tay away from Muncho Lake, BC

Dave, here is a photo ad of the Muncho Lake Lodge from the 1975 Milepost™. Your grandparents were listed as the owners in the 1970 guide, but I don't have copies of the years between. As best I can tell, your grandparents were listed as the owners where it mentioned your grandfather, Tom Mould, had been working as a tour and fishing guide since 1942 in the Muncho Lake area. That was approx the year, the Alaska Hwy was finished. (if it will ever be finished, LOL) As many know, the Alaska Hwy in numerous places just connected sections of road that were already in place. Not at all sure when you could first drive from Dawson Creek up to the Muncho Lake area. The road was in to Fort Nelson, well before the Alaska hwy project was completed. Bridges over some of the major rivers was what seemed to have held up the road being built all the way through, prior to WWII. The roadhouses and other businesses were originally more oriented toward the sports fisherman, than to road travelers. Along the shores of Muncho Lake, there must have been 6 or 10 lodges, etc. Not many still remain in business along that area of highway. Some of the old falling down buildings are still visible but others, farther back in the trees, seem to have just gone back to the earth, over time. Muncho Lake Lodge, from what I can determine, was one of the first places opened and operated along the lake, year around.

The ad up at the top of the scan, is the now defunct, place next door, with signs of being the J&H Lodge. It has had several names since I first started running back and forth to Alaska, 52 years this past summer.

On edit:


The new owners of Muncho Lake Lodge were the Tauers in 1973, according to the shown ad in the 1973 Milepost™. So the Mould family must have sold it in 71 or 72, after running it for about 30 years.

On the right page is the Wiebe's Lodge. (now the closed J&H) Some interesting prices. There was one night free camping with gas purchase, or $3.50 a night with hook-ups, cottages were from $6 to $8 a night and they had a duplex apartment for $16 a night, each side. They had a licensed restaurant (could sell liquor)and Gulf oil products.
Back in 1973, I believe fuel in Canada was still being sold by the imperial gallon, which was larger than the US used gallon. During this period of time I think the Canadian dollar was worth about $1.30usd. So that made Canadian travel seem even more expensive. Fuel prices were probably in the $1 to $2 an imperial gallon which would have been about $1.30 to $2.60usd to fuel up. While those prices seem nice now, back then few of us were making the wages, we make now either. The first year I lived in Nome, for the winter, in 1964, I made $6,000 for the year. At first I couldn't imagine how I was going to spend that much money, but by Christmas time I had figured it out.