Brought to you by the
Palmer Museum of History & Art
Palmer Museum of History & Art
Matanuska Valley Historical Photo Project
"Nick" Nichols was employed at the Trading Post from early in the Colony establishment. He was active in the social scene with the numerous other single Corporation employees, teachers, nurses and others. Many of his 267 images in this collection document people, social activities, and various other aspects of the earliest days of the Colony project.
Camp 8 Air View
Nichols
Colonist's Camp 8
Image is an aerial view of Colony tents forming Camp 8 located within a large expanse of heavy forest with the Matanuska River visible in background. Portions of the airplane’s wing and struts are obvious in foreground.
Matanuska Valley south of Palmer, Alaska
Classy Car
Unknown
Nick Nichols Poses in a Classy Car
Image is of Nick Nichols posing in a “Classy Car”. Contemporary photos in our collection support the assumption that this photo was made on a group outing to the Goose Bay area, and the car may have belonged to Grace Bagoy of Anchorage.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Colonists Going Salmon Fishing
Unknown
People in a truck going to catch salmon for subsistence
: Image shows a stake-bed truck with five people in back with barrels and tubs covered with white canvas on their way to gather salmon for the winter. People are unidentified. Forest forms the backdrop
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Colony Kids 2
Hewitt's Photo Shop, Anchorage
People
Image shows a group of small children sitting on a rail in front of a rail car. Trees and mountains are visible in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Commissary Delivery Trucks
Nichols
ARRC Commissary Delivery Trucks
Image shows two trucks used to deliver commissary goods to Matanuska Colonists throughout valley. Tents are visible behind the trucks.
Palmer, Alaska
Don Irwin and Rex Beach
Nichols
Don Irwin & Rex Beach display examples of crops being grown in the area
Image shows Colony manager Don Irwin and author Rex Beach displaying examples of farm plants presumably produced in the local area. The men stand in front of a frame building exhibiting signs indicating it was Irwin’s office.
Palmer, Alaska
Experiment Farm 30
Hewitts
Matanuska Experiment Farm
Image shows a grass field in foreground, the barn, silos and associated buildings of the Experiment Farm in middle ground, forest behind and part of Pioneer Peak in background.
Matanuska, Alaska
Hatchery Incubators
Nichols
Workers unload incubators for installation in the new hatchery building
Image shows a winter scene of workers uncrating incubators for installation in the new poultry hatchery building in the community center of the Matanuska Colony Project in Palmer. The Colony warehouse and water tower are visible in background. Overhead electric lines are evident, dense forest is apparent at right and a truck is partially visible at left.
Palmer, Alaska
Hospital Tents 1
Nick Nichols
Tent City
Image is a view down a dirt street showing tents and two frame structures on the right in foreground and tents at left in middle ground. Large tents in center are medical facilities. The colony ambulance and “nurses car” is visible in front of one of the hospital tents. The American flag is visible on a pole over the complex.
Palmer, Alaska
Hospital Tents 2
Hewitts Photo Shop
Colony Hospital Tents
Image is a view of four tents with an American flag and a Red Cross flag flying on a pole overhead, identified as the Colony hospital tent complex.
Palmer, Alaska
House 8
Hewitts Photo Shop
Log Colony House on tract 73
Image is dominated by a log Colony house with exterior construction essentially complete. A colony tent is partially visible at left, lumber arranged at right with chopping block and sawbuck in foreground. Heavy forest behind.
Matanuska Valley near Palmer, Alaska
Matanuska Railroad Station
Hewitts Photo Shop
Train engine and station house at Matanuska, Alaska
Image shows railroad tracks in foreground with a steam engine and the Matanuska depot in middle ground. Two automobiles are evident. A man is visible walking into the building and another man is evident in the cab of the engine. A water tower is visible in the background with trees beyond.
Matanuska, Alaska
Palmer Air View 15
Hewitts Photo Shop
Aerial view of Palmer in the summer of 1935 with many of the colonist’s tents still present
Image is a high oblique view of Palmer in the summer of 1935 when it was often called “Tent City” because of all the tents in place housing the Colonists and others associated with the Matanuska Colony project. The numbers in evidence on the photo identify: #3-Trading Post; #4-Isolation Hospital; #5-General & Maternity Hospital; #6-Manager Don Irwin’s Residence. Homesteader John Bugge’s fields are in the lower right and other homestead clearings within the heavy forest are apparent.
Palmer, Alaska
People 10
Unknown
Men of the Colony
Image shows five men associated with the early colony activity. They’re identified as: (l to r): Clair (Nick) Nichols & Louis Odsather (commissary); John Osseward (ARRC Accountant); Ron Pasco (Railroad Agent); and Skip Cowden (Commissary). A dog also poses with the men. A small wooden building and several tents are visible behind the group and mountains are visible in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Sophisticated Ladies
Nick Nichols
Palmer teachers posing on a car
Image shows six people gathered on a four-door car parked in front of a building identified by a sign on the front as “Palmer Post Office, General Store”. Another sign advertises "Gasoline For Sale". Five women are apparent and identified as Palmer school teachers: (l to r) Lorrinda Ward, Unidentified, Zelda Pilkerton, Peggy Pimperton, Unidentified, and Mildred Ferguson. An unidentified sixth person can be seen peeking through the car from the other side.
Palmer, Alaska
Werner Road
Hewitts Photo Shop
Gravel road to the Werner Homestead
Image shows a straight gravel road through heavy forest in foreground leading past tents and buildings in far middle ground with Adam Werner’s homestead buildings evident at the end. Chugach Mountains are in background.
Matanuska Valley north of Palmer, Alaska
“Willie, Laura & Freddie”
Nichols
Two men and a woman in tent city
Image shows three people sitting in foreground, identified as: Willis T. Geisman (official Colony photographer) at left; Lorinda Ward (school teacher) center; and Freddie. Other people are evident in middle ground standing in front of a tent. Heavy forest is in background.
Palmer, Alaska
