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Charles Ricci

Charles Ricci

Charles Ricci was born in Denver, CO. Following Army service, he married a woman from England and came to Alaska in 1947, the first year the Alcan Highway was opened. They lived in a tent early on and then bought 3 lots on Lois Drive where he built his house. In 1955 he built a lodge on a hill looking down on the Bird House along the Seward Highway. He called it Bird Creek Lodge and later became known as Jolly-Vi’s, and then Benny’s Mexican Paradise. In 1970, he married Inger Watsjold, who was born in Kennecott, and had raised a family in Seward. Charlie was a civil service maintenance man on the military bases prior to his retirement. They both loved the outdoors and went on many adventures in Alaska and abroad. They hiked the Chilkoot Trail together. Charlie loved to garden and spent countless hours in his greenhouse and beautiful yard. He was present during an interview with Inger in 1993 for the Wrangell-St. Elias Project Jukebox Click here for more information about Charles Ricci.
Date of Birth:
Mar 17, 1910
Date of Death:
Sep 25, 2011
Charles Ricci appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

As a Person Present at Interview

Interview Title Archive #: Oral History Project Abstract People Present
Inger Jensen Ricci 95-71-06 Wrangell-St.Elias National Park

Inger Ricci was interviewed by David Krupa on July 20, 1993 at her home in Anchorage, Alaska. Her husband Charles was also present. The Ricci's interests in backcountry hiking and Alaska history have converged in the hobby of using metal detectors to search for historical artifacts, and their enthusiasm for the "hunt" was contagious. A recent journey along the old Valdez Trail, used by the stampeders in 1898, produced a number of interesting artifacts discarded or lost by the early pioneers. The Ricci's generally donate the materials they find to local museums. In this interview, Inger fondly recalled her experiences as a child, and growing up as the daughter of the master carpenter at Kennecott during its heyday in the 1920s. Her memories help form a picture of an isolated, yet very happy, community that was a children's paradise. She talks about the fullness of her life there, a feeling shared by other "Kennecott Kids" who, in the summer of 1991, gathered again at McCarthy and Kennecott to reminisce about their life at this unique mining community. Inger talks about the love for the area that people felt, and of her grief when the mine closed in 1938, shortly after she and her husband had returned in hopes of raising a family there. She also talks about the joys of seeing her childhood friends at the reunion, which was remarkably well-attended given the fact that many had not been back to Alaska - let alone Kennecott - in over one half century.

 Charles Ricci