Schmap Anchorage Historical Background

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Anchorage - Historical Background
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Far off the beaten path, Alaska has a history of being accessed by explorers with funding obtained from deep-pocketed investors. The first non-native person to discover this area was Captain James Cook, who arrived in 1778 with the funding from the British Admiralty, intent on its search for the elusive Northwest Passage. Though the inlet (later to be renamed Cook Inlet) was not what the captain had hoped to find, it impressed him nevertheless, as it is home to one of the greatest fluctuating tides in the world at 39 feet. (Springtime bore tides here create six-foot-high walls of water moving at 10 knots or better.) Also greeting Captain Cook and his crew were the Alaska Range—topped by Mount McKinley, which at 20,320 feet is the highest peak in North America—and the Chugach Range, with its 13,000-foot vertical rise bordering the city's east side.

"Seward's Folly"

After Captain Cook, the next person to "discover" Alaska was Secretary of State William Seward, who in 1867 prompted the United States government to purchase the territory from the Russians for $7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. It took 101 years and the first major oil discovery for "Seward's Folly" to be recognized as an asset. The Russian presence remains evident in Anchorage's historic churches and throughout the surrounding area. St. Nicholas Church, located in the nearby town of Eklutna, was built in the 1830s and is the oldest building within the Anchorage municipality. The Eklutna Historical Park, meanwhile, offers a glimpse of a combined Russian Orthodox and Athabascan Indian settlement.

Early Growth

It took more government money to motivate the arrival of the first white pioneers to make it specifically to Anchorage, though once there, they needed little encouragement to stay. Beginning in 1914, hot on the heels of President Woodrow Wilson's authorization of the area's first federally funded railroad, 2,000 Americans flooded the Ship Creek valley looking for federal employment. This massive, undeveloped territory was rich in resources but lacked transportation. To alleviate this problem, the legislature allocated funds to build a 500-mile-long railroad, stretching from Seward to Fairbanks and passing through Anchorage, in doing so serving as a catalyst to the city's growth.

During its early years, Anchorage was truly a city of wilderness; moose and bear regularly crossed through Downtown streets, ignoring their new neighbors but appreciating the varied and accessible food sources they provided such as vegetables and compost piles.

Earthquake

Many years down the road, in 1954, Alaska finally became a state. Anchorage's first few years in the new state remained relatively quiet from a business and resource-development standpoint, but the city was soon dealt a devastating blow. In 1964, North America's largest recorded earthquake struck, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale and releasing 10 million times more energy than an atomic bomb. The earthquake centered in Prince William Sound, approximately 60 miles southeast of the city. Amazingly, only nine people lost their lives. Structural damage to Anchorage was worse, though, as a school fell 30 feet, the Turnagain neighborhood dropped into the Inlet, street-side buildings toppled onto parked cars and the brand-new """"""""Downtown JCPenney store lost a corner of its building. Almost immediately after this earthquake, and in spite of the $65 million in damage it caused, soon-to-be governor Walter Hickle built the Captain Cook Hotel in order to demonstrate the continued prosperity of Alaska's largest city, which then had a population of around 30,000.

Oil Dividends

Far more significant than the earthquake, though, was the development of the Prudhoe Bay oil fields in 1968. The first year's production totaled $900 million in North Slope oil lease sales. Within two years, Alaska's gross products had doubled, and after three years, the 800-mile Trans-Alaska pipeline was finished. Development projects around the state, including the oil fields in Cook Inlet and nearby Kenai Peninsula, added to the boost in Anchorage's economy and population. The tremendous outpourings of the oil fields led to the formation of the Alaskan Dividend Fund in 1980, which decreed that a portion of the royalties earned by the oil companies be distributed equally among the residents. Beginning in 1983, the distribution of royalties among all residents was $1,000 per person. In the fall of each year, residents receive their checks, which since 1997 have totaled more than $1,500.

Red-Light District

The population grew in leaps and bounds between 1970 and 1980, soaring from 48,000 to 174,000 people. Catering to the transient, cash-rich and predominantly male population, the red-light district of Spenard flourished, becoming home to massage parlors, brothels and streets littered with sparkling girls in skimpy outfits. These decades also brought investors, serious about Alaska's future, who arrived with money for development. Though the Spenard District has been reformed and the genders are more equally represented, there is a favorite old saying among local women: "The odds are good, but the goods are odd."

Major Events

Anchorage has been the starting point for the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race since 1973. Watched via television and the Internet worldwide, the 1,100-mile race winds it way across two mountain ranges, following much of the trail used in 1925 to deliver life-saving diphtheria serum to epidemic-threatened Nome. Another major event, the Fur Rendezvous Festival, started as a fur-trading event and "fixer of the winter blues." Since then it has become labeled the "Alaskan Mardi Gras" and brings in revelers from many countries. One of the largest annual winter festivals in the United States, it began in 1936.

Preservation

Anchorage is now home to more than a quarter of a million residents. City planners continue to focus on preserving the area's natural beauty and on accommodating its native wildlife. The 500,000-acre, public access Chugach State Park wilderness area, located immediately next to the city and within the municipality boundary, offers proof of these planners' efforts. Throughout the city, you will find more than 190 other parks, trails and gardens, which continue to offer forested havens as well as access to wildlife and surroundings similar to those seen by the first pioneers. Even now, the moose still "garden," and the bears like to "investigate the trash," although lately the bald eagles and wolves have also started to show an unfortunate fondness for small pets.

