History of Anchorage Alaska: the Tent City that Started it All

Anchorage didn't begin with a gold strike--it began with a railroad camp on Ship Creek flats. This History of Anchorage Alaska walks you through the moments, places, and "firsts" that locals still talk about--plus photos that bring it all back.

Explore the Timeline

First People, 1778: Cook Inlet & Turnagain Arm

1915: Ship Creek Tent City Begins

1915-1917: Naming Anchorage & Early Town Life

1919-1922: Docks & Aviation

1935-1956: Fur Rondy, Growth & All American City

1964: Great Alaska Earthquake

First People, 1778: Cook Inlet & Turnagain Arm

Did You Know?

While they did not live on Ship Creek Flats, the area that became Anchorage, the Dena’ina, a tribe of Athabascan Indians, had lived along Cook Inlet and in the surrounding areas for over 1000 years.

On May 25, 1778, Captain James Cook Entered What is now Known as Cook Inlet

Cook's sailing master on the HMS Resolution was William Bligh, and the two did not agree about the inlet. Bligh insisted it was a river. The ship explored the inlet for nearly two weeks.

Did You Know?

Turnagain Arm got its name because the HMS Resolution kept having to “turn again” while sailing the inlet.

1915 Ship Creek Tent City Begins

This muddy construction camp became the seed of Alaska's largest city.

Anchorage got its start in 1915 as the headquarters and a construction camp for the Alaska Railroad.

You see, in 1915, the U.S. Congress authorized construction of the only federally owned railroad in America's history.

Following that, more than 2000 people from all over the world flocked to the mouth of Ship Creek, seeking employment. Some were merchants who would set up shops, and some came to provide other services.

Did You Know?

So, a kind of “tent city” sprang up in the wilderness along Ship Creek and later around what became known as Government Hill, the town's first neighborhood.

Do You Remember?

Have you ever heard stories about Government Hill--or the first time someone told you how Anchorage got its name?

BONUS

1916 Movie Film
of Anchorage, Alaska

The video above includes footage of the Alaska Labor Union log cabin, a laundry in a tent, and 4th of July festivities in the new town of Anchorage.

1915-1917: Naming Anchorage & Early Town Life

The people of tent city voted, but the Post Office had another idea.

The History of Anchorage Alaska

As the population grew, the new town needed a name.

Those living in the tents had already begun calling it by names like “Ship Creek”.

But the town required an official name, so they had everyone vote for their favorite.

Possible names included:

• Alaska City
• Gateway
• Ship Creek
• Lane (after the U.S. Secretary of Interior from 1913 to 1920, Franklin K. Lane)
• Matanuska
• Winalaska
• Homestead
• Terminal
• Gateway

***The winner was Alaska City, with Lane a close second.

Did You Know?

Shortly after the vote, the United States Post Office had another idea.

They decided that because of all the barges and boats "anchored" in Cook Inlet, that the name for the town would be “Anchorage.”

April 1915, She Drove 
the First Railroad pike

She was chosen because she was born in the area of Cook Inlet.

In the Picture Above:

A lady named Martha “Babe” White (seen above with the sledgehammer) was given the honor of driving the first spike in the Alaska Railroad at Ship Creek.

Martha was born in Tyonek in the Cook Inlet area on either July 21, 1894, or July 22, 1895.

She was also the first non-native born in or around Cook Inlet.

1915, Building Anchorage

The first wood frame house in Anchorage.

Oscar Anderson claimed to be the 18th person to set foot on Ship Creek Flats.

He built the first wood frame home in Anchorage in an area now known as Elderberry Park near downtown. Anderson lived in the house until his passing in 1974.

Today, the Oscar Anderson House is open to the public.

Have you ever visited the Oscar Anderson House?

History of Anchorage Alaska
"Get your weekly newspaper"

June 1915, All the News

In the Photo Above:

This is an actual edition of Anchorage's first newspaper.

The history of Anchorage Alaska was coming to life, and a town had just begun.

