George Vaara
Encyclopedia
George Vaara was Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska
from 1940 to 1941.
. He moved to Anchorage in 1923 and worked as a clerk in a Piggly Wiggly
grocery store. In the 1930s, he opened a notions
store called Vaara Varieties.
Vaara was elected mayor in 1940 in the midst of a housing shortage brought on by the arrival of military personnel preceding the construction of Fort Richardson. He served a single term.
Vaara built a Pepsi-Cola plant on Fifth Avenue in 1943, selling it fifteen years later.
In 1958, Vaara made a bid for nomination as the Republican candidate for Governor of the new state of Alaska. He withdrew several days later, citing a "heated controversy" between factions of the party.
Vaara moved to Seattle, Washington
in 1960. He died at his home in Seattle on July 26, 1976, following a year of incapacitation due to a stroke
.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
from 1940 to 1941.
Biography
George Vaara was born May 26, 1899 in Ada, MinnesotaAda, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,657 people, 749 households, and 432 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.4 people per square mile . There were 835 housing units at an average density of 622.1 per square mile...
. He moved to Anchorage in 1923 and worked as a clerk in a Piggly Wiggly
Piggly Wiggly
Piggly Wiggly is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. The current company headquarters is in Keene, New Hampshire....
grocery store. In the 1930s, he opened a notions
Notion (accessory)
In sewing and haberdashery, notions is the collective term for a variety of small objects or accessories. Notions can include items that are sewn or otherwise attached to a finished article, such as buttons, snaps, and collar stays, but the term also includes small tools used in sewing, such as...
store called Vaara Varieties.
Vaara was elected mayor in 1940 in the midst of a housing shortage brought on by the arrival of military personnel preceding the construction of Fort Richardson. He served a single term.
Vaara built a Pepsi-Cola plant on Fifth Avenue in 1943, selling it fifteen years later.
In 1958, Vaara made a bid for nomination as the Republican candidate for Governor of the new state of Alaska. He withdrew several days later, citing a "heated controversy" between factions of the party.
Vaara moved to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 1960. He died at his home in Seattle on July 26, 1976, following a year of incapacitation due to a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.