Wonderful Anchorage Stories From the Anchorage You Remember

Anchorage Stories lets you revisit cherished shops, cars, concerts, and hometown characters through true accounts from Anchorage's earlier days.

anchorage stories

Your heart will enjoy a flood of happy memories from days gone by.

Enjoy the good times.


The Norma Goodman Story
and the Heart of Hostess House

norma goodman storyAs told by her children

Do you remember watching Norma Goodman on Anchorage TV?

Were you a guest on her show “Hostess House”, later renamed after the lady herself, “The Norma Goodman Show”?

Anchorage Memories caught up with Norma's family, so now you can discover these fun facts about Anchorage's First Lady of Anchorage Television.


Enjoy the following Instant preview:


Anchorage Memories – Mike and Mary:

Did your mom ever tell you any funny stories about some of her Hostess House guests?


Stuart and Kelly:

You might remember Jim Fowler, the sidekick to Marlin Perkins on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, which ran from I think 1963 to 1988. 

Jim used to bring animals on the show, including the monkey that famously peed on Johnny Carson during the Tonight Show.  Jim didn’t realize that Norma was deathly afraid of snakes (and most critters except cats).

So when he walked onto the set with a 10-foot-long Boa Constrictor, Norma screamed and fled the set. 

On live TV. 

And she did not return. 

They ran a filler program that day.


Click on the following to read the entire story:


Enjoy The Norma Goodman Story

Anchorage Book Cache Memories from Downtown to the Sears Mall

book cache memories

Anchorage Stories remembers how this much-loved business got its start in a tiny space inside a local museum.

Remember those fun days with a good book inside these much loved stores that hold such fond memories.

Does it surprise you to learn that it didn’t start out as The Book Cache?

The original idea was to have a variety of stores under the name “The Cache”.

Those stores included The Book Cache, The Stamp, and Coin Cache, Barb’s Cache and Carry, and Cache Dining and Cocktails.

But the idea didn’t work very well.

The first to go was Cache Dining and Cocktails.

Eventually “The Book Cache” became an Anchorage favorite.


Read Book Cache Memories

Remember Cruisin
with GTO Joe in Anchorage?

Crusin with GTO Joe New Title Big

GTO Joe used to cruise around Anchorage and hang out at the Coke Show and Goose Lake.

Anchorage Memories caught up with Joe who shared some great memories.

Meet GTO Joe and enjoy remembering Anchorage in the 1960s.


Let's go cruising with GTO Joe with this except:


Anchorage Memories – Mike and Mary:

When you drove your GTO around Anchorage, did you go to places like Goose Lake?


GTO Joe:

Yes I did.

I was at the Coke Show several times during the week, then downtown to cruise up and down 4th Ave to see who else was out cruising around. And to Goose Lake in the summer to get a little sun and do a little swimming.

Go Cruisin with GTO Joe:


Read the GTO Joe Story

Pacesetters Memories From Anchorage's 1960s Music and Dancing Scene

pacesetters memoriesDid you attend the dances and concerts?

Do you remember those fun dances, the local bands and the concerts featuring groups with national hits?

Betty Poeschel of Betty's Record Den and Pacesetters sat down with Anchorage Memories and you get to enjoy her memories.

From the first time Pacesetters got together, to helping a local band record a hit record.


Here's an except from the story:


Anchorage Memories – Mike and Mary:

Betty, you held the Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs concert at West high school, but you had to do this one a little differently. What did you do?


Betty:

At West, we held the concert in the gym, so Anchorage teens could also dance. But because it was a special gym floor, the teens had to check their shoes and coats in the West high auditorium. We actually put their belongings in the auditorium seats.


Now you can remember those fun Pacesetter dances:


Read Pacesetters Memories

Betty's Record Den:
The Green Door Anchorage Still Remembers

bettys record den

Betty Poeschel of Betty's Record Den remembers her shop as a fun hang-out for teens from Anchorage and all over Alaska.

Did you ever open the green door and enter the world of Betty's Record Den?

Join in the fun and remember when with Betty.


Read Betty's Record Den Memories

How a Takeout Stand Became a Legend:
Lucky Wishbone Story

lucky wishbone storyDo you know how it all got started?

Here's a short except from the story:


"There was a start-up restaurant in Tucson whose take-out operation (though not their food) Dad really liked; the name was the Lucky Wishbone.

Eight months later there was a new Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, Alaska. It featured a similar take-out arrangement, but a very different menu.


Dad, then a labor foreman and a partner, Sven Jonasson, built the new restaurant almost entirely themselves, evenings and weekends, while Mom worked at the A&W.”

“Great true Alaskan story” Roger

Enjoy the Lucky Wishbone Story


Read the Lucky Wishbone Story

Anchorage Stories
remembering the Anchorage you love


A Penneys Worth of Mush:
An Anchorage Race-Day Memory

a penneys worth of mushLeggs Leino and the Hustlia Hustler

From the story:

“Soon we could hear people shouting in the distance, and everyone knew it was a Musher.

No, two Mushers were battling for position.

In 1969, JC Penney's in Anchorage, Alaska sponsored sled dog racing favorite George Attla, “the Huslia Hustler” in his bid to win that year's Fur Rendezvous sled dog race championship…”


Author Marci Peterson was there and tells the story:


Mush on over to This Story

Story of An Anchorage Filmmaker:
From Tayaru to Sourdough

anchorage filmmaker bob pendletonThe story of a dedicated Anchorage filmmaker

"Bob bought his first camera from Stewart's Photo in downtown Anchorage. He was a self-taught photographer who learned his creative trade while working at Stewart's.

Anchorage, Alaska filmmaker Bob Pendleton made the documentary “Tayaru” and was part of the team that made the movie “Sourdough”."

Cindy Pendleton tells how Bob came to Alaska, his passion for filmmaking and how he helped bring two now classic Alaska films to the screen.


Read the Story of an Anchorage Filmmaker

Why Drive-In Lions Still Live in Anchorage Hearts

story of princess and timboMeet two Anchorage icons – Princess and Timbo

"The lions' caregiver had a station wagon that had bars on the windows, and he would take Princess for rides. She was also in a 4th of July parade in the car driven by Art.  

If Princess thought that her ride was not long enough she would refuse to get out of the car – spoiled Princess that she was.

Timbo NEVER wanted to go in the car.  He would put his nose in the air as if that was beneath his grand stature!"


Get the real story behind these "Drive-In Lions"


Read Drive-In Lions



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