Kenai Conversation: Soldotna history

By Jenny Neyman

Published August 21, 2024 at 7:37 AM AKDT

Jimmy Gibbs has lived in Soldotna since he was 10, moving here with his family in 1953.

Clark Whitney Jr. is a singer songwriter, retired English teacher, fisher poet and commercial fisherman who moved to Soldotna with his family in 1973.

Soldotna celebrates its history with Progress Days, held the last weekend in July. To kick of this year’s festivities, True Tales Told Live and the Soldotna Historical Society held an event July 25 at the Soldotna Homestead Museum to remember days gone by. Storytellers Clark Whitney, Shana Loshbaugh, Meezie Hermansen, Jimmy Gibbs and Pattey Parker shared stories and information about Soldotna history, and we’re sharing those stories with you this hour for the Kenai Conversation.

Shana Loshbaugh is a historian and former reporter at The Peninsula Clarion. She and her family lived in the Soldotna area for many years, and now live in Homer.

Pattey Parker grew up in Soldotna until she went off to college and her career beyond. She has many stories from her dad, Charlie Parker, holding down the fort at the Map Shop, and her mom, Katherine Parker, being a reporter at The Cheechacko News.

Kenai Conversation

Jenny Neyman

Jenny Neyman has been the executive director of KDLL since 2017. Before that she was a reporter and the Morning Edition host at KDLL.

See stories by Jenny Neyman