
Courtesy Betty Berry
Frank O. Berry wrote about his life settling in Anchorage in the early 20th century. His family keeps his stories in a book, "Elderberry Memories," along with many photos from the time. They include details about people and activities such as, above, the post office, telephone building and the jail: "The telephone system was owned by the government," Frank wrote, "but the first telephone exchange was brought to Anchorage by Henry Emard in 1914. The government refused to give him a franchise, so he sold the exchange to them. Speaking of Mr. Emard, he built the original Anchorage Hotel, later selling it to Frank Reed."