Harry Wimmer first came to the Valley in 1934, returned outside to complete his college education in 1936, and returned to Palmer with his new bride in 1938. The Wimmer family continued to live in Palmer for many years. This collection of 118 photos contains images gathered by the family over the years of early homesteads and farmers, early Colony activity, land clearing, new homes and scenes of early downtown Palmer.
"Warton School"
Unknown
Teacher & students attending the school at “Warton” in 1934-35 term.
Image shows school teacher, identified as Harold Thuma, and eight students standing near a two story log building identified as the school at the community of “Warton”, later named Palmer, Alaska.
Palmer, Alaska
Bridge 1
Unknown
The road leading from Anchorage and the Butte approaches the bridge crossing the Matanuska River near Palmer
Image shows the highway leading from Anchorage and the Butte approaching the Matanuska River steel bridge sometime after it was constructed in 1934. A car is visible approaching the bridge on the gravel road. Trees and brush are prominent on both sides of the road. The river is partially visible through the latticework of the bridge.
Palmer, Alaska
Bridge 2
Hewitts
Bridge crossing the Knik River on the Old Glenn Highway between Palmer and Anchorage below Pioneer Peak
Image shows the highway bridge over Knik River on the old Glenn Highway between Palmer and Anchorage. Pioneer Peak is prominent beyond.
Near Palmer, Alaska
Cabbages 1
Unknown
Helen Stenvall holds two large cabbages grown by Max Sherrod of Palmer
Image shows a woman, identified as Helen Stenvall, posing with two large cabbages grown by Max Sherrod of Palmer.
Palmer, Alaska
Cabbages 2
Unknown
Harold Sherrod holds one of Max Sherrod’s cabbages
This is a summer color image of a man, identified as Harold Sherrod, holding one of the cabbages grown by his brother, Max Sherrod, at Palmer, Alaska. Max & Dorothy Sherrod’s house is behind.
Palmer, Alaska
Cabin 5
Unknown
Ed Zorne’s homestead cabin and outhouse at the base of Lazy Mountain near Palmer
Image is of a log cabin and outhouse, identified as originally belonging to homesteader Ed Zorn. Location is on the lower slopes of Lazy Mountain east of Palmer, land later owned by Frank Clark.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Church 10
Unknown
A film crew documents choir practice at the Presbyterian Church in Palmer
Image is of a Warner Brothers film crew documenting choir practice in the log Presbyterian Church in Palmer. Identified members of the choir are Rev. Bert Bingle at the pulpit, Harry Wimmer, Howard Estelle and Ruth DeArmond Estelle at right.
Palmer, Alaska
Church 6
Unknown
Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska
Summer view of north and west side of the Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska.
Palmer, Alaska
Church 7
Unknown
Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska
Summer view of west and south sides of the Lutheran Church in Palmer, Alaska. Construction appears to be complete but grounds are not yet fully cleaned up.
Palmer, Alaska
Co-op Creamery 1
Jackson
Matanuska Colony (Co-op) Creamery and Cannery
Image is a summer view of the Matanuska Colony (Co-op) creamery and cannery building. The water tower and powerhouse smoke stack are visible behind.
Palmer, Alaska
Colony Family 1
Associated Press
Colonists Vernon & Pearl Olmstead and their two children at their new log home.
Image is of Colonists Vernon and Pearl Olmstead with their children Jane and Gerald, and the family dog, in front of their new log home located on tract #28 near the Matanuska Experiment Farm. They were reported to be the first Colonists to move from their tents into their new home in 1935. The squared logs used in construction were milled at a sawmill set up not far away near Camp 2.
Matanuska, Alaska
Colony Farm 19
Hewitts
Colony home and outbuildings of Walt & Melva Pippel
Image is of Colonists Walt and Melva Pippel’s frame house and two outbuildings. Row crops are in foreground and beyond the buildings. A wood pile is apparent. A road is visible beyond the house, this being the Fishhook Road leading at left to Hatcher Pass and the gold mines. Beyond the road is a heavily forested ridge formed of wind-blown soil from the Matanuska River unseen just beyond. The Glenn Highway was later located on this ridge.
