On September 12th, 1922 (some sources cite the 13th), the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines was dedicated in Fairbanks. It is the farthest north institute of higher learning, the first college to be created in Alaska, and the last grant college to be established in the United States. The college was established five […]
On September 11th, 1958, at the age of eighty-four, “The Bard of the Yukon,” Robert W. Service, famed poet and writer, died in Lancieux, Côtes-d’Armor, France. Service was renowned as the poetic teller of tales, “The Shooting of Dan McGrew,” and the “Cremation of Sam McGee,” and many others. Many mistakenly believed that Service was […]
On September 10th, 1918, a lesser-known “Golden Spike” was driven in a ceremony signifying the completion of the railroad between Anchorage and Seward. The completion of this portion of the railroad linked Anchorage to the ice-free port of Seward, allowing year-round movement of people, supplies, and equipment to further construction. The spike was presented to […]
On September 0th, 1915, The Cordova Daily Times broke the news that William Van Valin, a noted explorer, lecturer, and teacher, had discovered a “Lake of Oil” a mile inland from Smith Bay, approximately halfway between Wainwright and Utqiagvik (Point Barrow) Van Valin described and photographed streams of crude two feet thick flowing from the […]