So to capture all the latest happenings, the Cook Inlet Pioneer began publishing a weekly newspaper. And, as with all the other businesses on Ship Creek at the time, the newspaper's office was in a modest tent.

Did You Know?

On May 29, 1917, the Cook Inlet Pioneer became the Anchorage Daily Times, a daily publication.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever read the Anchorage Daily Times?

November 1915, Going to School

It was the beginning of education for the new town.

Anchorage's first school was made of leftover material from the Alaska Railroad.

Things in the first school building were crude.

They used wood-burning stoves for heat, and because there was no electricity, they used oil lamps for light in the dark of winter. There was no running water, and the students and teachers had to use an outhouse.

There were about 100 students in the first school.

Did You Know?

Ora Dee Clark was hired to be the first school superintendent and a teacher, along with three other teachers. And Anchorage's first Junior High School was named after Orah Dee Clark.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever attend Clark Junior High in MountainView? If you did, you may have seen Orah Dee Clark, or talked with her in the school's early years, because she popped in from time-to-time.

1915, One of the First

Kimball's store is still open in Anchorage.

Irving L. Kimball and his wife, Della, purchased one of the first lots auctioned off in the new town that would become Anchorage, Alaska.

It was located at 500 West 5th Avenue. At that location they built a store with an upstairs apartment for them and their family.

Opening in November 1915, the store sold a mixture of general merchandise, hardware, and groceries.

After Irving passed away, his wife, Della, operated the store but stopped selling groceries.

Did You Know?

Then, in 1958, following the death of Della, Kimball's daughter, Decema Kimball Andresen Slawson, kept the store in operation but also began selling paint. Decema passed away in 2002.

The store was in operation from 1915 to 2002, making Kimball's Dry Goods the oldest continuously operating business in Anchorage during that time.

Kimball's Dry Goods was in operation for 87 years, and the building still sits at its original location.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever shop in Kimball's Dry Goods? Did you ever meet Decema?

History of
Anchorage Alaska

July 1916, Anchorage's First
Movie Theatre

When winter was long and entertainment was scarce, this screen on 4th Avenue became the town's shared living room.

Built by Austin Eugene “Cap” Lathrop, the Empress Theatre first opened on July 1, 1916.

And the First Movie was…

The silent movie “Peggy,” starring Billie Burke, was the very first movie shown to the tent city population.

Because folks in the new town were starved for entertainment, movies shown at the theater played to a packed auditorium.

Did You Know?

While the movie house opened without one, a theatre organ was later added, so local audiences also enjoyed music while they watched movies.

The Empress showed movies well into the 1950s.

Parts of the theatre organ were later used in the Uncle's Pizza Parlor organ in Anchorage.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever see a movie at the Empress? 

1917, A Firebreak Becomes a Golf Course
and an Airstrip

It was a foothold for aviation in Alaska and the beginning of the largest park in Anchorage. 

More wooden buildings appeared on the shores of Ship Creek, and business buildings were popping up along 4th and 5th avenues.

In 1917, it was decided that Anchorage needed the safety and protection of a firebreak. So 11 blocks were cleared between 9th and 10th Avenues and A and P streets.

Later in 1923, a golf course was created on the clearing, followed by a landing strip for bush pilots.

Did You Know?

In 1954, what originally began as a firebreak became the Park Strip, the largest park in the city. It became known as Delaney Park in 1970, named after Anchorage Mayor James Delaney.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever play at Delaney Park, visit the train there, or see a circus in the park?

1919-1922: Docks & Aviation

A growing Anchorage needed a new dock.

The Anchorage dock at low tide in 1919.

In 1919, the ocean-going freighter, the Anyox, docked in Anchorage.

The ship's cargo included two thousand tons of steel rails and other equipment for the Alaska Engineering Commission (AEC) for the railroad.

Did You Know?

Today, the Port of Anchorage receives 95% of all the freight coming into Alaska.

Do You Remember?

Have you ever been to the port, or spent any time in the area around the port?

