Learning The Rich History Of Anchorage, Alaska
For most Americans, the state of Alaska remains a mystery
, since it is too far away to comfortable visit for most. However, if you never visit this breathtakingly wild state, you will be sorely missing out.
Anchorage is one of the busiest, most tourist-friendly cities in Alaska, and offers an interesting history to boot. Russian explorers had established themselves in southern Alaska by 1784, but English explorer Captain James Cook is credited with first exploring and describing the Anchorage area in 1778 during his third voyage of discovery.
During the next hundred years, Russian trading activity and cultural influence increased. Then in 1867, problems at home forced the sale of Russian America to the United States for a sum of seven million two hundred thousand dollars.
In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson authorized funds for the construction of the Alaska Railroad. Ship Creek Landing in Anchorage was selected as the headquarters of this effort. Soon a "Tent City" sprang up at the mouth of Ship Creek and a population quickly swelled to more than two thousand.
Would-be entrepreneurs flocked to this bustling frontier town, and brought with them everything necessary to build a city. A popular hardware and clothing store, "The Anchorage," was actually an old dry-docked steamship name "Berth."
Although the area had been known by various names, the U.S. Post Office Department formalized the use of the name "Anchorage," and despite some protests, the name stuck. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23,1920.
Alaska attained statehood in 1959. On March 27th, 1964, a natural disaster of incredible proportions struck Anchorage and South-central Alaska: the Good Friday earthquake.
This earthquake measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale, the largest ever recorded in North America and, because Anchorage lay only eighty miles from the epicenter, damage to structures ran to the hundreds of millions of dollars. The decade of the eighties was a time of growth, thanks to a flood of North Slope oil revenue into the state treasury.
Capital projects and an aggressive beautification program, combined with far-sighted community planning, greatly increased infrastructure and quality of life. By the beginning of the 1990's Anchorage could boast of two hundred and fifty nine miles of maintained trails.
Hilltop Ski Area was established in 1984, which along with the Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood and Alpenglow Ski Area gave residents three fully operational skiing areas. Tourism and recreational activities were fast becoming a mainstay of the modern Anchorage economy, which has continued to the present day.
The population in Alaska is two hundred and seventy seven thousand, with forty two percent of the population in Anchorage alone. It remains the largest city there.
Anchorage stretches from Portage Glacier to Eklutna, encompassing one thousand nine hundred and sixty one square miles. This is roughly about the size of the state of Delaware.
The city sits at the base of the Chugach Mountains, along the coast of Cook Inlet in South-central Alaska. It is one of the most beautiful cities in North America.
You can see the Chugach, Kenai, Talkeetna, Tordrillo, Aleutian, and Alaska mountain ranges from Anchorage. Mount McKinley, one hundred and thirty miles north of downtown, can be seen on clear days.
This twenty thousand three hundred and twenty foot peak is the tallest mountain in North America. It is the crowing majesty of this nature state.
Locals are known to be very friendly. They loved visitors, and do their best to make everyone feel completely comfortable and at home.
Anchorage, and virtually all of the state, is in Alaska Standard Time, one hour behind Pacific Standard Time and four hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
There are approximately one hundred thousand glaciers in Alaska, sixty of which are within fifty miles of Anchorage. Portage Glacier, just forty five miles south of downtown, is one of the most visited attractions in all of Alaska.
If you have ever had a desire to visit this mysteriously natural state, why wait any longer? There are an ample amount of things to do, no matter what time of year you plan your trip for.
Make sure that you research the weather patterns before you go, as what you wear will change dramatically depending on the time of year. Check it out today!
by: Terry Daniels
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