Click here for the Virtual Trip to Chickaloon and Matanuska (9.8 MB pdf)

Trip to Chicaloon notes:

Photographers

• Phinius S. Hunt. PSH arrived in Valdez in 1898 Died in Seward in front of Post Office Oct 14, 1917 at age of 51.
• Sydney Laurence 1903 To Tyonek, Later had photo studio and gallery in Anchorage, became official photographer for ARR in 1918, died in 1940.
• H. G. Kaiser 1900-1923? in Alaska With AEC in 1918-23 and later

US ARMY Native photosShips used:

• Transport Crooks was on loan to the AEC from the War Department.
• Turret Crown used from Panama to Anchorage.
• SS Anyox
• SS Mariposa
• SS Northwestern
• SS Admiral Watson

Matanuska Station Aug 16, 1919

Col Fredrick Mears, Wife Jane (Wainwright) Jane Mears Middle School in Anchorage is named for her.
Military Family Brother Johnathan M. Wainwright, was the general that McCarther left in charge on Corrigidor when he left the Philipines. Fort Wainwright at Fairbanks is named for him.

JM Hallowell Asst Sec of Interior.
Teritorial Gov Riggs
Dr. G.,H. Brook Chief USGS

Tour Group July 15, 1920

• Sec of Interior John Barton Payne
• Sec of Navy Josephus Davis
• Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman

Places along the tour.

• Psalm Lake not Eklutna Lake
• Birchwood Flats
• Tex Cobbs cabin
  Homestead October 9, 1918 Looking South at top of bluff near Echo Lake, Keppler and Bradley lakes just to the West.
• R. Hickeys Place
• Axel Olsens 2 miles N of Experimental Farm (near four corners of Trunk Road and Palmer Wasilla)
• Browns Place
• Kingsingers Ranch 4 miles from Matanuska (near inner springer intersection)
• Dunkels Homestead Mile 7
• Martins Place
• Palmer Station (formerly Wharton) (Felton's Store) Palmer Post office 8 miles from Matanuska.
• G. Whites Farm
• M. Heade Homestead near Palmer
• Roman Wheat at Heads
• Harman Farm Greenhouse
• Harman Root Cellar

Wages were a big issue in a Strike at Anchorage in 1916. 37.5 Cents per hour. By 1917 had a pay scale in place that paid 53.5 cents to 85 cents per hour. A waiter was paid $75.00 per month plus board.

First shipment of coal from Chickaloon was October 30, 1917

July 7 1918 new record set Talkeetna to Anchorage 70 hours by boat and train. It formerly took 7 days.

200 horses were shipped to seattle for winter pasture on board the SS Crook They will be returned in the spring.
They had as many as 70 horses on the southbound ships in the fall.

1920 4.5 miles of narrow gauge was located from Eska to the proposed cleaning plant near Sutton.

Alaska Populations was 64,356 in 1910 by 1920 it was down to 55,036 a decrease of 14.7 percent. The gold rush was over, Transportation and communication was still primitive and the 1918 Spanish Flu took more than a few.

In 1923 there were 1948 employees when AEC turned the operation over to the Alaska Railroad.
President Warren G. Harding drove the spike. While here he visited Chickaloon . Herbert Hoover, Sec of Commerce was also in the party.1925 Moose creek spur was extended to Rawson Coal co and Alaska Matanuska Coal Co.

1925 3 cottages and a dormitory from Chickaloon were moved to Curry. A total of 9 houses were moved from Chickaloon to Curry over the years.

1932 Office building and Power House were dismantled and moved to Anchorage.

1933 Twenty miles of track to Chickaloon was removed beyond Sutton and grade left in shape for motor traffic.