Palmer, Alaska
Colony Farm 20
Unknown
Colony farm and fields of harvested grain in shocks at the base of Bodenburg Butte
Image is a fall view across fields of harvested and shocked grain to a Colony farmstead, identified as belonging to Colonists Ingolf and Agnes Sandvik. Bodenbutg Butte rises prominently to the left and other mountains to the right.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Colony Farms 1
Hewitts Photo Shop
Air view of colony farms as forest clearing begins
Image is an oblique aerial view of six Colony farmsteads in 1936 showing the buildings constructed to date, progress being made in clearing the dense forest in which they are located and land beginning to be tilled.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Colony Home 21
Hewitts Photo Shop
Colony log cabin home, exterior complete, in a wooded setting
Image is of a Colony log home in middle ground, stumps and logs in foreground. Windows and other material stacked alongside the house. Exterior construction is essentially complete. Heavy forest beyond.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Colony Home 22
Hewitts
A new frame home for one of the Matanuska Colony families
Image is of a white frame house (or “Cottage” as the Government termed it) constructed for a Matanuska Colony family. The yard has been cleaned up of construction material and banking of earth around the foundation has begun. Birch and spruce forest forms the backdrop.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Experiment Farm 18
“ACME” News Photos
Matanuska Agricultural Experiment Farm
Image shows the Matanuska Experiment Farm buildings in middle ground, a field of harvested & shocked grain in foreground, forest behind the buildings and snow-topped Pioneer Peak prominent in background.
Matanuska, Alaska
Experiment Farm 31
Bragaws
Buildings of the Matanuska Experiment Farm
Image is of a tilled field in foreground before several of the buildings of the Matanuska Experiment Farm with heavy forest beyond. Date of the photo is uncertain, but based partly on the automobile visible at left of the house, it’s estimated to be in the early 1930’s.
Matanuska, Alaska
Experiment Farm 32
Johnston
Haystacks dot the field in front of Matanuska Experiment Farm houses, barns and outbuildings
Image is of the Matanuska Experiment Farm with harvested loose hay formed into stacks on hay stakes in foreground with farm buildings beyond. The differences in size and shape of the hay stacks suggest they may reflect experiments in either plots of different production techniques of the hay throughout the field or different configuration of the stacks for best curing the hay. Heavy forest forms the backdrop.
Matanuska, Alaska
Farm 10
Brickley
M. D. Snodgrass farm on the edge of Palmer
Image is of a field of harvested and shocked grain in foreground with a log house and Colony-style barn and other buildings in middle ground. A fringe of trees frame the farmstead with Lazy Mountain in background. This farm belonged to M. D. Snodgrass who was instrumental in establishing the Matanuska Experiment Farm and in recruiting farmers from the states to come to Alaska to farm. He was also a supporter of the Matanuska Colony project and later made part of his farm land available for growth of the city of Palmer.
Palmer, Alaska
Farm 12
Unknown
Farm scene with log house, pasture land and cows
Image is of a farm scene with a log house partially visible behind small trees, fenced pasture land with a herd of cows in middle ground and rolling hills beyond. Specific location is not determined.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Farm 13
Jackson
Farm field of shocks of grain covered with snow
Image shows a field of harvested grain formed into shocks to dry and not removed from the field before an early snowfall covered them. Pioneer Peak is prominent in background. Grain left late into winter in this way tended to reduce the quality of the feed somewhat and often fell victim to predation by moose wintering in the valley.
South of Palmer, Alaska
Farm 14
Unknown but probably Jackson
Farm field of hay stacks in winter
Image shows a snow-covered field of harvested hay formed into stacks, mostly on vertical stakes. One larger stack is seen near the center of the field. Lazy Mountain and Buyer’s Peak are in background. Field is identified as located on the east side of the road and railroad tracks across from the Thuma Farm south of Palmer in 1939.
South of Palmer, Alaska
Farm 9
Hewitts Photo
Farmstead buildings with harvested grain in foreground and mountains in background
Image shows a farmstead with a barn not of the typical Colony style, with shocked grain in foreground and heavy forest beyond. Mountains are in background with Mt. Marcus Baker in the Knik River Valley visible.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Farming 9
Hewitts
Man on a cat tractor disking newly cleared and plowed ground
Image is of a man on a cat tractor pulling a disk on newly broken and plowed ground. The hillside beyond has been plowed with heavy forest at the ridge top.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Homestead 4
AP Wirephoto
Homestead buildings with misinformation attached
This is a press photo issued to newspapers back in the States from the early days of the Matanuska Colony project. Information sent along with the photo is attached at left, and reads: “ PALMER, ALASKA, MAY 24—MATANUSKA’S FIRST LOG CABIN—Typical of the farm homes that will house the hundreds of government colonists in Matanuska Valley is this first log cabin built on the project. The settlers, emigrants from the Midwest, are living in a tent city temporarily.” More typical than the future Colonist’s homes, (these are actually a long-established homesteader’s cabins located in what would become downtown Palmer) is the misinformation this text represents that was so often received by folks “back home”.
