Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

Port Chilkoot Company's Fort Seward barracks building auction on Sunday raised $2,000 that will go toward the building's restoration. While some are happy about the deals they got on long-abandoned items, some of which have been stored in the barracks building dating since the 1940s, others have buyer's remorse.

Items as diverse as furniture, an Eisenhower-and-Nixon for president political sign, glass jars filled with old cornmeal and dried mushrooms, pinatas and a sawed-off shotgun were divided into lots. If a bidder wanted a specific item, they had to bid on the entire lot.

Vanessa Wishstar was still reckoning with her newly acquired stuff the following day. She wanted a light and ended up with six bicycles, a large couch, a Smith Corona typewriter and car tires.

"I think I need to go to therapy," Wishstar said.

More than 100 people showed up for the event. Individuals paid $5 for a tour of the barracks building where guides detailed the structure's history and allowed guests to get a quick look at what they might want to bid on.

Tom Morphet wanted a wood-fired water heater that came with piles of stuff including, but not limited to, three motorcycle helmets, Halloween diva rock star face paint and an organ built in the late 1800s.

John Carlson also wanted the water heater, but his wife Marian wouldn't let him bid. "No, John," she said when he expressed interest.

Morphet, who didn't take a tour but heard the conversation between the Carlsons, bid on the lot blind, knowing only that the water heater was included.

"Don't tell my wife," Morphet said after winning the bid for a buck and seeing his new cache of possessions. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that organ. Maybe I can push it off the Port Chilkoot Dock in the middle of the night."

Most bidders are planning to take the unwanted junk to the landfill, which is likely to receive the largest boon from the auction.

Dave Pahl wanted a few saws and miscellaneous tools from the lot he bid on. When asked how many of the items he planned to take to the dump, Pahl said, "Oh, most of it."

Some bid on lots in an effort to drive up the price, only to find that no one else wanted the stuff. When the bidding kicked off and no one spoke up, Molly Wilson bid $1 hoping to stir things up. The bid went unchallenged and she was saddled with a pile of stuff she didn't remember seeing. Her father, Jim Wilson, fretted over the episode.

"I'm worried about what Molly won," Jim said. "On the floor there was a couple hundred odd pieces of wire wrapped up in a big circle on the floor. There was a counter with some crap on it. I couldn't think of anything that would be salvageable. Now we're going to have to haul it out. I'm worried she wants lot 14."

"Are you going to bid on something else?" Wilson asked his daughter from across the street.

"I was just trying to bid it up," Molly shouted back. "It's a fundraiser for the fort!"

"You're not going to have to do the work," Wilson said. "I'm going to have to take the truck in and haul that stuff out!"

Molly's lot included nails, an old tube of sealant, a 1993 travel atlas, a hammer and a pair of small, dusty electric motors.

"It looks like everything I need to make a bomb is here," Molly said.

Others were much happier with their bids. Haynes Tormey had the highest bid of the day. He raised a bid from $3 to $100 for a lot that included paintings and other artwork. Tormey said he especially wanted a pen-and-ink drawing by Pete Andriesen, a late Haines artist who used to own a gallery in town.

After sorting through the pile, he found a box of old photos of people in Haines dating back to the 1950s. Tormey recognized a teenage Sonny Williams and returned the photos to Williams, who had never before seen the photos that included images of his relatives.

After hearing about the auction, Christy Tengs Fowler said she's offering a $200 reward for an audio cassette once stored in the barracks that might have the word "Zappa" written on it. It's a recording of a Frank Zappa concert that inspired the classic rock song "Smoke on the Water."

"I have a recording of the concert and Zappa saying 'Hey man there's a fire in here," Tengs said.

She's asking that no one play the tape to ensure it's not damaged.

Kyle Clayton

Molly Wilson bid on lot 1 in an effort to drive up the price. She was the sole bidder. "That'll be the last time I ever try to drive the price up," Molly quipped.

Auction proceeds will go toward continued revitalization of the historic building that has sat empty since the 1930s. Since that time, the building has been used for storage, much of which has been abandoned over time, said barracks restoration committee member Annette Smith.

Smith said of the more than 20 lots, only four weren't bid on.

"We were very happy with the turnout," Smith said. "We're very happy people came out and supported the local barracks building. You can't appreciate the building when it's full of stuff. We want it to be something that will serve the community."

Fort Seward was completed in 1905 and is now listed as a historical site. Two barracks buildings originally stood at the base of the parade grounds, but one was destroyed in a fire. Port Chilkoot Company has spent the last several years making improvements to the building including refurbishing windows, replacing siding and installing flashing to help the building shed water better.