MV Matanuska , colloquially known as the Mat , is a mainline Malaspina -class ferry vessel operated by the Alaska Marine Highway System .
101-577: In 1959, as Alaska became a state, one of the top priorities of its coastal residents was improved ferry service. As early as February 1960, bills were introduced in the new state legislature to create a ferry authority. Alaska voters approved a $ 23 million bond issue in November 1960 to fund a state ferry system. Seattle naval architect Philip F. Spaulding was consulted by Governor William A. Egan as to what types of ships should be built and in May 1961, his firm
202-453: A moment magnitude of 9.2 (more than a thousand times as powerful as the 1989 San Francisco earthquake ). The time of day (5:36 pm), time of year (spring) and location of the epicenter were all cited as factors in potentially sparing thousands of lives, particularly in Anchorage. Alaska suffered a more severe megathrust earthquake on July 11, 1585, estimated at magnitude 9.25, which remains
303-409: A territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest per capita incomes , with commercial fishing , and the extraction of natural gas and oil, dominating Alaska's economy . U.S. Armed Forces bases and tourism also contribute to
404-472: A world war . The post WWII era was lean, but the abundant market for of ship repairs and dedication to craft enabled Lake Union Dry Dock Company to thrive. A contract performed between 1952 and 1953, during the Korean War , resulted in construction of four 144-foot-long (44 m) minesweepers. This would be the last multi vessel construction contract that Lake Union Dry Dock Company would perform. During
505-399: A convoy to Valdez. On the advice of military and civilian leaders, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared all of Alaska a major disaster area the day after the quake. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard deployed ships to isolated coastal communities to assist with immediate needs. Bad weather and poor visibility hampered air rescue and observation efforts the day after the quake, but on Sunday
606-771: A crew of 48. Crew quarters are aboard so the ship can embark multiple watches for longer trips. All Alaska Marine Highway System ships are named after glaciers. Matanuska is named for the Matanuska Glacier in the Chugach Mountains . Governor Egan announced the new name on September 4, 1962. Matanuska's first route was from Prince Rupert, British Columbia , one end of the North American road network, to Skagway , with stops in Ketchikan , Wrangell , Petersburg , Sitka , Juneau , and Haines . Passengers who travelled
707-604: A dry-dock inspection and repairs. It was her captain's first trip through the narrows. On September 24, 1964, the ship hit a submerged object in Wrangell Narrows and bent three of the four blades on her starboard propeller and her starboard propeller shaft. She was forced to sail to Seattle on one engine for repairs. The ship was backing into the ferry terminal in Bellingham on February 1, 1991, when some sort of mechanical failure occurred. High winds complicated maneuvering at
808-725: A former Marmon Automobiles agent. Inspired by Henry Ford 's assembly line , Mooney implemented repeatable manufacturing processes to produce a stock cruiser, the Lake Union Dreamboat, to achieve a price point more accessible to yachting enthusiasts. From 1928-1930, Lake Union Dry Dock Company worked with noted yacht designer, Ted Geary , and built a series of four, 96-foot-long (29 m), fantail yachts (Principia, Blue Peter, Electra, and Canim); each created with classic lines, luxurious joiner work , and fittings. The company also made two sailing yachts: Pirate and Circe. Both vessels remained functional till 2019. Operating under
909-421: A known countercurrent to slow the ship on the approach into port. However, the countercurrent was not present that day, resulting in a higher-than-expected approach speed. Matanuska was carrying 60 passengers at the time of the crash. Alaska Alaska ( / ə ˈ l æ s k ə / ə- LASS -kə ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America . Part of
1010-462: A longer coastline than all the other U.S. states combined. At 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km ) in total area, Alaska is by far the largest state in the United States. Alaska is more than twice the size of the second-largest U.S. state (Texas), and it is larger than the next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana) combined. Alaska is the seventh largest subnational division in
1111-797: A massive underwater landslide, resulting in the deaths of 32 people between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks, and inside the ship that was docked there at the time. Nearby, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega , killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. Post-quake tsunamis severely affected Whittier , Seward , Kodiak, and other Alaskan communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Washington , Oregon , and California . Tsunamis also caused damage in Hawaii and Japan . Evidence of motion directly related to
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#17328554728121212-645: A population that was genetically separate from other native groups present elsewhere in the New World at the end of the Pleistocene . Ben Potter, the University of Alaska Fairbanks archaeologist who unearthed the remains at the Upward Sun River site in 2013, named this new group Ancient Beringian . The Tlingit people developed a society with a matrilineal kinship system of property inheritance and descent in what
