Anchorage 1

C.F. Peterson

The image shows conditions around the mouth of Ship Creek at low tide with development as it existed in 1916.

This view, taken from the bluff on the south side of Ship Creek, looks northwest across the mouth of the creek at low tide with Cook Inlet visible crossing from left to right where it passes out of sight behind the high bluff forming the north shore of the creek. The northwest shore of the inlet is visible in background. Scattered spruce and birch trees are in immediate foreground but allow extensive view of buildings along the near and far shore of the tidal flat which occupies most of the middle ground. A warehouse, wharfs and other buildings are visible at the low water shore as is the railroad embankment and bridge over the creek. A sailing ship is visible out in the inlet.

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage 2

Unknown

The image shows the street with adjacent buildings and businesses along the east end of fourth avenue in Anchorage.

This photo is identified as a view of the east end of fourth avenue in Anchorage, taken looking east from the south side of the street. At extreme right a man walks toward the camera from the board walk stretching away behind him in front of numerous buildings facing the street. Many signs hanging over the sidewalk from the buildings identify their enclosed businesses including restaurants, a pool room, a hotel and more. Many businesses across the street at left, including a market, clothing store and cafe, exhibit signs and awnings over the board walk. Several men are congregated on the sidewalk. The wide street appears to have a dry driving surface on the left half while the right half appears as wet mud. Several automobiles are somewhat evident near the far end of the street.

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage 3

Unknown

A small group of men and women gather at the entrance to Loussac's Drug Store in Anchorage on an apparently early spring day.

This image is of a small group of men and women standing in front of Loussac's Drug Store in Anchorage. A low berm of snow occupies the immediate foreground across the image. The front of the store, forming the sidewalk's edge, occupies the complete near middle ground with the large entryway in its center and a large display window on either side. The windows exhibit an extensive array of objects inside and signboards above advertising "DRUGS-PRESCRIPTIONS" & "CANDY-STATIONARY". A canvas awning at the top of the building further advertises "PRESCRIPTIONS, CIGARS, STATIONARY, CANDIES". Two men and three women stand at the store's entrance facing the camera, and another woman is visible exiting the scene at extreme left. All are dressed in winter coats and hats.

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage 4

Illegible

People watch firemen and vehicles in a fourth-of-July parade in Anchorage.

This tinted photo features three vehicles in an Anchorage fourth-of-July parade in 1917. Coming down the finely textured street toward the left of the camera, the first car in left foreground is a roadster containing two men in suits, flying the American flag from the stern with a duplicate flag covering the engine hood. A second car, mostly covered in bunting, follows, also containing two men in suits. In far middle ground at right two men in firemen uniforms drive two horses pulling an apparent fire apparatus covered in bunting and flying flags. Beyond the cars at left foreground spectators stand on the sidewalk. At left middle ground stand a two-story white house and a large building resembling a church. Beyond the church a large crowd is assembled along the sidewalk. Beyond the crowd past the church several other buildings are visible, one displaying a sign proclaiming the "Anchorage Daily Times". In background at extreme right a man on horesback and many American flags are visible.

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage 5

Unknown

A trainload of Anchorage residents prepare for an open-air train ride to visit neighbors to the north in the community of Matanuska.

This low oblique image facing north shows the Anchorage railroad depot at upper near middle ground with a crowd of people standing on the platform in front of the depot along the tracks from foreground to far middle ground. These people are generally looking across a vacant set of tracks at a train of open freight cars on a second set of tracks at extreme left. These open cars are packed with people. Several people are standing or walking in the vacant space between the loaded train and the depot platform. The album caption indicates the people on the train are headed to Matanuska. Since the community of Matanuska lacked overnight accommodations for such a large group of visitors, it may be assumed that this was a morning departure of a forty-mile day trip to share Independence Day related festivities, likely including inter-community baseball games.

Anchorage, Alaska

Boat 1

Unknown

The boat "TRAVELER" sits on the mud flats at low tide in the Anchorage harbor of Cook Inlet, Alaska.

This photo shows the boat "TRAVELER" at center foreground, settled on the mud flat at low tide in the Anchorage harbor. The associated smaller wooden dory of the same name is visible on the ground at the far side of the larger boat's bow. Oddly shaped chunks of rotten ice are stranded on the mud in near foreground and floating in the inlet in background behind the boat. A large warehouse building on pilings is prominent at extreme right beyond the boat. This boat had a long and storied history hauling freight and passengers, serving mining camps, canneries and the small communities around Cook Inlet. Later photos of the boat held in other historical collections show the bow section may have been lengthened, with three additional portholes added, possibly to accommodate increased passenger traffic.

Anchorage, Alaska

Bridge-Miscellaneous 012

Unknown

A woman sits fishing on a narrow foot bridge over a slough near Matanuska townsite.