Palmer, Alaska
Hospital 5
Hewitts Photo Shop
Palmer Hospital
Palmer hospital, constructed began in July 1935, opened in fall of 1935, dedicated May 15, 1937, burned May 1946
Palmer, Alaska
Knik Glacier 1
Robinson
The face of Knik Glacier and outlet to Lake George
Image is of the face of Knik Glacier viewed from below at the bottom of the gorge after waters of Lake George had drained out. For many years the glacier would annually advance to abut the mountain viewed at left in the photo, forming a dam on a large side valley. With spring and summer melting, the valley would fill with water (Lake George) until the water spilled over the ice and eroded a channel to escape. This erosion of the glacier face and release of the lake water became a dramatic event of calving ice and violent water flowing through the gorge in which this photo was taken. Until 1966, when the glacier stopped advancing to form the dam, his dramatic discharge annually flooded the river valley below, including riverside homes and the community of Matanuska.
Knik River Valley, Alaska
Land Clearing 1
Jackson’s Photo Shop
A man on a bulldozer clearing a field of stumps
Image shows a man on a bulldozer pushing stumps and root wads from a field into windrows. Colony farmstead buildings are visible in background. The photo illustrates the method to best clear the land with little removal of the soil. The field beyond the dozer shows that trees have been previously cut and removed, leaving high stumps. By pushing on these high stumps, the dozer can push them over, tipping up just the root ball which can be removed as shown without removing much of the surrounding soil.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Livestock, Sheep 1
Unknown
Sheep grazing on Bodenburg Butte above Colony farms
Image is of a band of sheep grazing on the side of Bodenburg Butte above Colony farms visible below and beyond. While the date, and by whom, the photo was taken is uncertain, the note in the lower left corner, “Photograph approved by theater sensor ADC”, indicates it was during the time of WW II and may have been produced for commercial circulation.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Max Sherrod & Cabbage
Unknown
Max Sherrod Holding a Cabbage
Image shows a man, identified as Max Sherrod, holding a wire basket and a large cabbage. The man is standing in a field of vegetables with trees and mountains in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Air View 1
Johnston
Air View of Palmer
Image is an aerial oblique looking northwest across the city of Palmer, including farms, fields, forest, roads and Talkeetna Mountains in background. The State Fair is apparently open as many parked cars and people are visible at the fairgrounds.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Air View 2
Robinson
Air View of Palmer
Image is an aerial oblique looking northwest across the city of Palmer, including farms, fields, forest, roads and Talkeetna Mountains in background. Buildings and the Valley Fairgrounds are evident.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Air View 3
Robinson
Air View of Palmer
Image is an aerial oblique looking west across the city of Palmer, including farms, fields, forest, roads and west end of Talkeetna Mountains in background. Buildings and roads are evident.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Buildings 1
Unknown
Palmer West View
Image is a west-facing view of tents and small buildings, some that served the Matanuska Colonists at Palmer during the early summer of 1935, some part of John Bugge’s homestead and other adjacent homesteads. The “Wasilla Road”, as it was called in Palmer, is prominent in foreground. A pole barn is evident in foreground, Bugge’s hay barn is visible in middle ground. Bugge’s fields are evident in background with forest beyond.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Business Section 1
Hewitts Photo Shop
Palmer Southwest Oblique View
Image is a summer low oblique view across the Co-op garage and storage yard, including the Railroad depot, the south end of Palmer business district, fields, hill and forest beyond.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Business Section 2
Hewitts Photo Shop
Palmer Southwest Oblique View
Image is a summer low oblique view across the Co-op garage, including the Railroad depot at center with a railroad car adjacent, the south end of Palmer business district, buses in foreground, numerous small buildings, fields, hill and forest beyond. Companion photo with “Palmer Business Section #1”.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Community Buildings 1
Hewitts Photo Shop
Palmer Community Center Buildings
Image is a summer oblique view of newly-constructed Palmer community center buildings including the Gym, School, Hospital, Commissary/Trading Post, and Warehouse. Buildings are numbered and identified. Temporary tents and lumber piles are apparent. Heavy forest is behind the buildings and Bodenburg Butte is visible in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Community Buildings 3
Unknown
Palmer Gym, School & Dorm
Image is of the west sides of the Community Gym, School and Dormitory. The chicken coops are visible to the left of the gym. Lazy Mt. and Buyer’s Peak are in background. Street in foreground later named E. Elmwood Ave. A pickup is visible near the dorm and a truck is visible near the gym.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 10
Unknown
Buildings & Cars on Palmer Main Street
Image shows a spring view of Palmer’s gravel street in foreground with numerous buildings in middle ground. Several buildings exhibit business signs. Two cars are parked in foreground and several cars are parked in front of buildings. A telephone/telegraph pole is prominent in center foreground. Several men are evident near buildings. Snow-clad Talkeetna Mountains are in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 11