May 24, 1922, the First Airplane
in Anchorage

Early Anchorage pilots were brave and adventurous. 

A pilot named Charles Hammontree was the first pilot to fly over Anchorage.

He took off in a hydroplane from near the old docks on Ship Creek Flats and conducted a test flight over the town at 4:00am.

Did You Know?

Later, following his successful flight, some residents flew with Hammontree as passengers.

Do You Remember?

Have you ever been a passenger on a small aircraft that flew over Alaska?

May 1924, A First for Anchorage
and Alaska

How well do you know the history of Anchorage Alaska?

Did You Know?

KFQD was the first radio station in Anchorage. And that it used to be located on 4th Avenue (see the picture above).

But it wasn't just the first in Anchorage; it was the first in Alaska.

Do You Remember?

Who were (are) your favorite KFQD radio personalities? Herb Shaindlin, Ron Moore, or ?

1929, Aviation Field Became
Merrill Field

This field was the first airport in Anchorage.

Before it became Merrill Field, the airstrip outside Anchorage had another name… Aviation Field.

After Aviation Field first opened in 1929, Anchorage quickly became the hub for air service in Alaska.

Did You Know?

In 1930, Aviation Field became known as Merrill Field, named after pioneer Alaska aviator Russel Merrill.

Do You Remember?

Have you ever landed or taken off from Merrill Field?

BONUS

During the 1930s, Merrill Field had so much air traffic that it became the most active civilian airport in the entire U.S.

Anchorage International Airport opened in 1951.

1935-1956: Fur Rondy, Growth & All American City

Fur Rondy is now the largest winter carnival in the world.

Vern Johnson gets the credit for being the “Father of the Fur Rendezvous”.

In 1935, Johnson organized the “Winter Sports Festival”.

The first event featured hockey, basketball, skiing, boxing, and, as if to forecast the future of the event, a children's sled dog race down 4th Avenue.

Just two years later, the name of the event became the “Winter Sports Tournament and Fur Rendezvous”.

Did You Know?

In 1946, the event featured the first Fur Rendezvous sled dog race. The winner was Earl Norris.

Do You Remember?

What was (is) your favorite Fur Rendezvous activity?

In the Photo Above:

In 1949, the Eskimo Blanket Toss became part of the Fur Rondy.

Alaska Natives from Nome and Diomede Islands came to Anchorage to demonstrate the blanket toss.

BONUS

A tarp of seal or walrus hide was used to toss a member of the village, who had good eyesight, up into the air so they could spot wild game for food.

May 1947, a Great Competition
Begins

And every year after, Alaskans cheered their favorite local hero, George Attla, as he raced Dr. Roland Lombard from Massachusetts.

Pictured above is George Attla, one of the most famous Alaskan mushers.

Did You Know?

There was even a movie made about George Attla's life titled “Spirit of the Wind.”

Do You Remember?

Did you watch the races on 4th Avenue, along the trail, or on television?

November 1936, A Dedication

City Hall is where you paid your utility and city tax bills.

Anchorage's City Hall, was dedicated at 524 West 4th Avenue, adding an important event to the history of Anchorage Alaska.

Did you know?

The Visitor's Log Cabin next to City Hall, came from Homer, Alaska?

Do You Remember?

Did you go to City Hall with a parent when they paid their bills? Did you pay your bills there?

January 1939, the First High school

This school would remain open for many years.

Anchorage High School (the town's first) opened its doors in 1939 at 6th and F Streets.

The building also housed an elementary school and an auditorium, which was used for both school and civic events.

Did You Know?

One year, the graduating class had to hold commencement at the 4th Avenue Theatre, because an unhappy student tried to burn down the school.

Do You Remember?

Did you attend school at Anchorage High School at this location?

1939 to 1941, the Federal Building

The Federal Building is still serving Alaskans.

The Federal Building was built one section at a time.

Located across the street from what used to be the 4th Avenue Theater.

Construction took place from 1939 to 1941.

Did You Know?

