Anchorage Seward Highway Memories
Favorite places.
A Little Background
William H. Seward was the United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869.
Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars in 1867. In his honor, the road linking Anchorage to the Kenai peninsula was named the Seward Highway.
Mike of Anchorage Memories has this memory:
“In 1950, our family moved to Anchorage because my dad had a job as a heavy equipment operator, during construction of the Seward Highway.”
Notice:
In the Anchorage Daily Times newspaper, Tuesday, October 16, 1951, article above, the Seward Highway was going to be opened to traffic that Friday.
It’s been a lot of years since the highway opened. So in this edition of Anchorage Memories, we’re looking at some favorite places along the famed highway.
Kiddie Land
In the photo above is the Kiddie Land, Alaska Railroad train.
Remember the Kiddie Land amusement park just off the Seward Highway? It had all kinds a fun rides. But the best ride was the train seen above.
Modified Stock Car Race Track
Out on the Seward Highway in the mid 1950s was a dirt racetrack. And every Sunday they held races.
BONUS
Mike of Anchorage Memories remembers his dad was a mechanic on a race car he owned with the driver. They raced every Sunday on the Seward Highway dirt track.
Take a look at Anchorage Race Track Memories and enjoy.
Yes, You Can Share This Edition
And when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will name a tropical island in your honor… well, it could happen.
Bird House
Whenever you had quest come to Alaska, the Bird House was on the list for places to visit.
Located on the Seward Highway near Bird Creek, the Bird House was a one-of-a-kind Alaska bar. The large bird welcomed you, and inside was a sight to see. All kinds of things hanging from the walls and ceiling.
Bird Creek
When the salmon were running, nearby Bird Creek was lined with people and fishing poles. The picture above was a typical sight.
Yes, You Can Share This Edition
And when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will send you on an Alaska cruise, every summer for the next 10 years… well, it could happen.
Picnic with a Spectacular View
In the picture above, Mary, Nikki and Christopher of Anchorage Memories enjoy a beautiful view.
On a drive down the Seward Highway, this spot overlooks Cook Inlet.
The Town of Portage
Photo by Bob Pendleton, courtesy of Cindy Pendleton. Circa 1960s.
The town of portage was another great place to stop when traveling the Seward Highway. One of the restaurants had a sign that read, “You can ask to have 1,000-year-old ice in your drink.”
Apparently, once in a while, the owner of the restaurant and bar sent someone to nearby Portage glacier to chip off a block of glacier ice. The ice was then broken into smaller chunks and customers could enjoy having an actual miniature iceberg in their drink. Something to tell the folks about back home.
Welcome to Portage
The town of Portage had a sense of humor.
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake destroyed the town, but we have always wondered what happened to the “1 old sorehead.”
Portage Glacier
In the picture above are Mary, Nikki and Christopher of Alaska Stories
Remember the story above where the restaurant offered 1,000-year-old ice in your drink? Well, Portage Glacier was where they got the ice.
Girdwood
The 1948 picture above is Girdwood, Alaska. The building on the right was a bar. Possible one of the oldest in Alaska.
The town of Girdwood has always been a beautiful place to stop along the Seward Highway. Today, it hosts Alyeska Resort, a world-class ski hill.
Yes, the Seward Highway offers unsurpassed scenic beauty and a lot of places to spend some time. It’s also filled with rich memories.
From Our North Stars (that’s you)
From our Anchorage Skiing Memories edition.
Lawrence has this memory:
“I really enjoyed cross country skiing at Russian Jack park in the late 1970s. It was also great for sledding.”
Connect with Mike and Mary
Driving down the Seward Highway was a lot of fun. What are your memories?
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Until Next Time
Mike and Mary
Anchorage, Alaska Memories Club
Phenomenal collection of Seward Highway touchstones here. That detail about the 1,000-year-old glacier ice in drinks at Portage is the kind of specifc quirk that makes regional history stick, I'd totally forgotten about establishments doing that sort of thing. The Bird Creek salmon fishing scene brings back memmories of those shoulder-to-shoulder days when the runs were strong. Roads like this become timelines dont they, each mile marker holding layers of collective memory.
When I saw the touring company of “Hair”, at West high, in 1972, a hairy guy started the show with, “I’m a freak from bird creek, any other bird creek freaks?”