Anchorage was a city created to serve as the construction headquarters for the Alaska Railroad, a project implemented by the Alaska Engineering Commission. The city was officially founded in 1915 and the railroad was completed just before the U.S. entered World War I. Until WWII, the Alaska Railroad was the economic hub of Anchorage.
The families that founded the city were primarily immigrants and second-generation Americans. Other cultures, including Alaska Natives, began settling in Anchorage in the 1920s.
Many of the men and women that traveled to work on the railroad chose to stay in Alaska, although some moved to other regions of the state.
If we’ve made an error or if your family should be listed, please send corrections as soon as possible to Twitter @Modern_Scot
If you’d like to learn more, the Alaska Collection at Loussac Library contains over 20,000 books on Alaska and some very rare books on Anchorage. We also recommend the Cook Inlet Historical Society to learn more about the individuals listed below.
ANCHORAGE’S FOUNDING FAMILIES & BUILDERS OF THE ALASKA RAILROAD
ALLEN
Jerry T. Allen - Oblong, Illinois
Albina Kodym Allen - San Francisco, California
AMES
Myron Edwin Ames - Loveland, Colorado
Edith Belle Greenough Ames - Loveland, Colorado
AMUNDSEN
Ernest I. Amundsen - Preston, South Dakota
Victoria Amundsen - Lofoten, Norway
ANDERSON
Alma Menge Anderson - Minnesota
Anton Anderson - Moonlight, New Zealand
ANDRESEN
Clark Dennis Andresen - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Marjorie Reeve Andersen - Roseburgh, Oregon
BAGOY
John B. Bagoy - Dunave, Dalmatia
Marie A. (Vlahusic) Bagoy - Linz, Austria
BERRY
Frank O. Berry - Stillwater, Minnesota
Lillie Burbank Berry - St. John, Washington
BARNETT
Hetty Classen Barnett - Essen, Germany
Earl W. Barnett - Youngstown, Ohio
BITTNER
Anna (Ashton) Bittner - Canton, Ohio
Ed Bittner - Arrived in Alaska via the Klondike
BOWMAN
Fred Earl Bowman - New Meadows, Idaho
Anna Alholm Bowman - Oulu, Finland
BYSTEDT
Anna Othila Johnson Bystedt - Amaldasland, Sweden
Nels Gustav Bystedt - Stockholm, Sweden
CARLSON
Edward Carlson - Annenburg, Sweden
Jenny Vike Carlson - Molde, Norway
CAVANAUGH
Agnes Ross Cavanaugh - Mt. Pleasant, PA
Peter J. Cavanaugh - Dubuque IA
COURTNAY
Robert M. Courtnay - Oregon
Martha Glascock Courtnay - Susanville, California
CRAWFORD
John Horatio Crawford - Grenville, Quebec Canada
Nellie May Heilman Crawford - Washougal, Washington
CROCKER
Mary Ida Anderson Crocker - Helsinki, Finland
Ulysses Grant Crocker - Placer County, California
CUNNINGHAM
Eva Lockhart Cunningham - Grand Island, Nebraska
John Todd Cunningham - Grand Island, Nebraska
ELLIOTT
William S. Elliot - May Creek, Washington
Violet Ball Elliot - Staffordshire, England
(widowed & remarried Bertel A. Wennerstrom)
ENATTI
William Enatti - Oulu, Finland
Emma Wirkkala Enatti - Kaustinen, Finland
ERICKSON
Arne Simon Kristofer Erickson - Bergen, Norway
Josephine Johannson Erickson - Malmo, Sweden
John Hugo Erickson - Stockholm, Sweden
Ingeborg Haggkvist Hendrickson Erickson - Rockland, Michigan
ERVIN
Winfield Ervin - Lebanon, Oregon
Theora McNall Ervin - Washington State
GELLES
Wanda Nolan Gelles - Almota, Washington
Gus Gelles - Vienna, Austria
GOTTSTEIN
Anna Jacobs Gottstein - Des Moines, Iowa
