by J.P. McCauley

Created on: June 27, 2009

Anchorage grew up from a tent city in 1920. This tent city, originally called Ship Creek Landing, was created as the result of the decision to headquarter the construction effort for the Alaskan Railroad there. Much of the early history of Anchorage is centered around the railroad.

The best place to learn about Anchorage's pre-history would be at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Here you will learn about the five different cultural groups indigenous to the Anchorage area, and all eleven cultures indigenous to Alaska. There are exhibits of buildings, and collections of tools, watercraft, clothing, art and more.

The first wood framed house built in Anchorage is the Oscar Anderson house. Built in 1915 by Oscar Anderson, a Swedish butcher, the house has been restored to its original appearance and is currently used as a museum. The house is far from grand. Instead, it shows how an early immigrant lived.

Anchorage's Historic City Hall was opened in 1936. Today, it houses the Convention and Visitors Bureau, but when it originally opened, it housed the Mayor's office, the clerk's office, the telephone switchboard, city council chambers, the police chief's office, the city engineer's office, the office of the superintendent of public utilities, the library, three jail cells, and apartments for a caretaker and firemen. Today, the public is welcome to step inside to view a permanent exhibit of photos and artifacts from early Anchorage.

In 1915, Leopold David moved with his family to the tent city at Ship Creek Landing. In 1917, he designed and built a house on Second Avenue which still stands today. In 1920, David was designated the first mayor of the newly incorporated city of Anchorage Alaska.

Built in 1915, the building now known as the Pioneer Schoolhouse was Anchorage's first school. This one room schoolhouse served generations of local citizens of all ages for years. The building has since been moved and put on a foundation with a basement. The building is still in use as a meeting hall for political parties, gardening clubs, and dance students.

Also built in 1915, the Kimball building was one of Anchorage's first stores, and it was the first multi level building in Anchorage. This building helped supply the tent city dwellers with the good they needed to set up their own more permanent dwellings.

If you want to stay at a historic hotel while visiting Anchorage, try the Historic Anchorage Hotel, established 1916. The current building was built in 1936, and is still open for reservations. Major renovations in 1989 returned this hotel to the top tier in Anchorage accommodations.

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