Mosquitoes
The weekend of June 15th-16th 1935, the Matanuska Colony was buzzing with activity, rumors – and mosquitoes.
Buhach ad from the Anchorage Times, May 17th, 1935.
Buhach can from the Palmer Museum collection.
Arville Schaleben, “Mosquito Greatest Peril in Colony,” Milwaukee Journal, June 16th 1935.
The unusually wet spring meant hordes of mosquitoes for the crews in the woods building roads, cutting logs, and clearing land. Even in town, the mosquitoes were thick.
June 16th of 1935 was a Sunday, when the Catholic and Protestant churchgoers took turns holding services in the screened-in community hall, and in the evenings gathered for interdenominational singing. Reverend Bingle recalled:
“Here, for example, was one night when the mosquitoes drowned us out in our singing. . . As I battled them on my neck, hands, ankles, my sympathy went to new heights for my organist with her silk hosiery, pumping furiously on that little portable, not even her husband coming to her rescue. All went well with the service till someone suggested the song, ‘Shall We Gather At the River.’ Right then I felt like going on a ‘sitdown strike.’ I did not even want to consider gathering at any river if there were to be any more mosquitoes there than here, you know how rivers and mosquitoes mix.”
Photo from the ARRC photo album, Mary Nan Gamble collection, Alaska State Library. “Workers in the woods. Note mosquito netting.”
Arville Schaleben, “Mosquito Greatest Peril in Colony,” Milwaukee Journal, June 16th 1935.
Photo from the ARRC album. “Well drilling crew at lunch.”
Arville Schaleben, “Mosquito Greatest Peril in Colony,” Milwaukee Journal, June 16th 1935.
Alaskan novelty postcard from the Vasanoja family collection. Undated, probably around WWII.