Alaska Short Stories

When you read these true-life Alaska Short Stories, you'll learn about Alaska, it's people and enjoy adventure.


alaska short storiesAlaska roads lead to adventure

“Thank you for all the stories
and your website, Anchorage Memories.com” Richard


In these stories, you are about to get swept up in Alaska adventures and meet some interesting Alaskans.

Imagine being on the road in the picture above.

That road probably leads to all kinds of adventure in the Great Land known as Alaska.

The stories you are about to enjoy reading here are short reads, perfect for your lunchtime or a nice break at any time.


Alaska Short Stories


ice the savior

From the story:

“I wedged myself into my bunk and tried to stay in it. My bunk is located fore and aft on the passage way from the galley to the wheelhouse.

Sleep is out of the question.

As the boat climbs a large swell, my feet hit the bottom end of the bunk and then when we cascade from the top of the wave to the bottom, my head hits the top end of the bunk.

The Captain may be sleeping but I doubt it.

Skip is on watch and hanging on to the wood steering wheel, Johnny is in the galley hanging on to the table.

The marine radio is on and the U.S. Naval Air Station in Kodiak has just stated that the wind speed has reached 128 miles per hour.

This is going to be a very long night.”

Click on the following link to read the story



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cordova and the great alaskan earthquake

Alaska Short Stories brings you this gripping account:

“Two of the wall hanging clocks were banging against the wall.

So, I made my two kids promise not to move, and I ran into the living room and put both of the clocks on the floor.

In returning to my doorway, I looked out the front window and saw the school across the street going up and down with the ground waves. It was not only amazing but scary for the ground under our house was also doing the same thing.”

When the 1964 earthquake struck Cordova, Alaska, the harbor dropped 7 feet.

Richard Hohnbaum was a school teacher and this is his amazing story.

Click on the following link to read the story





Ghost Town of Ukivok


King IslandKing Island photo by Ansgar Walk

Have you ever heard of the Ghost Town of Ukivok?

You'll be astonished by the pictures and the story.

This is King Island, located in the middle of the Bering Sea.

The small island is only about a mile wide and a mile long and as you can see, it features steep slopes and cliffs.

An Inupiate tribe that lived on the island, called themselves “Aseuluk”, or “People of the Sea”. And their village on the island was unique.

Click on the following link to read this story



Alaska Short Stories


ship creek adventure

From the story:

“Halfway across, my booted foot slipped off the wet log and suddenly, my body lost its balance. I then fell off the log and made a big splash as I sank into the cold, fast-moving water of Ship Creek where my world instantly changed.

I didn't know how to swim at all, but there I was in a deep and fast-moving pool of water.

Not only that, but I was churning around, completely submerged. Not knowing which way was up, I couldn't find the surface.

Underwater and frantically looking around, bits of wood and bark churned all around with me. I had suddenly been swept up into a cold and dangerous slow motion ballet.”

Click on the following link to read this story





big alaska earthquake

From the story:

“Gary tried to get through the door into the porch adjoining the kitchen. Through the kitchen windows we could see him hanging desperately onto the doorknob.

The door would swing inward, but as soon as he would try to let go and get over to us, the door would swing outward, which it was NOT designed to do! I remember screaming, “Get inside, Gary!”

At first, we could see those snowbanks and our car outside the windows, but just as Gary got inside, suddenly we were plunged into blackness.

Then we could see outside again. Daddy yelled that we had been underground.”

Click on the following link to read the story





alcan diary

A real diary

from a trip down the Alcan highway

towing a trailer

from Anchorage, Alaska

to Spokane, Washington


Alaska Short Stories include this personal diary of a remarkable road trip.


June 25, 1947

Roads are so muddy that we'll be stuck if we hit much of a hill. Boys are at their solitaire again. Just had a blow out in one of our new tires. When off, found the wheel was broken. Gas at Fort Nelson and wheel welded at garage so fixed lunch while waiting.


Hope we never have another muddy hill like we just came over – skidded so – I'm still shaking.”

Click on the following link to read the diary





Alaska Short Stories

1964 alaskan earthquake tsunami

From the story:

“We were near the nonexistent entrance of the boat harbor trying to lasso another boat when the northeastern wave hit us and drove us sideways into the southwestern wave and the combination of the two forces generated a giant whirlpool.

We were now going backwards with the main engine in full forward position in this swirling vortex with about a ten degree list. The skipper told me to go down and drive that wedge back into the throttle, which I did in record time. The skipper had the wheel hard over to no avail.

There was a red house on the hill just north of the city dock that had been washed from its foundation and was floating along with all the other flotsam only this house had somehow managed to enter the swirling vortex inside the Fortress.

It started to break up and disappeared right before our eyes. We could look right down into this black hole.”

Click on the following link to read the story





Alaska Short Stories




Do You Have Stories about Your Adventures in the Great Land?

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Enjoy these Adventures

Click below to see stories from other visitors to this page...

Stuck on an island 
Our family arrived at Camp Island near Petersburg in Southeast Alaska on Sept. 9, 1959. How we got there is quite a story. We were living in …

The Flip Side Of
Peter Dana show
 
My dad hosted a show back in 1967 or 68. It was either called “The Flip Side of Peter Dana” or “The Peter Dana show”. My dad was an entertainer, …

The Great Cordova Fire 
On the morning of May 2, 1963, I got up as usual, shaved, showered had breakfast and had just finished putting on my coat to go to school when the fire …

A The Alaska
Railroad Brat
 
My dad was an officer for The Alaska Railroad. As a railroad brat, I had access to a free pass, as did several of my friends. I don't remember who …

Alaska
All the Colors of White
 
Did you know any Eskimos? Did you live in an igloo? How could you stand all that snowy whiteness? Is it always dark there? Is it always …

Joey Bear and Joe 
My grandfather Joe Bayless was born in Circle, Alaska in 1910 on the banks of the Yukon River when it was a "superhighway" running through Alaska from …

Riding
the Laundry Train Car
 
There was only one place for my brother and I to sit on this run of the Alaska Railroad. It was on a pile of dirty laundry in the luggage car. …

The Wasilla Ogre
and the Fool
 
The Ogre came out of his house near downtown Wasilla, Alaska, yelling at us and threatening us by waving a hatchet high over his head. When I was …

The Cordova Iceworm Festival
Conception
 Not rated yet
Cordova, Alaska was very sleepy and dead during the months of January, February, and March. Even though the shortest day of the year on the 22nd …

Click here to write your own.


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The Great Land, is a vast place with many people, places and looks.

The beauty of nature is everywhere, and so is adventure, the hardship of living off the land, and the challenge of building a life in the last frontier.

The Alaska Short Stories featured on this page of Anchorage Memories, reflect all that this Great Land has to offer. From those who drove the “Alcan” to come to the 49th state, to people who sought adventure, or imagined building a new business, a new life or making a dream come true.

These stories will take your imagination to new places where you'll experience the Alaska that the authors lived. From the deck of a commercial fishing boat, to riding out the 1964 earthquake and everything in between.

When you read these stories, you'll see what being an Alaskan really means to the people of this special place.

These stories are short and excellent lunchtime reads.

So take a few minutes or more and read these Alaska short stories and let the words of the authors transport you to a new adventure in a far off land called Alaska.



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