Browse the Free Anchorage Memories Store: eBooks, Audio, and Previews
If you grew up in Anchorage, some places never really leave you—4th Avenue, Spenard, the Westward, the Saturday rhythm of the Varsity Show.
Enjoy free, instant-downloadable eBooks and audio stories that bring back the Anchorage, Alaska you love.
Preview a few lines, find the story that feels like home, and step back into the Anchorage you remember.
Anchorage Memories Worth Keeping Close
Perfect for anyone who grew up in Anchorage, lived there, or still calls it home.
Take a quick walk through the Anchorage you remember. Explore true stories, local history, and familiar places--then download instantly. No waiting. No shipping, and it's free.
✓ Revisit places like 4th Avenue, Spenard and the Westward
✓ Read instantly with digital downloads
✓ Enjoy special previews before you choose
✓ Enjoy special previews before you choose
Created by Mike and Mary Jane Dougherty to preserve and share Anchorage's stories--one memory at a time.
Instant downloads. No waiting. No shipping.
Free
4th Avenue Theatre Memories:
Ticket Booth, Balcony, and Popcorn
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“4th Avenue Theatre Memories”:
“It was the perfect place in Anchorage to see a movie.
Just standing on the sidewalk in front of the theatre was fun.
Looking at the
colorful posters showing you what was playing and what would be playing
in the weeks and months to come.
And as you approached the box office to get your movie tickets, you knew you were about to enter a special place.”
More Than a Photo of the 4th Avenue Theatre--Back to the Movie Palace You Loved.
Bring back the Anchorage you remember with a quick, memory-rich read.
You'll discover who built the theatre and how its famous murals were created.
Relive the Anchorage movie-night ritual--stopping for candy, meeting friends or family, getting your ticket, and heading inside.
Click the following link for your FREE PDF Download
one click and you'll be reading instantly
Free
Put on Your Dancing Shoes
for the Varsity Show
This Varsity Show eBook is a fun look back at the history of this special Anchorage teen television show that ran from 1959 to 1971.
Take a warm trip back with The Anchorage Varsity Show--where Anchorage teens danced on TV, enjoyed the latest hit songs, and made Saturday afternoons unforgettable.
With vintage photos, stories, show history, and memories from Ron Moore.
An instant download. No waiting. No shipping.
You'll love this FREE memory-filled eBook.
With a foreword by Anchorage radio personality Ron Moore
Did you watch the show?
Did you dance on the show?
Or did you work on the show? You might find your name in this fun e-book.
From the Table of Contents:
— The American Bandstand Connection
— Celebrities and Local Bands
— Varsity Show and Coke Show Memories
and so much more. PLUS, it's free.
The Varsity Show,
Anchorage's Teen TV Dance Show
and the Saturdays
we remember
“Thank you, this is a treasure”, Cheryl
Click the following link for your FREE PDF Download
one click and you'll be reading instantly
Free
What's a Spenard? Meet Anchorage Pioneer Joe Spenard
Learn how Joe Spenard helped shape early Anchorage with vision, promotion, and a legacy still recognized today.
Do you know how the town of Spenard got its name?
A Few Chapters from the Table of Contents:
- A Colorful Character
- The Valdez Connection
- Joe Spenard, the Showman
and more.
In this story, you'll discover Joe's real name, how he found a lake, built a road and started the Anchorage community known as Spenard.
An instant free download. No waiting. No shipping.
Instant Preview From
"What's a Spenard?"
“Joe Spenard caused considerable excitement Saturday afternoon when he attempted to drive his yellow car through the doors of Robarts Pool Hall.
He made the attempt for a box of cigars promised him by Jack Robarts if he accomplished the feat: otherwise he was to pay the damages. Joe is still smoking his pipe.”
What's a Spenard?
Meet Anchorage Pioneer
Joe Spenard.
You probably already know that Spenard is… well, it's different.
This eBook takes a look at Joe Spenard, the namesake of this Anchorage community.
