April 28, 1976, Annabelle the elephant greets some kids from Koyuk at the Alaska Zoo. Annabelle famously came to Anchorage in 1966 as the prize in a grocery store toilet paper promotion. Via Anchorage Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska #anchoragehistory
In 2003, George Wuerch became rare incumbent Anchorage mayor to lose reelection. Before that, I believe you have to go all the way back to Winfield Ervin in 1946, though he was appointed not elected. Since Wuerch, there was Dave Bronson in 2024. #alaskahistory #alaska
Circa 1900-1914 Skagway baseball team sponsored by El Arabe cigars. Why do I feel like everyone in that picture had tried a cigar by this point? #alaskahistory #alaska
Circa 1970s/1980s "Beautiful Downtown Talkeetna" cap. Via Ebay, not my listing (ebay.us/m/gQ1fJp). #alaskahistory #alaska
June 1984 High Times magazine reported Alaska prices for weed, cocaine, LSD, and methaqualone (quaaludes). Basically triple the prices to account for inflation. #alaskahistory
The Titanic sank early in the morning, by ship's time, on April 15, 1912. Alaska newspapers mostly caught up with the news with their April 16 editions, though some still had the ship's name wrong. #alaskahistory #alaska
Alaskan balloonist Stan Zielinski launches into the air, from the 1982 KUAC (Fairbanks PBS) documentary The Balloonatics. You can see the entire short film here (youtu.be/dNCSVR_kYOs). #alaskahistory #alaska
In 1897 S.A. Andrée tried to fly from islands north of Norway over North Pole to Alaska (or Canada/Russia) in a hydrogen balloon. Tried & failed to steer w/ ropes dragged on ice. Crashed 3 days later. He & the 2 crew died crossing ice. Bodies discovered in 1930. #alaskahistory
August 23, 1912, the steamship Mariposa crashed into the dock at Valdez. Apparently, there was some miscommunication between the captain and the engineer. Via Washington State History Museum #alaskahistory #alaska
April 14, 1970, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) in Anchorage, at the west end of 5th Avenue, by Elderberry Park where he took a brief stroll. He spent about an hour touring Anchorage with Mayor George Sullivan. #alaskahistory #alaska #anchoragehistory
April 14, 1954, diver W.E. "Winkie" Walker and his fabulous hair around Ketchikan. Via Tongass Historical Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska
Early 1940s Alaska Greyhound bus in Anchorage, unrelated to that Greyhound bus company. It looks worse for wear from Alaska roads. Also a 1942 schedule. #alaskahistory #alaska
Desperate to find a place where he could support his family in Depression-era American, Paul Satko built a (very unsafe) boat, the Ark of Juneau, and sailed from Anacortes, WA to Juneau in 1940. Powered by a 1928 Buick truck engine. #alaskahistory #Alaska
1998 Worthington Ford of Anchorage commercial, of course with Cal Worthington and his dog Spot. Like most of his later commercials, the animal footage is older. Also, "a beautiful '96 Nissan Sentra" made me laugh a little. #alaskahistory #alaska #anchoragehistory
Cartoon's from Don Coolidge's 1949 book Cheechako Chuckles. He was a cheechako himself working for the Corps of Engineers in Anchorage, though he seemed to quickly grasp the aspects of daily life here, like how to dress in winter & being camera crazy. #alaskahistory #alaska
Nov 1969 Modern Cycle article on motorcycle usage in Alaska. Last picture is Dora and Marsha Dushkin of Nikolski riding around Umnak. At the time, motorcycles were the primary mode of land transportation in Nikolski. #alaskahistory #alaska
April 10, 1959, a Pan Am Boeing 377 Stratocruiser undershot its landing at Juneau. It hit an embankment and caught fire. All ten occupants survived. #alaskahistory #alaska #juneau
March 24, 2026 Final Jeopardy question. Did you get it right? #alaskahistory #alaska
June 25, 1918, steamer Victoria at Nome. Ships had to wait offshore, with cargo and passengers brought to town on small boats or lighters. Photo notes this was the first ship to reach Nome that year. Times have changed. Via Washington State History Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska
A fishing boat lays out on some rocks in a futile attempt to catch some sun in Alaska. Undated. Via Washington State History Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska
1887, Franklin Hotel in Juneau on Front Street. It was torn down in 1892 for a new hotel, the Occidental. Via Washington State History Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska
April 9, 1971 Anchorage Daily Times letter to the editor and one of the best such letters I've ever come across. This poor man never saw his wife--or 600 lb bear (Grezelda RIP)--ever again. There's nothing like breakup season. #alaskahistory #anchoragehistory #alaska
April 8, 1899, Bergman String Band at Bergman, a mining town that was sorta near Allakaket. With the money we could save by making our own entertainment, we could afford to drive wherever we want! #alaskahistory #alaska
C. 1898 team of angora goats pulling a sled for photographer Eric A Hegg on the trail out of Skagway, where James Bernard Moore had imported a team of such goats as pack animals. Most of the goats were shot by someone who thought they were wild. #alaskahistory #alaska
Fellow Alaskans, in these times of high gas prices, I implore you to explore the past for solutions. History will provide! This young lady, with a bear pulling her cart in circa 1950 Alaska, had all the answers. Via Anchorage Museum. #alaskahistory #alaska
April 7, 1991 Anchorage Daily News editorial cartoon by Peter Dunlap-Shohl: "More weaknesses are revealed in Anchorage's emergency response capability when a pothole swallows a firetruck, an ambulance, & several loose dogs. #alaskahistory #anchoragehistory #alaska
1968 voting machines in Alaska. In this election, Alaskans voted for Richard Nixon (R) for President, Mike Gravel (D) for U.S. Senate, and Howard Pollock (R) for U.S. House. #alaskahistory #alaska