A woman sits in the foreground center of this photo, fishing from the middle support of an incredibly narrow log foot bridge over a placid lowland stream, likely near the Matanuska townsite. The bridge, crossing the stream from left to right across the image, features two support structures, one in the middle of the stream and one at right of the water, consisting of a horizontal log raised about five feet above the water atop log a-frame legs. Two long logs slant from the shore to each of the support structures and what appears to be one horizontal log connects across the water between the supports. No handrails are in place. One might consider that construction of the bridge may not be complete. Scattered grass is evident growing in the shallow water and a wide strip of marsh vegetation parallels the waterway on the far side as it lies diagonally across the image from foreground right to far middle ground left. Tall willow brush beyond forms the middle ground. Pioneer Peak is vaguely visible in far background.

Matanuska, Alaska

Bridge-Railroad 1

Unknown

A pile driver is building the railroad trestle leading to the bridge across the Little Susitna.

This photo shows construction underway on the Alaska Railroad trestle and bridge that will support rails over the Little Susitna River. A series of vertical log pilings capped with horizontal timber cross members enters the image at upper foreground left and progresses diagonally to center right ending at the pile driver near the right side of the image sitting atop the structure it is building. The foreground up to the trestle shows numerous low stumps and is cleared of all vegetation. The far side of the structure, viewed through the pilings, is similarly cleared. A small log cabin, a couple of white tents and a pile of stacked logs are also partially visible on the far side. Beyond the far clearing several tall spruce trees are evident.

Little Susitna River, Alaska

Homestead 9

Unknown

"Tex" Cobb's homestead cabins near Matanuska are viewed from the flats below as spring is yet to bloom.

This photo shows, in middle ground, the hillside homestead cabin locations of "Tex" Cobb on his 202-acre claim above the community of Matanuska. Seen from the flat land below, the snowless hillside is part of the bluff that forms the north edge of the "Eklutna Flats". The springtime image shows remnant snow and ice in immediate foreground and open water of Spring Creek at the base of the hill. Three log cabin structures are evident on the hillside, one at far right and another higher on the hill at left. Both appear to be habitable dwellings. A third, in center down near the creek exhibits nothing to indicate its purpose. Numerous scattered leafless cottonwood trees are standing across the hill with many stumps and logs on the ground suggesting considerable past clearing effort. The cleared hillside behind the lower cabin appears to be a garden plot. The area of light-colored material on the right suggests discarded leaves of last year's cabbage crop. Additional garden plots appear just below the lower cabin as well. Washed clothes hang to dry to the left of the lower cabin.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 10

Unknown

The image presents a portion of the southerly view from the Matanuska townsite.

This view looks southeast across the Eklutna Flats in foreground and middle ground from the Matanuska townsite to Pioneer Peak at left and other Chugach Mountains across the image to the right in background. Patches of snow remaining scattered on the flats and snow on the mountains indicate an early spring date. The narrow snow slide on the flank of Pioneer Peak stands in contrast to the wider slide in more recent years.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 3

Unknown

This photo shows the tent camp and some of the buildings next to the west side of the railroad tracks during construction of the Matanuska branch line to Chickaloon and the main line on to Fairbanks.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 4

Unknown

This photo shows some of the buildings of businesses and government residences along the main street of Matanuska c. 1917.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 5

Unknown

A man stands at the front door of the community store along the boardwalk in Matanuska c. 1917.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 6

Unknown

This photo shows a man standing behind the counter of the Matanuska community store with shelves of canned goods behind him and a scale on the counter at his right.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 7

Unknown

Three of the government buildings on the west side of the tracks are shown in the Matanuska townsite.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 8

Unknown

This view looks west along the main street of Matanuska from the government residence houses, past the commercial businesses to the railroad depot beside the tracks.

Matanuska, Alaska

Matanuska Townsite 9

Unknown

A group of people appear to be waiting at the Matanuska depot to board the southbound train waiting at the station. The water tank in background is under construction.

Matanuska, Alaska

Mine 18, Doherty

Unknown

Two men appear to be transferring newly mined coal from a mine car to a holding bin below, the coal then to be dropped into a rail car passing below and hauled on the narrow-gauge tracks downstream to the railroad's Matanuska branch line. A third man is seen walking forward along the tracks.

Matanuska Valley, Alaska

People 83

Unknown

Baseball fans pose for a photo at Matanuska following a 19-inning ball game.

Two young men in baseball uniforms, two other men and one woman stand in line in foreground facing the camera with a dark-sided building with white trim directly behind them. The shorter ball player is leaning on a bat. The caption of a companion photo in the album indicates this photo followed a 19-inning ball game in Matanuska.

Matanuska, Alaska

Railroad Construction 1

Unknown

Railroad workers gather at the locomotive as it makes steam to begin the day's work at the Matanuska construction campsite.

Several workers gather at the locomotive in immediate foreground, facing away to the north on the west track, while a flatcar loaded with rails stands alongside on the east track at the Matanuska construction campsite. Another flatcar, likely holding railroad ties, stands ahead on the east track in middle ground. The open cab of the engine, the coal bin with a shovel lying on top, and what appears to be the water tank cover, are visible in this rear view as the engineer leans out the side window to talk to another man standing next to the tracks below. The future water tank to be located on the west of the tracks is not yet in evidence.

Matanuska, Alaska