Category: 49 History

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)

Sun, February 14, 2016

Anniversary of Icebreaker Visit to Anchorage 1972

Anniversary of Icebreaker Visit to Anchorage 1972 By J Pennelope Goforth [caption id="attachment_4345" align="alignright" width="216"] BURTON ISLAND Brochure. Photograph courtesy Port of Anchorage Historical Folios 1958-1989, Folio 2, Section 1, Page 67. Welcome Aboard Coast Guard Icebreaker BURTON ISLAND WAGB-283, page 3.[/caption] Twenty four years ago on February 15, 1972, Anchorage had a special visitor just in time for the 1972 Fur Rendezvous: the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker BURTON ISLAND. The ship was one of nine icebreakers operated by the... (Read More)

Sat, December 12, 2015

Updates on the Canneries Initiative

Greetings, What a busy month for fisheries history. The Pacific Marine Expo was very successful. AHS shared a booth with the Kodiak Maritime Museum, and not only did this save money on booth fees, it was necessary to have at least two people at the booth at all times due to the traffic. Hundreds of people stopped by each day to share stories, ask questions, and over a dozen individuals became members. Special thanks to Katie Ringsmuth for designing the... (Read More)