Press Photo
Buildings & Cars on Palmer Main Street
Image shows a view of Palmer’s gravel street with water puddles in foreground and numerous buildings in middle ground. Several buildings exhibit business signs. Two cars are in foreground and other cars are visible parked in front of buildings beyond. A man is evident on the sidewalk. Newspaper crop marks are apparent on photo edges.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 12
Unknown
Buildings, Cars and people on Palmer Main Street
Image shows a summer view of Palmer’s gravel street in foreground and numerous buildings in foreground and middle ground. Several buildings exhibit business signs. Valley City Café is prominent. A car is prominent in foreground and another car is parked in middle ground near a gas pump and barrels in front of Koslosky’s store. Two men are evident. Bunting and flags decorate the front of one building with a bunting ribbon stretched above the street.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 13
Haylon
Market Street in Moonlight
Image is an east-facing night view along what was called “Market Street” in the Community Center of Palmer. A street light and business lights are prominent, the moon furnishing over-all illumination. The Trading Post and Barbershop are prominent at right, the Creamery is partly visible at left. Several cars are evident on the street and busses are parked at left. Lazy Mountain and Byers Peak are prominent in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 19
Robinson
Matanuska Hotel in downtown Palmer as it appeared prior to paved streets and sidewalks
Image is of the two-story Matanuska Hotel and café in downtown Palmer (later re-named the Valley Hotel) as it appeared sometime after it opened in 1948 and before the street in front was paved in 1958. Three vehicles are parked in front and two men are visible walking away at left.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 2
Brickley
Palmer Street
Image is a summer view of Palmer main street with several business buildings and automobiles parked in front. Business signs are apparent, two children and a man are evident, overhead clouds are obvious.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 38
Unknown
A color postcard view north along S. Alaska St. showing Koslosky’s, the hotel, the building across the street from Koslosky’s and railroad engine #5
This is a color postcard image looking north along S. Alaska St. with Koslosky’s department store and the Valley Hotel evident on the left. The building across the street from Koslosky’s, originally the Palmer Drugstore, exhibits a sign indicating it was occupied by B&C Auto Electric at the time the photo was taken. Railroad engine #5 sits on the green between S. Alaska and S. Valley Way in foreground.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 39
Unknown
Color view of businesses along S. Colony Way in Palmer
This is a summer color postcard image of businesses along S. Colony Way in downtown Palmer. Some buildings on S. Alaska Street are also visible. Numerous automobiles are parked along the street and several business signs are evident. Talkeetna Mountains are visible in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Tent City 1
Unknown
Palmer “Tent City”
Image is a north-facing view of tents and small buildings that served the Matanuska Colonists at Palmer during the early summer of 1935. A person is visible in foreground, forest in middle ground and mountains are visible in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Tent City 3
Hewitts Photo Shop
Colony tents & lumber being loaded on trucks
Image is of men loading lumber onto trucks from piles in front of many Colony tents at Palmer during the early days of the Colony project.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer View From Bugge's Hill 3
Hewitts Photo Shop
Palmer Viewed From Bugge’s Hill
Image is a summer view of Palmer buildings in middle ground, a field in foreground, forest and mountains prominent in background. Homesteader John Bugge’s homestead buildings are evident as is the Palmer-Wasilla road.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer View From Bugge's Hill 7
Unknown
John Bugge’s homestead, Palmer and Chugach Mountains as viewed from Bugge’s Hill
Image is a summer view looking east from Bugge’s Hill showing John Bugge’s homestead field and buildings, the buildings of Palmer, and mountains including Lazy Mt. and Beyers Pk. in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer View From Bugge's Hill 8
Robinson
John Bugge’s homestead, Palmer and Chugach Mountains as viewed from Bugge’s Hill
Image is a fall view looking east from Bugge’s Hill showing John Bugge’s homestead field and buildings, the buildings of Palmer, and snow-clad mountains including Lazy Mt. and Beyers Pk. in background.
Palmer, Alaska
People 12
Unknown
Max Sherrod and helper, Helen Stenvall, grade potatoes produced on the Sherrod farm.
Image shows farmer Max Sherrod, with helper Helen Stenvall, sorting potatoes in preparation to send them to market. A pickup truck is visible behind them.
Palmer, Alaska
People 13
ACME Newspictures
Oldtimers gather at the Palmer Post Office & Store
This is a press photo image of five men, identified as “Oldtimers” of the area, standing in front of a building exhibiting a sign identifying it as a “Post Office and Gen. Merchandise” store. The story line attached to the photo indicates the men were waiting to welcome the arrival of the Colonists. The man standing second from the right is identified as homesteader John Tully.
