Petersburg Pilot -

There was an old house on this lot built by the Gjerdes, some of Petersburg's earliest settlers.

Hardtimes came two generations later and the bank took the house, which was run down and in need of demolition.

New owners cleared the lot and Bob and Signe Haltiner, who live in the house above, found themselves with a wonderful new view of the Wrangell Narrows, so they offered to buy the empty lot five years ago.

"I didn't want anyone to build there...I didn't want to look at a mess either, so I've been fixing it up each year," said Signe Haltiner.

There are some goose berries and a cherry tr...