1313-477: A stateroom may use coin-operated lockers to stow their luggage, and public showers. She has a cafeteria, solarium, children's play area, and observation lounge. Her vehicle deck has 1,675 feet (511 m) of lanes, which can accommodate 83 standard-sized vehicles. The ship cruises at 16.5 knots, at which speed she burns 234 gallons of fuel per hour. She has two Electro-Motive Diesel 16-710 G7C-T3 engines, each rated at 3,999 hp, which she uses for propulsion. This
1414-633: A total of 50 Aleut civilians and eight sailors were interned in Japan. About half of the Aleuts died during the period of internment. Unalaska / Dutch Harbor and Adak became significant bases for the United States Army , United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy. The United States Lend-Lease program involved flying American warplanes through Canada to Fairbanks and then Nome ; Soviet pilots took possession of these aircraft, ferrying them to fight
1515-631: A western maritime border, in the Bering Strait , with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug . The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the Arctic Ocean lie to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies to the south. Technically, it is a semi-exclave of the U.S., and is the largest exclave in the world. Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than the following three largest states of Texas , California , and Montana combined, and
1616-607: Is 408 feet (124 m) long with a beam of 74 feet (23 m), and a fully loaded draft of 16 ft 11.625 in (5.2 m). She displaces 5,569 long tons. Her gross tonnage calculated under international rules is 9,214, while her U.S. register gross tonnage is 3,029. At the time of their launch, the three sister-ships were the largest U.S.-flagged motorized ferries. Matanuska can carry 450 passengers. She has 106 passenger staterooms with berths for 243. These are divided into 79 two-berth, 21 three-berth, five four-berth, and one wheelchair-accessible cabins. Passengers without
1717-787: Is based on the testimony of Chukchi geographer Nikolai Daurkin, who had visited Alaska in 1764–1765 and who had reported on a village on the Kheuveren River, populated by "bearded men" who "pray to the icons ". Some modern researchers associate Kheuveren with Koyuk River . The first European vessel to reach Alaska is generally held to be the St. Gabriel under the authority of the surveyor M. S. Gvozdev and assistant navigator I. Fyodorov on August 21, 1732, during an expedition of Siberian Cossack A. F. Shestakov and Russian explorer Dmitry Pavlutsky (1729–1735). Another European contact with Alaska occurred in 1741, when Vitus Bering led an expedition for
1818-843: Is bordered by Canada's Yukon and British Columbia to the east (making it the only state to border only a Canadian territory ); the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south and southwest; the Bering Sea , Bering Strait , and Chukchi Sea to the west; and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska's territorial waters touch Russia's territorial waters in the Bering Strait, as the Russian Big Diomede Island and Alaskan Little Diomede Island are only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart. Alaska has
1919-479: Is divided into boroughs . Delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model. Many of the more densely populated parts of the state are part of Alaska's 16 boroughs, which function somewhat similarly to counties in other states. Unlike county-equivalents in the other states, the boroughs do not cover
2020-554: Is home to Mount Shishaldin , which is an occasionally smoldering volcano that rises to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the North Pacific. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr , west of Anchorage on the mainland. Geologists have identified Alaska as part of Wrangellia , a large region consisting of multiple states and Canadian provinces in the Pacific Northwest , which is actively undergoing continent building . One of
2121-614: Is known for its massive reserves of crude oil and contains both the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field . The city of Utqiaġvik , formerly known as Barrow, is the northernmost city in the United States and is located here. The Northwest Arctic area , anchored by Kotzebue and also containing the Kobuk River valley, is often considered part of this region. The respective Inupiat of
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#17328554728122222-451: Is maintained by the Office of History and Archaeology. The survey's inventory of cultural resources includes objects, structures, buildings, sites, districts, and travel ways, with a general provision that they are more than fifty years old. As of 31 January 2012 , more than 35,000 sites have been reported. Alaska is not divided into counties , as most of the other U.S. states, but it
2323-506: Is now Southeast Alaska , became the capital of Russian America . It remained the capital after the colony was transferred to the United States. The Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the colony was never very profitable. Evidence of Russian settlement in names and churches survives throughout southeastern Alaska. In 1867, William H. Seward , the United States Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson , negotiated
