The story of the accident that broke Erwin Hertz’s back, the Haines origin of the mannequin in the window of the Red Onion Saloon, and anecdotes from Howsers Café – before it became a grocery store – are included in “Glimpses: Stories of Alaska by Haines Pioneers.”
The 40-page booklet was compiled by Annette Smith of Haines and includes 15 stories, as told by Haines residents, many in the first-person. It’s illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings, including ones by Tresham Gregg, Merle Howser and Doris Armijo.
Authors include Lib and Whitey Hakkinen, Jane Bell, Don and Lucy Poling, and Louise Homstad.
“There’s some value to stories of Haines pioneers,” Smith said. “A lot of those are about how people came to Alaska and capturing their adventurous spirit. Nobody had a lot of money in those days, but they had a lot of energy, and it was an adventure.”
The book is the third in a “Pioneer Voices” series, joining two earlier editions published by the Haines Igloos of the Alaska Pioneers, “A Touch of Gold,” and “Frost on the Steam Pipes,” published in 1985 and 1986, respectively. Group historian Doris Ward got the project going in the 1980s, Smith said.
Smith said she used the computer program Instant Publisher to put together the stories and art. She said she intentionally made few edits, preferring to let the voices of the authors shine through.
The collection sells for $10 through the Pioneers of Alaska. It’s also available at the Babbling Book and King’s Store.