Anchorage Area 1916-1920

Anchorage Area 1916-1920. . , Settlers arrived, construction boomed. By 1916 the town's population had jumped to 6,000 people. 300 families were estimated to be homesteading in the Matanuska Valley., The Alaska Engineering Commission assumed responsibility for the town's infrastructure. 4th Avenue became the main commercial street, 3 blocks long. In 1917 Congress approved a method for funding schools and the first school-house was built., Railroad construction was almost completed between Seward and Anchorage in 1918. During this time Anchorage had evolved into a modern town with a hospital, electricity, sewers, scheduled supply boats and mail delivery., World War I outward migration and the 1919 influenza epidemic brought a halt to the rapid expansion of the town. In 1920, the population had decreased to 2,000 people., [Photo captions, clockwise from bottom left, read] , A. 1917 residential area. West end of 3rd Avenue., B. 1916 baseball field construction near 5th and E Streets. Dogs were the principal work animals: horses were to[o] difficult and expensive to maintain., C. 4th Avenue. Fourth of July parade., D. 1916 first scheduled mail leaving Anchorage for the interior. The Post Office, on the right, was the social center of town., E. C Street a[n]d 2nd Avenue, looking North to the Railroad yards and administration buildings. The houses on the far hill are located in today[']s Government Hill section of the city.