Copyright 1999-2005 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Wcities

Airport/Spenard

Anchorage
United States

In this "practical district," you will find schools, gas stations and grocery stores spread across an alluvial plane. You can find any type of food here--from Greek and Italian to Chinese and Japanese--as well as a selection of busy nightclubs. Shopping choices here include the R.E.I. outdoor store, Barnes & Noble Bookstore and more. Meanwhile, such establishments as the Northern Lights Hotel, the Hampton Inn and SpringHill Suites welcome guests to the area.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: clark

Photo: Annie Pants

Photo: hikergrl73

Photo: Adam Flater

Anchorage Fur Rendezvous

Winter Mardi Gras 400 D Street
(Suite 200)
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
+1 907 274 1177
http://www.furrondy.net This is one of the largest winter festivals held in North America. It brings cheer and merriment to its revelers, thereby breaking up the long, depressing, dark days of winter. Since 1936, this organized 10-day festival has provided levity and fun. Some events worth seeing are: the Women's Championship sled-dog sled race, the costumed Miners' and Trappers' Ball, snow-sculpting contests, snowshoe softball, and oyster-shucking. Arts and crafts exhibits, concerts, and more take place throughout the festival. Call or see the Web site for full list of activities.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: David Hall
Photo: exer_

Captain Cook Hotel

Downtown luxury 4th & K Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
+1 907 276 6000 / +1 800 843 1950
http://www.captaincook.com/ Named after the discoverer of Cook Inlet, this hotel was built in 1964 to demonstrate prosperity in Alaska. One of only 100 worldwide hotels with Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide status, it boasts 20 floors of teak paneling and a foyer that displays marble tiles and columns. This downtown location offers three restaurants to choose from including the Crows Nest, and one pub, Fletchers. The hotel offers spectacular views of the Chugach and Alaskan Mountain Ranges.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Mel Green

Chugach State Park

Wilderness 15 minutes from downtown Mile 115 Seward Highway
Anchorage, AK 99587
United States
+1 907 345 5014
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/par... In 1970 this area was declared a park. It is 500,000 acres of the Chugach Range's side and the entire area is within the municipality of Anchorage. With a 5,000 vertical foot rise and three major campgrounds to the north of Anchorage, this wilderness area is filled with wildlife including moose, wolves, brown and black bear and more. A favorite hike is the 1.5 mile Flattop Mountain Hike which begins at the end of Toilsome Hill Road.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: guoo
Photo: D. J. Czech II
Photo: guoo
Photo: Adam J. Nest
Photo: Jon Williams
Photo: www.myalaska.net
Photo: Jon Williams
Photo: Hui Chen

Photo: Krista Miller
Photo: Ryan Jones
Photo: Marcus Hanscom
Photo: Julia Moellers
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Photo: Kristin Katoski

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

World's longest dog sled race 400 D Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
+1 907 346 5155
http://www.iditarod.com/ With its varying route dictated by the current snow pack, this renowned course covers more than 1,100 miles and calls to dog sled competitors from all over the world. This race began as a celebration of the successful fight for lives and the relay team that managed to deliver Diphtheria vaccine to the Nome, Alaska residents. It has progressed from a camping lark to a fast-paced, exhausting journey. Recent winners have finished in just less than nine days. No admission is charged for viewing the ceremonial start in Anchorage's downtown streets. Also, the Iditarod Headquarters is a pleasant place to learn more about the race and its history. See the website for further details.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Michelle Radin
Photo: Danny Thorpe
Photo: Jennifer Lazzaro
Photo: Denny Gill
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Photo: jon bolton
Photo: jon bolton
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Photo: Denny Gill
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JC Penney & Co., Inc.

Classic values 406 W 5th Ave.
Fifth Avenue Mall
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
+1 907 279 5656
http://www1.jcpenney.com/jcp/d... Located on the west end of the Anchorage Fifth Avenue Mall, this store is a landmark. It survived the 1964 earthquake, though the ground dropped 20 feet from beneath one corner of it. Within the store, you will find everything from casual to formal wear for the whole family, in petite, large and regular sizes. Also carrying lingerie, purses, stockings, suits, coats, a full housewares division, glassware and full service bridal registry, this store has it all covered. Many local Alaskan products are carried here.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Ricky Irvine

Ship Creek Viewing Platform

Watch the salmon run 150 East Whitney Rd
Anchorage, AK 99501
United States
Every day, spring to fall, more than 24 million gallons of rushing water comes through Ship Creek. It is a pristine creek in which salmon spawn. The viewing platform offers visitors an opportunity to watch salmon run while fishermen attempt to hook them. Remember, to fish in this creek, as anywhere else, you must have the appropriate fishing license. For now, despite regular discussions about developing it with displays and underwater creek bed viewing, the creek remains untouched except for the wooden viewing platform.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: GW Sharp
Photo: sirmildredpierce

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

Oldest structure in municipality Mile 26 Glenn Highway
Anchorage, AK
United States
+1 907 688 6026 A blue, onion-shaped globe tops this small, wooden historic building. It was built in the 1830s marking a site that has had constant Athabascan presence since at least 1652 (though oral tradition has it that the settlement dates back more than 1000 years). Many of the original icons remain in this church although services are conducted next door in a new church built in the 1960s. This church is set inside the Eklutna Historical Park and is part of a continuing exhibit. Eklutna still celebrates the Russian Christmas, 12 days after December 25.

Review © 2007, Wcities

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church photo by wcities
Photo: wcities

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Anchorage - Historical Background"
Anchorage
Anchorage - Neighborhood Guide
Anchorage - Where to Stay
Anchorage - Dining & Drinking
Anchorage - Art & Entertainment
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