Eagle River

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

A fascinating look into the history of Eagle River's beginnings and vibrant community.

Eagle River's written history begins in 1898, when the valley was explored by W.C. Mendenhall of the US Geological Survey. Since that first journey, a vibrant community has grown just 10 miles from Anchorage, still retaining its small town characteristics. The early years include the Iditarod Trail, the building of the Alaska Railroad, and a fox farm around Fire Lake. World War II brought many families to the area, and some of these families started homesteads in Eagle River. By the 1960s, Eagle River had a shopping center, post office, and schools—earning it a place on the map. The 1970s and 1980s saw an explosion in growth as Pippel's Field was built up with businesses and housing, the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce was organized, and the Bear Paw Festival was started.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738599700
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	06/10/2013
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,158,685
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.34(d)

About the Author

Photographs in this book are from the Chugiak-Eagle River Historical Society, Anchorage Museum, Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, Archie Boyles's collection, the Helen Phillips family collection, and other individuals who donated to this endeavor. Zane Treesh has lived in Eagle River since 1971. In 1994, he received a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 Early Exploration, Iditarod Trail, and Alaska Railroad: 1898-1930 9

2 First Homesteaders and Settlers: 1930-1950 19

3 Beginning of Commercial Buildings: 1950-1960 25

4 Downtown Development: 1960-1970 37

5 Changes Brought by the Alaska Pipeline: 1970-1980 49

6 Boom Years and Development of Pippel's Field: 1980-1990 61

7 More Recent Times: 1990-Present 87

Bibliography 127