Jacob B. Gottstein - Des Moines, Iowa
HARLACHER
Margaret Elliot Harlacher - Detroit, Michigan
Emil Harlacher - Urdorf, Switzerland
HEITMAN
August Henry Heitman - Kodiak, Alaska
HILL
Harry J. Hill - Wainfleet, England
Elsie Edmiston Hill - Glasglow, Scotland
HOWE
Fred Howe - Springfield, Illinois
Ellen Pukkila Howe - Finland
IANNONE RENO
Gaetano Iannone Reno - Compobasso, Italy
Lauretta Pesco Iannone Reno - Palermo, Sicily
JOHNSON
John S. Johnson - Yettermark, Finland
Esther A. Bloomquist Johnson - Seattle, Washington
Victor Johnson - Dalsland, Sweden
Elin Elizabeth Martinson Johnson - Dalsland, Sweden
JONES
Bronwen Morgan Jones - Kirksville, Iowa
Evan William Jones - Aberdare, Wales
KIMBALL
Irving Leonard Kimball - Osceloa, Pennsylvania
Della Carpenter Kimball - Iowa
KIMURA
Harry Y. Kimura - Nagasaki, Japan
Katsuyo Y. Kimura - Nagasaki, Japan
KNAPP
Jacob C. Knapp - Mystic, Iowa
Edith Griffin Knapp - Angus, Iowa
KOSLOSKY
Issac Koslosky - Warsaw, Poland
Lena Schindelman Koslosky - Russia
LANDSTROM
Elizabeth Jansson Landstrom - Bengtsfors, Sweden
Andrew John Landstrom - Norbotten, Sweden
LARSON
Ray C. Larson - Seattle, Washington
Ann Thompson Larson - Eau Claire, Wisconsin
LECKWOLD
Martin Leckwold - Oxdal Selbu, Norway
Mattie Gilbertson Leckwold - Clarissa, Minnesota
LONGACRE
John J. Longacre - Nevada, Missouri
Edyth Jensen Longacre - San Diego, California
LOTTSFELDT
Carl Frederick Lottsfeldt - San Francisco, California
MARSCH
Paul A. Marsch - Portland, Oregon
Eleanor Welch Marsch - Minniota, Minnesota
MARTIN
Carl E. Martin - Red Oak, Iowa
Lucille Black Martin - Chicago, Illinois
McCUTCHEON
Clara Johanna McCutcheon - Mapleton, Minnesota
Herbert Hazard McCutcheon - Bayside, California
McDANNEL
John Casey McDannel - Knoxville, Tennessee
Mary Davis McDannel - Tredegar, Wales
MEIER
Paul Meir - Saxony, Germany
Odile Marcotte Meier - Manchester, New Hampshire
MIKAMI
Mine Morioka Mikami - Tokyo, Japan
George Mikami - Tokyo, Japan
NELSON
Hulda Campbell Nelson - St. Louis, Illinois
John Victor Nelson - Ridgeway, PA
NIEMI
August Niemi - Ylistaro, Vaasanlaani, Finland
Maria Sofia Mikkola - Lahtaja, Finland
OHLS
Werner Ohls - Turku, Finland
Ida Elizabeth Fisker Ohls - Vassa, Finland
OLSON
Matilda Karlson Olson - Orebro, Sweden
Charles Edward Olson - Kalmar, Sweden
PETERKIN
Thomas Peterkin - Bobcaygeon, Ontario Canada
Anna Packebusch Peterkin - Pender, Nebraska
PASTRO
Tony Pastro - Treviso, Italy
Mary Ruath Pastro - Tyrol, Switzerland
PFEIL
Muriel Caroline Anderson Pfeil - Spokane, Washington
Emil H. Pfeil - Siesen, Germany
QUINTON
Charles F. Quinton - Dexter, Maine
Bessie Griffin Quinton - Louisville, Colorado
RAGER
William H. Rager - Frederick, Maryland
Katherine G. DeWald - Salem, Virginia
RASMUSON
Jenny Olson Rasmuson - Varmland, Sweden
Edward Anton Rasmuson - Copenhagen, Denmark
REED
Frank Ivan Reed - Council Bluffs, Iowa
Pauline Hovey Reed - Munson, Ohio
RIVERS
Carl Rivers - Oulu, Finland
Hilma Lauren Rivers - Finland
SCHODDE
Fred Schodde - Germany
Marie Bueler Schodde - Zurich, Switzerland
SCHULTZ
Harry J. Schultz - Beatrice, Nebraska
SEABURG
August Seaburg - Backefors, Dalsland, Sweden
Christina Amelia Nelson Seaburg - Lysvick, Varmland, Sweden
SHERWOOD
Agnes Elizabeth Banner Sherwood - Victoria, B.C.
