174 South Franklin Street is an excellent architectural example of an important commercial enterprise which bridged the historical continuity of 19th and 20th Century Juneau.

When it became apparent after the 1880 placer gold strike that Juneau would not be a quick "boom and bust" camp —but rather would enjoy a long, prosperous future, with great mechanized mills, mines and a large payroll of miners, it grew more progressively than other mining camps and reached a level of sophistication surpassing any other in Alaska in the 19th Century.

This was assured by, first, the Treadwell mines, just across the narrow Gastineau Channel on Douglas Island. Deep mining started there in 1882, and by 1885, four corporate groups were mining with several stamp mills and a smelter were in operation.

In 1890 all operations at Douglas consolidated into the great Alaska Treadwell Gold Mining Company. It had then produced $14,000,000 from its four mines and 880 stamps in five mills. It would add some $40 million more to this by 1917 when wiped-out by an unexpected ocean cave-in.

On the Juneau side, starting the same pattern only a few years later, the Alaska-Juneau Gold Company, began acquiring all claims in that district, combined into one great mine and mill which operated up to 1948 and produced $67 million in gold.

Juneau was officially made the capitol of Alaska in 1900, with the executive offices gradually moved from Sitka by 1906. This brought about the residence here of most of the territorial and federal employees in Alaska, in seven territorial departments and 27 federal offices.

At Tacoma, Washington in 1894, Ernest Reinholt Jaeger and his wife, Anna Jaeger, flipped a coin to determine whether they should move to Hawaii or Alaska. The coin favored Alaska.

In January, 1895, Mr. Jaeger selected Juneau as the most promising business location in the Territory, and arrived by steamship from Seattle. Because of the extensive payroll of miners and millworkers—mostly single—laundry and cleaning was a lucrative enterprise.

He leased the Juneau Steam Laundry from A.H. Day, then located in log cabin on the hillside at the end of 2nd just beyond where the Baranof Hotel was later built.

Anna joined him in March, traveling on the maiden voyage of the new flagship of the leading Alaska line, Willapa. The Jaeger family, soon increased by the birth of a daughter. Hazel Jaeger, lived in an adjoining cabin and operated the laundry from there for several years. Then they moved to a larger existing building on Front Street.

Having prospered, he decided to build a show-case operation which would have outlets in Apollo, Valdez, Sitka, Ketchikan and Wrangell; thus the name: Alaska Steam Laundry.

The Jaeger's resided in the master apartment upstairs while Hazel attended local schools. Then they built a home on Fourth Avenue.

While attending Juneau High School, Hazel was a classmate of James Simpson MacKinnon AKA Sim MacKinnon, son of a pioneer Fortymile and Juneau mining family.

Hazel attended Mills College in California and then returned to Thane, Alaska to teach.

Sim MacKinnon was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated as an officer.

They were married in 1923 and spent several years in the Orient, where their son, J.S. Jr., was born, at Manila.

In 1926 Slim retired from the Navy and returned to Juneau to take over management of his Father-in-law’s laundry business.

No longer "Alaska Steam", nor at the same location, the business continued into the fourth generation with grandson Neil MacKinnon, who graduated from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

Alaska Steam Laundry is one of the better existing examples of the transition of Juneau from mining camp to Capital City.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination form