Category: 49 History

Wed, May 03, 2017

Legends and Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940 Website

By Bruce Parham The Cook Inlet Historical Society is pleased to announce the launch of its new, upgraded website, Legends & Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940, and it is now available for use by students, teachers, researchers, and the public at http://www.alaskahistory.org. Featured are 175 individual and family biographical sketches of early residents of Anchorage and accompanying photographs (984 images). There is a list of additional resources (i.e., libraries, archives, museums, and Native cultural centers) and online research tools for Alaska history to... (Read More)

Mon, April 24, 2017

The U.S. Entered the “Great War” 100 Years Ago: Denali and Other National Parks Recognize Connections to World War I

By Erik Johnson, Denali National Park Historian [caption id="attachment_5118" align="alignleft" width="300"] Boston National Historical Park Twitter feed from April 11, 2017[/caption] This month marks the 100th anniversary of the United States entering World War I, and National Park Service units throughout the country are observing the occasion by remembering their connections to the Great War. Although it is one of the most remote parks in the country, Denali National Park and Preserve also has connections to the War. Denali,... (Read More)

Wed, March 15, 2017

Denali National Park Turns 100: Descendants of Sheldon and Karstens Meet for the First Time

By Erik Johnson, Denali National Park Historian [caption id="attachment_5080" align="alignleft" width="225"] Charlie Sheldon and Denali National Park and Preserve Superintendent Don Striker sign paperwork acknowledging the donation of Charles Sheldon's rifle to the park (photo credit Erik Johnson)[/caption] This year, Denali National Park and Preserve is celebrating its 100th anniversary and hosting events throughout the year. During the final week of February, the Park held its annual Winter Fest which coincided with the Park’s centennial on February 26th—the day President... (Read More)

Mon, October 31, 2016

Preservation of Valuable Aleut Recordings

By Karen Brewster (excerpted from the original story titled "Hidden Gems" on NEDCC's website by Julie Martin with help from Jane Pipik and Frank Cunningham) The Oral History Program at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently collaborated with the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover, Massachusetts to preserve threatened glass recordings of Aleut voices. Founded in 1973, NEDCC is the first independent conservation laboratory in the United States to specialize exclusively in the conservation and preservation of... (Read More)

Tue, March 15, 2016

Alaska’s Skyboys: Cowboy Pilots and the Myth of the Last Frontier

Alaska author Katherine Ringsmuth balances popular history and academic research in her fascinating new book, “Alaska’s Skyboys: Cowboy Pilots and the Myth of the Last Frontier.” Focusing on the pilots of the eastern region, Ringsmuth writes of their exploits in the Wrangell, Chugach and St. Elias mountain ranges and the towns of Valdez and Cordova. By her own admission, this is only a small geographic part of the Alaska aviation story, but it is a critical one, full of intriguing characters... (Read More)