Sgt. Dwainua

Jim McDowel suggested that the Reid’s look at some nice wooded property at mile 18.  He showed them the land, and encouraged them to file a Contest on the land which had been unattended for several months.  The land had previously been filed on by a Sgt. Dwainua. The Sgt. had built a small building; which would be called a vary small shack to day; on the property.  The land was located at mile 18 on the Palmer Highway, just a 3/4  a mile from Mouse Horn Trading Post to the north, and a 1 and 1/2 miles from Fire Lake Lodge to the South.

During the early summer of 1947 Sgt. Dwainua would came out on weekends from Elmendorf Air Force Base, where he was stationed.  He worked on his building, hand clearing and burning brush on the property.  The Sgt. had been burning brush one dry hot weekend when his building caught fire and was burned to the ground, there was less than a trace of it left, and the clearing was badly blackened. 

He did not come back after the fire; he ether lost interest or was stationed elsewhere. Neighbors had helped put out several fire that he had started, and were very concerned for the rest of the timber in the aria, both his and theirs.  The Sergeant had staked out the property, and had applied for a Trade and Manufacturing Sit and/or a Home Site. There was enough room for Homestead also, and he may have had plans to applied for that too?

 

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