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History |
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The "Alaskan Hotel" is the oldest operating hotel in Juneau, opening on Tuesday, September 16, 1913. The hotel is an excellent architectural example of transitional change between 19th and 20th century. As a frontier mining camp, Juneau had developed a coterie of miner's boarding and rooming houses; but few hotels. In the year 1912, an interesting triumvirate was formed: Jules B. Caro, promoter-entrepreneur, and the McCloskey brothers, James and John. Veteran miners of the Canadian Caribou, the McCloskey brothers had finally struck a rich pay-streak in the 25,000,000 diggings at Atlin, across the mountains northeast of Juneau in British Columbia. They acquired a prime location next door to the declining Central, in close proximity to the steam ship docks and central to the business district. |
| Construction of the building began in April, and took five months to finish. The
opening night was a gala champagne event with two bands and free ferries
between Douglas and Juneau. The Dispatch stated that, "At 6 p.m. the
management will formally unlock the doors and the keys with then be
attached to a toy balloon which will carry them out of sight. From the
moment the doors swing open , never to close, the hotel will be for the
accommodation of guests."
Features of the hotel include Steam Heat and a wireless station of 1 1/2 kilowatts on the roof. The hotel was called a "pocket edition of the best hotels on the pacific coast." The "Alaskan Hotel" was placed on the national register of historic places October 25, 1978. Present owners Mike and Bettye Adams, have renovated the hotel into its original Victorian style.
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