Peek at the Past: A look back in Mat-Su's history

As it appeared in the Jan. 29, 1953 Frontiersman

Council approves pay increases for city employees

Members of the city council voted Tuesday night to increase the salary of the city clerk to $600 a month starting Feb. 1.

Additional pay increases were granted to the telephone operators who will receive $1.50 an hour, with the chief operator to receive $1.75 an hour.

New Alaska Hospital Association formed

Nine representatives of nonfederal territorial hospitals attended a two-day seminar in Anchorage.

Representing the Valley Hospital was O.K. Kincaid, manager, who was elected treasurer/secretary of the new group.

March of Dimes

donation set

The Palmer American Legion and Auxiliary donated $17 to the March of Dimes this past week, Bill Rempel, March of Dimes director announced.

Another donation of $35.19 was received by the committee this week from a fund dating back to 1946.

In that year, a Fourth of July committee raised money for activities.

Recently, while settling the estate of the late C.C. Brix, the money was discovered and it was decided the money should be donated to the March of Dimes, since the money was originally intended for the betterment of the community.

At the Co-op, you could buy a 50-pound bag of flour for $7.40 and a jar of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee spaghetti sauce for 18 cents.

At Koslosky's Department Store, a pound of tomatoes cost 29 cents, a pound of lettuce was 39 cents and a pound of bananas was 33 cents. A dollar went a long way toward putting food on the table at Koslosky's.

At the Valley Theatre in Palmer, John Wayne was starring in "The Flying Leathernecks." At the time, Wayne was one of the hottest names in the film industry.

If you wanted to get your stuff to Alaska, you had to take Alaska Freight Lines. "Two trips to Tacoma weekly!" their advertisement touted.

To get your items from Anchorage to Palmer by truck cost $4.50 per 100 pounds.