Jay R. Sherwood - New York City, New York
SPERSTAD
Englehard Sperstad - Norway
Anna Serina Abrahamsen Sperstad - Valsoy Fjorn, Norway
STASER
Harry Ingle Staser - Newberg, Indiana
Barbara Francetta DePencier Staser - Colfax, Washington
STIPP
Logan Stipp - Downing, Missouri
Bertha Hubbard Stipp - San Francisco, California
STODDARD
Esther Graham Stoddard - Elgin, Iowa
Dayton W. Stoddard - Hutchinson, Minnesota
STRUTZ
Aline Sawhill Strutz - Missoula, Montana
Louis Strutz - Oakes, North Dakota
SWANSON
Aileen Lowell Swanson - Dawson City, Yukon Territory
Paul R. Swanson - Nuchek, Alaska
TEELAND
John Teeland - Norway
Kate Norris Teeland - Ireland
TRYCK
Lillian Blanche Tipping Tryck - National Mine, Michigan
Oscar Tryck - Sweden
VAN ZANTEN
Johanna Helena Matot Van Zanten - Hillegom, Holland
Jacobus E. Van Zanten - Harlem, Holland
WAHL
Milja Korpi Wahl - Finland
Charles Wahl - Wassa, Finland
WENNERSTROM
Bertel A. Wennerstrom - Southbridge, Massachusetts
Violet Ball Wennerstrom - Straffordshire, England
SOME FUN FACTS:
- The first grocery store was built by Anton Wendler in 1915. His daughter, Myrtle Stalnaker, turned it into the Club 25 restaurant.
- It was in May of 1915 that Anchorage got its first federal building — a post office.
- Mrs. Bartholf’s Home Bakery and Mrs. Tillman’s Ladies Furnishings & Dry Goods were two of the 1st proprietors on Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue.
- Marie Schodde was the first Anchorage woman to obtain a driver’s license. She died on October 8, 1975 at the age of 82.
- Merrill Field is named for Russell Hyde Merrill, a pilot who disappeared heading for Sleetmute on September 15, 1929. He was 35 years old.
- Bertha was Anchorage’s first store, a steamship that docked in Ship Creek. Owned by Brown & Hawkins, the locals nicknamed it “The Anchorage”
- On April 17, 1975 a ruling by the Supreme Court dissolved the Chugiak-Eagle River Borough and unified all of its communities into Anchorage.
- Monte Road in Eagle River was named for Ray Tedrow’s only son, Monte, who died in a car accident. Tedro and Tedro Circle are misspellings.
- 6 Chugiak families used surplus battlefield wire & hand-cranked telephones to connect their homes in 1947.Lines were strung using dog teams.
- The five Anchorage roads named after those who had their names draw from a hat: Turpin, Tudor, Baxter, Boniface and Muldoon.
- Burl Alvin Tudor came to Anchorage as a test pilot and engineer for Pacific Airmotive Corporation. Tudor road is named after him.
- Eldrick Michael Turpin came to Alaska in 1937 and founded Turpin Excavating, helping build Alaska’s roads. Turpin road is named after him.
- Von R. Baxter was an army veteran who moved here in 1945. He worked for JC Morris Insurance. Baxter Road, Baxter Bog Park are named for him.
- Paul R. Boniface II came to Anchorage in 1948. He was a developer responsible for many projects in Anchorage. Boniface Road is named for him
- Arnold L. Muldoon came to Anchorage in 1939 and worked as a carpenter on EAFB. Muldoon Road is named for him as well as Muldoon Park.
