History

The Russian presence in the south-central part of the state was well established in the 19th century. In 1867, United States Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated a deal to buy Alaska from Imperial Russia for $ 7.2 million (about 2 cents per acre). The deal was lampooned by rival politicians such as “Seward’s folly”, “Seward’s Icebox” and “Walrussia” (A pun made up of the English words walrus which means walrus and Russia which means Russia). In 1888, gold was discovered along the Turnagain Arm. In 1912, Alaska became a territory of the United States. Anchorage, unlike the other large towns south of the Brooks Range, was not a fishing or mining camp. The area within 10 miles of Anchorage had no economically important metallic minerals. While a number of Tanaina settlements existed along the Knit Arm for years, only two Caucasian men, Bud Whitney and Jack Brown, had been reported to have lived in the Ship Creek valley around the 1910s, prior to the great flow of colonizers. The city grew from its casual settlement to the headquarters, in 1914, of a railroad construction port for the Alaska Engineering Commission. Construction of the railroad, which would become known as the Alaska Railroad, continued until its completion in 1923. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters were located, quickly became a tent city. city). A town was laid out on higher ground to the south of the tent city. Their order and rigidity in comparison with other Alaskan towns was largely noted in later years. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. The city’s economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Colonel Otto F. Ohlson, the railroad’s Swedish-born CEO for nearly 2 decades, became a symbol of the residents’ disdain for his firm grip on railroad affairs, and that by extension he had control over the financial and other aspects of life in Alaska. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. The city’s economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Colonel Otto F. Ohlson, the railroad’s Swedish-born CEO for nearly 2 decades, became a symbol of the residents’ disdain for his firm grip on railroad affairs, and that by extension he had control over the financial and other aspects of life in Alaska. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. The city’s economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Colonel Otto F. Ohlson, the railroad’s Swedish-born CEO for nearly 2 decades, became a symbol of the residents’ disdain for his firm grip on railroad affairs, and that by extension he had control over the financial and other aspects of life in Alaska.

Anchorage in 1953

Between the 1930s and 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air travel and the military became increasingly important. Air operations in Anchorage began at the firebreak south of town (now the Delaney Park Strip), which was also used by residents as a golf course. Increased air traffic led to the clearing of an area directly east of the town limits in 1929, which became Merrill Field. Merrill Field served as Anchorage’s main airport during the 1930s and 1940s, until it was replaced by the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at its opening in 1951. Merrill Field still serves significant general aviation demand today. Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were built in the 1940s, and served as the city’s main economic engine until the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 displaced the confidence of the economy in the oil industry. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission led to the combination of the 2 bases; along with Kulis Air National Guard Base to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson) The city devastated by the 1964 earthquake On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was shaken by an earthquake of magnitude 9, 2 causing the death of 115 people and damages of $ 311 million dollars (2.300 million dollars in the present value). The event lasted almost 5 minutes; many of the structures that remained intact for the first few minutes, collapsed in the subsequent aftershocks. It was the third largest earthquake ever recorded. Reconstruction dominated the rest of the 1960s. In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, and the resulting oil boom fueled Anchorage’s growth even further. In 1975, the City of Anchorage along with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, which also includes Greenwood, Eagle River, Glen Alps, and several other communities, merged into the geographically larger Municipality of Anchorage.

Culture

Eagle River Park, Anchorage – Cultural life is very active, notably in terms of music. The city has a philharmonic orchestra, an opera company as well as traditional Irish music groups.

Population

According to a2zdirectory, Anchorage had a population of 291,826; and the ethnic and racial composition was as follows:

• Caucasians: 66.0% (Non-Hispanic Caucasians: 62.6%, compared to 83.6% in 1980)
• Two or More Races: 8.1%
• Asian: 8.1% (3.3% Filipino, 1.2% Korean, 1.1% Hmong, 0.5% Laotian).
• Indigenous and Alaska Natives: 7.9% (1.4% Inupiat, 1.1% Yupik, 0.8% Aleutas
• African Americans: 5.6%
• Other Race: 2.3%
• Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders: 2.0% (1.4% Samoa)
• Hispanic or Latin American (any race): 7.6% (3.9% Mexican, 0.9% Puerto Rican, 0.6% * Dominican, 0.5% Colombian)

Among the Caucasian population of Anchorage, 17.3% were of German descent, 10.8% Irish, 9.1% English, 6.9% Scandinavian (3.6% Norwegian, 2.2% Swedish, 0.6% Danish), and 5.6% French (1.1% French-Canadian) Spanish 0.5,% according to the 2010 census. According to the 2010 American Community Survey, approximately 82.3% of residents over 5 years of age spoke exclusively English in their home. While Spanish was spoken by 3.8% of the population, people who spoke other Indo-European languages ​​represented 3.0%, and those who spoke languages ​​from Asia and the Pacific Islands represented 9.1% of the population. residents. People who spoke other languages ​​represented 1.8% of the population.

Way of life and immigration The city and the state itself are renowned for their relaxed way of life compared to other cities in the United States. The coexistence between the locals occurs much more than in other parts. The city is an immigration pole, receiving people from Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Despite the limited space of the peninsula on which Anchorage sits, the city retains numerous green areas for the enjoyment of those who love nature.

Media Anchorage’s most important newspaper is the Anchorage Daily News.4 Other newspapers are the Alaska Star, which covers primarily Chugiak and Eagle River, 5 the Anchorage Press, a free weekly newspaper that covers cultural issues, 6 and the Northern Light, the student newspaper at the University of Alaska Anchorage.7 The city’s only cable television provider is General Communication, Inc. (GCI). However, Dish Network and DirecTV offer cable television service in and around Anchorage.