Downtown Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
A Capital in a Rainforest
Downtown Historic District
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
1. A Capital in a Rainforest Marker
Alaska's first legislature met in 1913 in the Elks Lodge, on Franklin Street, just uphill from the distinctive arched facade of what was the historic Gastineau Hotel. The first law passed by the Territorial Legislature gave women the right to vote. Along Front Street, every structure is an historically significant one. The Stocker Building houses what is thought to be Alaska's oldest saloon. Across from it, an Alaska bank has been doing business in the same building since 1925. The bank occupies one side of the 1916 Hellenthal Building, which runs behind the Triangle Building on the corner and also fronts on Franklin Street as the Palace Theatre.
[Photo captions, top to bottom, read]
Rain means mud. By 1917, Front Street was paved with wooden planks.
To views of the Hellenthal Building, built of concrete in 1916. Above is the Front Street end. The [right] shows the end on Franklin Street.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
Location. 58° 17.811′ N, 134° 24.131′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. It is in Downtown Juneau. It can be reached from Peoples Wharf. Marker is along the waterfront wharf
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Inside Passage, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Gold! (here, next to this marker); Downtown Juneau (here, next to this marker); The History Around You (here, next to this marker); Corner of Front & Seward (here, next to this marker); Corner of Front & Franklin (here, next to this marker); Changing South Franklin (here, next to this marker); People's Wharf (here, next to this marker); The Early Days (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
2. A Capital in a Rainforest Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 195 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
