Cheryle Coapstick's Blog: That's Alaska

Firy's world, Sitka, Alaska, in the mid 20th century.

On of the few photos of my mom as a young woman. I love this picture with Mt. VERSTOVIA in the background.

Down a little hallway from the kitchen, Papa Bill added a back room. The cedar planks he used smelled of the woods. Part shed. Part workroom. Part pantry. Many activities took place in that room. Papa hung and butchered the season's deer. He taught Henry to use hand tools, Firy badgered Papa until he taught her as well.

On one side of the room Papa installed a cement sink. This is where he cleaned the ducks and the fish he caught. Twice a week Firy pulled the wringer washer over to that sink and connected the hoses. It took most of the morning to do the laundry.

Next to the sink Papa Bill cut a window, but did not install any glass Instead he made a thick wooden shutter to keep out the wind and weather.

After Firy pushed the washed and rinsed clothes through the wringers, she opened the shutter and hung the clothes on the line. Papa had rigged up a pulley system. Firy was glad she didn't have to haul baskets of clothes out to the line. That's Alaska!