Palmer, Alaska
People 14
Unknown
John Bugge & Otis Russell
Color image of two men, identified as Otis Russell (left) and homesteader John Bugge, standing in front of one of the log cabins on Bugge’s homestead at Palmer, Alaska. A modern frame building is partially visible behind.
Palmer, Alaska
People 15
Unknown
Nurses and Doctor at Matanuska Colony isolation ward in Palmer
Image shows several nurses, including Max Sherrod (third from left) and Dorothy Sherrod (fifth from left), and Dr. Albrect at right. They are standing in front of the temporary hospital isolation ward building established in Palmer before the new community hospital was opened in fall of 1935.
Palmer, Alaska
People 16
Unknown
Three people hold and measure a large Rhubarb stem and leaf in front of the Co-op Creamery building in Palmer
This summer press photo shows three people, identified as Lois Spencer (left), Ross Sheeley (center) and Stuart Campbell (right) holding a large rhubarb stem and leaf as they measure it. They are standing in front of the new creamery building in Palmer’s community center. Marks on the photo indicate where it would be cropped before printing in the newspaper.
Palmer, Alaska
People 17
Associated Press Photo
Colonists Arriving At Palmer “Tent City”
The image shows a group of people, identified as the second contingent of Matanuska Colonists from Michigan & Wisconsin, walking beside railroad cars toward white tents in the middle ground. Pickup trucks and cars are at left, a small building is in near middle ground and the train depot is visible in far middle ground. Forest is in far middle ground with snow-clad Talkeetna Mountains in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Post Office 1
Hewitts Photo Shop
Newly constructed post office in the Palmer Community Center
Image is of the front of the newly constructed Post Office in the Community Center of Palmer. In foreground is a rough roadway that will become called “Market Street” for a time and later designated as Dahlia Ave. The powerhouse is partially visible behind the Post Office. Two lonely and abused birch trees continue to stand in the foreground.
Palmer, Alaska
Road 1
Hewitts Photo Shop
New road connecting Palmer to Anchorage in the vicinity of Bodenburg Butte as it approaches the Knik River and Pioneer Peak
Image is of a lane-and-a-half gravel road through heavy spruce forest in the direction of a prominent mountain, identified as Pioneer Peak. This is the newly constructed road from Palmer that connected the Matanuska Valley to Anchorage after the Knik River bridge was completed in September of 1936. The location shown is in the vicinity of Bodenburg Butte as the road approaches the Knik River.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Sawmill 2
Arville Schaleben
Men operating a portable saw mill
This is a slightly enhanced Milwaukee Journal press photo. Image shows a group of men gathered around a portable sawmill in foreground. The mill is temperately shut down in order to adjust the log carriage. Mosquito nets are evident on most hats. The man third from left is identified as colonist Tom Lepak. Man in white hood, center, is tentatively identified as colonist Virgil Eckert. Two boys look on. A homestead barn, woodpile, outhouse and at least two horses are apparent in middle ground. Cleared fields and forested hills are beyond. This mill was set up near Camp#2 to saw house logs for constructing Colonist homes in the vicinity of the Matanuska Experiment Farm.
Matanuska, Alaska
Tent City Set-up 2
Hewitts Photo Shop
Men set up a washing machine amid Colony tents
Image shows a man adjusting the motor of a gas powered washing machine while two other men and a boy look on. The setting is amongst tents, wooden crates and other material of the early stages of life in the Colony temporary “Tent City”.
Palmer, Alaska
Tent City Set-up 3
Hewitts Photo Shop
A man constructs a comfortable seat to be installed in a Tent City “Comfort Station”.
Image shows a man putting finishing touches on the seat to be installed in one of the “outhouses” established for the Colonists. Other people are visible in background. The setting is amongst tents, wooden crates and other material of the early stages of establishing life in the Colony temporary “Tent City”.
Palmer, Alaska
Trading Post 6
Unknown
Matanuska Colony Trading Post
Image is a summer view of the Matanuska Colony (Co-op) Trading Post. The building was constructed initially as a warehouse and vacated when another warehouse was built behind it in about 1940. The store then moved into the larger space from the smaller building across the street. The store served the Colonists and other residents of the surrounding area.
Palmer, Alaska
View From The Butte
Associated Press Photo
South View From Bodenburg Butte
Image is an oblique view from Bodenburg Butte looking south over several Colony farmsteads. Barns & houses are visible and newly cleared fields are obvious within the remaining forest. Stump rows are evident within the fields, roads are apparent in foreground. The Knik River is visible in background.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
