Local history

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center as seen on March 14, 2025. (Photo by Laurie Craig)

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center: Preserving the past, greeting the future

Generations of architects and naturalists have navigated through mass evolution of visitors and ice.

 

A path leading from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in 1962. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

The original road to the glacier

Despite the flurry of activity and development proposals in the 1960s, the first road to the glacier was not constructed for scenic access. It was… Continue reading

A path leading from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in 1962. (U.S. Forest Service photo)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on May 1, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on May 1, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Tuesday, April 18, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Tuesday, April 18, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on April 13, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on April 13, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on April 9, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on April 9, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 25, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 25, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 16, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 16, 1995. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 9, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 9, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 4, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on March 4, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 23, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 23, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 19, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 19, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 12, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 12, 1985. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 8, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Feb. 8, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
MXAK’s executive director Steve White watches the wall of monitoring screens as maritime information specialist Jason Hort (foreground) tracks vessels transiting the North Pacific. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

Buying time: Juneau’s Marine Exchange of Alaska saves lives, cargo, communities and wildlife

Two retired Coast Guard captains lead team providing data to ensure safe transit for hundreds of vessels.

MXAK’s executive director Steve White watches the wall of monitoring screens as maritime information specialist Jason Hort (foreground) tracks vessels transiting the North Pacific. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 24, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 24, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 24, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The front page of the Juneau Empire on Jan. 24, 1995. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A dump truck carries away a load of debris during demolition work on the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mine steam power plant Nov. 20, 2024. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)

Going, going…gone: A historic AJ Mine building disappears

Power plant built in 1916 kept Juneau’s economic engine charged for decades before falling into disrepair.

A dump truck carries away a load of debris during demolition work on the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mine steam power plant Nov. 20, 2024. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)