Click the following link for your FREE PDF Download
one click and you'll be reading instantly
Free
A Teenage Girl Remembers
March 27, 1964
She was Inside the JC Penney's
When the Great Alaskan Earthquake Struck
Once you start reading Mary Jane's story, you'll find yourself caught up in the moment.
You'll follow her and her brother through Anchorage's JC Penny building and outside, where stones rained down as huge concrete slabs crashed onto the sidewalk all around her.
An instant free download. No waiting. No shipping.
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"Great Alaskan Earthquake Survivor"
"Yes, I'm a 1964 earthquake survivor, and this is my story of the incredible things I experienced and witnessed during Alaska's Good Friday earthquake.
Read my story, the Great Alaskan Earthquake told through the eyes of a survivor because I've told my incredible story in this exciting book.
Are you a survivor of the Good Friday, March 27th, 1964 earthquake?
Then we share a common bond
You will relate to, and appreciate what you'll read in my story."
“The ground was rolling like waves on the ocean, and we were breathing in all that choking dust. The noise of the earthquake sounded like the hardest wind imaginable. It was deafening.”
Mary Jane Dougherty, author
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one click and you'll be reading instantly
Free
How one lucky Anchorage girl named Mary got up close to her favorite Beatle, when Beatlemania came to Anchorage.
Were you there?
Over 500 area teens gathered at the Anchorage Westward Hotel (now the Hilton) to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four.
“Mary's description of how she literally came face-to-face with John Lennon is a fun read, and she does a good job of explaining what it was like in the summer of '66, when the Beatles came to Anchorage! I was there too.”
Anonymous
Beatlemania in Anchorage
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“Face-to-Face with John Lennon”
“How lucky I was to be standing here so close to the doors. Norman, Betty, and I will be the first people in the crowd to see John, George, Paul, and Ringo!”
I looked around and noticed the happy faces of the crowd. It
wasn't dark outside at all. We would be able to see the Beatles clearly. But
wait a minute.
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in my head.”
Face to Face with
John Lennon
in Anchorage
Mary Jane of Anchorage Memories was there when the Beatles came to Anchorage and tells the fun story of how she came Face-to-Face with John Lennon in the summer of 1966 in Anchorage.
You'll love this, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Click the following link for your FREE PDF Download
one click and you'll be reading instantly
Free
Ship Creek Adventure
a short story
His foot slipped off a mossy, wet log, then he fell into a deep, swirling hole that held him in a cold, dark, watery world.
The “he” in this true story was author Michael R. Dougherty of Anchorage Memories.
For those who grew up in Anchorage
One click and you'll be reading instantly
FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions
How Does a Digital Download Work?
With a digital download you download these e-books instantly to your computer. There is no shipping or mailing. It's fast and easy.
Q. How do I get my download?
A. Your download will appear instantly. Start reading immediately.
Q. What device can I read this on?
A. You can read it right on your computer
Happy Anchorage Memories
Now take a look at the following:
Anchorage Memories Club
And when it comes to good things to read, you can join our free monthly Anchorage Memories Club. Conveniently delivered right to your email inbox.
Twice each month, you'll enjoy great memories of the Anchorage you love, discover Anchorage history, and meet the pioneers who settled Anchorage.
“My sister sent me an edition of the Anchorage Memories Club a few weeks ago.
And I want to thank you for the connection to my past. I grew up in Anchorage and left for college in 1967.
My last visit to Anchorage was for a West High School class reunion over 20 years ago.
So, thanks for putting all this together.”
Vivien
Yours Free
These aren't just videos about Anchorage--they're the kind of memories worth keeping close.
Wonderful memories of the Anchorage you love
Delivered by email
“Always a great read” Tony
Here is our Heartfelt Anchorage Memories Mission
We’re dedicated to preserving and sharing the treasured memories of life in Anchorage, Alaska—from captivating stories and cherished photographs to vibrant videos—spanning from Anchorage's inception in 1915 all the way through the 1970s.
Join us as we uncover the rich tapestry of Anchorage’s history together.
This Anchorage, Alaska Memories website
created by
Mike and Mary Jane Dougherty
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