At one time, the Federal Building also housed a jail.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever go into this building? Mike of Anchorage Memories remembers signing up for the draft in the Federal Building in 1966.

June 1940, the Military Arrive

Now Joint Base Elmendorf - Richardson.

Anchorage got a large boost in its population with the construction of Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson in the 1940s.

Did You Know?

Fort Richardson was named in honor of Brigadier General Wilds P. Richardson.

Elmendorf Field got its name in honor of Captain Hugh M. Elmendorf.

Do You Remember?

Anchorage school kids have to learn to say goodbye to a lot of friends each year. Because the military rotated personnel out of the Anchorage bases after every few years, that meant your friends with a military parent, had to say goodbye.

May 1947, a Movie Palace
for Anchorage

It was our movie palace and movies were better at the 4th Avenue.

The History of Anchorage Alaska, looks at a jewel

World War II slowed construction of Cap Lathrop's second movie theatre in Anchorage.

The 4th Avenue Theatre opened with its first movie on May 31, 1947.

The Jolson Story was the first movie presented at the 4th Avenue Theatre to happy Anchorage audiences.

Long lines formed outside the theatre with people anxiously waiting to see the movie and the new theatre.

Everyone agreed that Lathrop had outdone himself by creating a beautiful theatre experience for everyone to enjoy.

The 4th Avenue Theatre was the crown jewel of Anchorage movie theatres. Now it's only a pleasant memory.

Did You Know?

When it first opened, the 4th Avenue Theatre didn't have a concession stand, because Cap Lathrop didn't think it was dignified.

Do you Remember?

What are your memories of the 4th Avenue movie theatre in downtown Anchorage, Alaska?

May 1948, A Second Radio Station

Competition between two local radio stations meant better news, radio announcers and programming. 

KENI radio signed on in May 1948 to become the second radio station in Anchorage, Alaska.

Owner “Cap” Lathrop first housed the station in the 4th Avenue Theatre building.

KENI radio later moved to the building shown above, which overlooks Westchester Lagoon.

Do You Know?

The building pictured above is still there, but it's now a private residence.

Do You Remember?

Did you listen to Mukluk Telegraph? It was broadcast from this building to rural Alaska.

December 1951,
Anchorage International
Airport

Anchorage International Airport became known as the “Air Crossroads of the World”.

After first opening in 1951, the airport quickly became important to aviation.

It's now Ted Stevens International Airport, named after Alaska's U.S. Senator, Ted Stevens, following his passing.

Did You Know?

The Beatles had an unscheduled stop at Anchorage International Airport.  And because of the delay, the "Fab Four" were taken to the Westward Hotel in downtown Anchorage to wait until they could return to their plane. 

When word got out, Anchorage teens went crazy.

Do You Remember?

Did you go to the Westward Hotel to get a look at the Beatles?

1956, An All American City

It was a matter of civic pride. And a great honor.

In 1956, the National Municipal League and Look Magazine first named Anchorage an “All American City” in 1956.

Did You Know?

Since then, Anchorage also received the award in 1965, 1985, and 2002.

Do You Remember?

Did you ever wonder what the "All American City" sign was all about on 4th Avenue?

1964: Great Alaska Earthquake

For many families, the History of Anchorage Alaska is divided into two parts: before 5:36 pm and after. If you've never read first-hand accounts, start here. 

At 5:36 pm, Alaska Standard Time on March 27, 1964, a 9.2 earthquake struck Alaska with incredible force.

The quake shook for 5 minutes and was the second-largest earthquake ever recorded.

Anchorage suffered a great deal of damage during the quake, including the destruction of a large section of the downtown area of 4th Avenue.

Over the Years

Much has changed when it comes to the history of Anchorage Alaska.

From a crude tent city on the muddy banks of Ship Creek in 1914 to the skyline of today's modern Anchorage, with all the services and amenities you'd expect to find anywhere in the United States.

But for those of us who grew up or lived in Anchorage, we all have our special memories of our town.

Don't Lose These Memories

BONUS

The Anchorage, Alaska You Love

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