This gallery contains 48 photos.
With hundreds of photographs and descriptions of landmarks, attractions, historic sites and other points of interest, this new book is a must-have volume for anyone who lives in, travels through, or loves Alaska’s beautiful Matanuska Valley! 140 pages, full color, … Continue reading
The Dividing River The Matanuska River, which tumbles out from underneath the glacier of the same name, winds between the coastal Chugach Mountains to the south and the interior Talkeetna Range to the north, providing a clear delineation between … Continue reading
The Matanuska Valley is home to an incredible array of wildflowers, from tall stately fireweed and lupine blooms to the tiniest alpine flowers on high mountain slopes.
The beautiful log building which houses the Dorothy G. Page Museum & Visitor Center, now a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1931 as a community hall for the Wasilla area, at a time when the community was showing growth and development … Continue reading
Robert Lee Hatcher In the fall of 1906, Robert Lee Hatcher discovered the first lode gold claim in the Willow Creek Valley, and his claim was followed by other prospects over the next few years. There’s an excellent biography of Hatcher … Continue reading
Route of the Seven Mile Canoe Trail A primary scenic waterway in the Matanuska Valley, Cottonwood Creek begins in the central part of the Valley, near Niclason Lake, then drops south and crosses under Bogard Road, skirts the northwestern edge … Continue reading
John August Springer In October of 1914, Palmer-area pioneer John August Springer filed for homestead rights to 320 acres of benchland located on the north bank of a sweeping bend in the Matanuska River, with a commanding view of Pioneer … Continue reading
Only a River . . . Knik Arm is the northernmost branch of Cook Inlet, a great body of water which stretches 180 miles from the Gulf of Alaska and splits at Anchorage into Knik Arm and the more southern … Continue reading
Early Electrification of Anchorage Frank I. Reed founded the Anchorage Light & Power Company in 1923 and developed the Eklutna Power Plant, harnessing the power of the Eklutna River in 1929. A concrete arch dam, 98 feet long and 61 … Continue reading
A major peak in the Chugach mountain range, Pioneer Peak is the most prominent landmark in the Matanuska Valley, rising 6,398 feet over the sea-level Knik River. Named in 1939 to honor the hardworking settlers who called the Matanuska Valley … Continue reading
A few photos from around the Palmer area, under consideration for the book.
In her classic book on Wasilla titled ‘Early Days in Wasilla,’ subtitled ‘A Study of a Frontier Town in Alaska’ (copyright 1963 by Louise Potter, reprinted in 1978 and again in 2002 by Alaskana Books), Louise Potter wrote the following: … Continue reading
A wide-ranging assortment of photographs from this past week, under consideration for inclusion the book: Poppies and dandelions[/caption] A winding dirt road east of Palmer[/caption]
With a subject as great as the Matanuska Valley one question comes to mind right away: Where does the Valley begin and end? What separates the Matanuska Valley from it’s big brother, the Susitna Valley? It seems reasonable to count … Continue reading
The Beautiful Matanuska Valley is only the working title of this newest book project, but it might become the actual title if no other name makes itself so abundantly appropriate. This title describes what this book is all about, the … Continue reading
The Beautiful Matanuska Valley 