In 2007 Dad wrote a letter to my brothers and me giving a brief three page overview, a condensed version if you will of his life from 1950 up to just before our Mom died. It highlighted important events in his life as a young man; a husband to our mother; and as father to his first family. You’ll see quotes where I’ve inserted italicized excerpts from his letter. I defer to the timeline and history found within his written remembrances. I’ve cobbled the rest of the timeline/history of their journey together from notations of dates, names and locations he made on his slides. I don’t make any claims to these sources being 100% accurate from an historical perspective, but I do claim them to be 100% accurate from personal perspective. What more could one ask for?
My parents were both from Connecticut and met in high school. Dad went off to college in Montana, lasting one semester before deciding it wasn’t for him. He took off for the Alaska Territory first in 1950 and again in 1952, working just outside of Anchorage and then up near Mount McKinley, now officially Mt. Denali, as a laborer doing road construction.
1950 – From Dad’s letter – “My first time in Alaska was in 1950 and consisted of one week in Anchorage and the balance of the time at Yakutat. My trip then to Anchorage was via Canadian Pacific Steamship from Vancouver to Juneau via their coastwise freighter service that took 125 passengers and stopped at many small ports that I learned were known as Dogholes. From Juneau to Anchorage was via Pacific Northern Airlines DC 3 that had to land at Elmendorf because the runway at Merrill Field was not long enough and the International airport was just under construction.
Picture I took of his steamship ticket – front and back – Dad saved it in a photo album.
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Dad’s slides begin:
Here are two pictures of downtown Anchorage in 1950 – they were taken on 3rd and 4th Avenues. Check out the cars and the clothes.
Downtown Anchorage 1950 – 4th Avenue
Downtown Anchorage 1950 – 3rd Avenue
1952 – Dad heads back up to Alaska for the second time – another excerpt from his letter. “Your Mother and I had last seen each other in early January 1952. I secured employment with the Alaska Road Commission and for several weeks was at their camp at Rainbow south of Anchorage on the road being constructed” “I was then sent to their camp at Slime Creek, between Cantwell and McKinley Park working on a brand new road connecting the two points. The job was a D-8 push cat operator, 10 hours per day, 6 days per week. With housing and meals furnished at no cost and 6 people to a Wannigan (cabin). The camp had 30 people.”
Crew at Slime/Sline Camp Cantwell, AK – Dad is on top step in doorway wearing blue shirt. Check out the cook in the lower right hand of the picture. (Slime Creek is actually Sline Creek, but was commonly misnamed on the maps in the early years-per Wikipedia)
I doubt those cabins had any insulation, not much for heat and no housekeeping service
Cantwell, Alaska – construction crew 1952
I’m betting that was fresh meat for a few meals
Downtime
D-8 push cat
Constructing new road connecting Cantwell and McKinley Park
Mt. Denali aka McKinley and Wonder Lake
Mt. McKinley National Park – sightseeing on day off
Fireweed at Kachemak Bay
Alaska Nellie – what a character
Mt. Susitna (Sleeping Lady)
Seward Highway – outside of Anchorage (the red lines in picture are from damage to the slide – I left all slides as they were)
The Seward Highway extends 125 miles (201 km) from Seward to Anchorage. It was completed in 1951 and runs through the scenic Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. (wikipedia)
Turnagain Arm outside Anchorage – it may not have an inspiring name, but its beauty is breath taking.
http://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-bore-tide
Turnagain extends in an east-west direction, and is between 40–45 miles long. It forms part of the northern boundary of Kenai Peninsula. Turnagain is characterized by remarkably large tides of up to 40 feet (12 meters) which are the largest tides in the United States. At low tide, the arm becomes a broad mud flat, cut by the stream channels. (Wikipedia)
Turnagain Arm was named by William Bligh of HMS Bounty fame. Bligh served as Cook’s Sailing Master on his 3rd and final voyage, the aim of which was discovery of the Northwest Passage. This was the second river they went up and had to turn around again. Hence the disingenuous name “Turn Again”. Early maps label Turnagain Arm as the “Turnagain River”. (Wikipedia)
The journey continues………………….