2424-605: Is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government as public lands, including a multitude of national forests , national parks, and national wildlife refuges . Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres (35 million hectares), or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service . It is the world's largest wildlife refuge, comprising 16 million acres (6.5 million hectares). Of
2525-519: Is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii. The name "Alaska" ( Russian : Аля́ска , romanized : Aljáska ) was introduced during the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the Alaska Peninsula . It was derived from an Aleut-language idiom , alaxsxaq , meaning "the mainland" or, more literally, "the object towards which
2626-508: Is technically part of the continental U.S. , but is not usually included in the colloquial use of the term; Alaska is not part of the contiguous U.S. , often called " the Lower 48 ". The capital city, Juneau , is situated on the mainland of the North American continent but is not connected by road to the rest of the North American highway system. The largest lake in Alaska is Lake Illiamna . The state
2727-406: Is the seventh-largest subnational division in the world . It is the third-least populous and most sparsely populated U.S. state, but is, with a population of 736,081 as of 2020 , the continent's most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel , with more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland . The state contains the four largest cities in
2828-594: Is the largest glacier in North America, covering 2,008 square miles (5,200 km ) alone. There are no officially defined borders demarcating the various regions of Alaska, but there are five/six regions that the state is most commonly broken up into: The most populous region of Alaska contains Anchorage , the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula . Rural, mostly unpopulated areas south of
2929-576: Is the northernmost and westernmost state in the United States, but also has the most easterly longitude in the United States because the Aleutian Islands extend into the Eastern Hemisphere . Alaska is the only non- contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles (800 km) of Canadian territory consisting of British Columbia (in Canada ) separates Alaska from Washington . It
3030-477: Is the third set of main engines with which Matanuska has been equipped. In 2018, two MaK 9M453B 3,620 hp engines were replaced, which were installed in 1985. Her original engines were manufactured by the Enterprise Engine and Foundry division of General Metals Corporation. She has two four-bladed, variable-pitch propellers, and a bow thruster to improve maneuverability. Matanuska normally sails with
3131-601: Is today Southeast Alaska, along with parts of British Columbia and the Yukon . Also in Southeast were the Haida , now well known for their unique arts. The Tsimshian people came to Alaska from British Columbia in 1887, when President Grover Cleveland , and later the U.S. Congress, granted them permission to settle on Annette Island and found the town of Metlakatla, Alaska . All three of these peoples, as well as other indigenous peoples of
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3232-622: The Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Prince William Sound, spilling more than 11 million gallons (42 megalitres) of crude oil over 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of coastline. Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the proposed Pebble Mine . Located at the northwest corner of North America , Alaska
3333-570: The Alaska Marine Highways System looked to Lake Union Dry Dock Company to service and refit vessels for their ferry fleet. The passing of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976 brought growth to the fishing industry in Alaska; dozens of US factory trawlers , catcher boats and longliners arrived on the scene and Lake Union Dry Dock Company became the principle repair source for
3434-632: The Alaska Peninsula are considered part of the Southwest, with the Aleutian Islands often (but not always) being grouped in as well. While primarily part of Southwest Alaska when grouped economically, the Aleutian islands are sometimes recognized as an alternate group from the rest of the region due to the geographic separation from the continent. More than 300 small volcanic islands make up this chain, which stretches more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km) into
3535-727: The Alaska Purchase (referred to pejoratively as Seward's Folly) with the Russians for $ 7.2 million. Russia's contemporary ruler Tsar Alexander II , the Emperor of the Russian Empire , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland , also planned the sale; the purchase was made on March 30, 1867. Six months later the commissioners arrived in Sitka and the formal transfer was arranged; the formal flag-raising took place at Fort Sitka on October 18, 1867. In
3636-612: The Alaska Purchase . The region is dominated by the Alexander Archipelago as well as the Tongass National Forest , the largest national forest in the United States. It contains the state capital Juneau , the former capital Sitka , and Ketchikan , at one time Alaska's largest city. The Alaska Marine Highway provides a vital surface transportation link throughout the area and country, as only three communities ( Haines , Hyder and Skagway ) enjoy direct connections to
3737-641: The Alaska Range and west of the Wrangell Mountains also fall within the definition of South Central, as do the Prince William Sound area and the communities of Cordova and Valdez . Also referred to as the Panhandle or Inside Passage , this is the region of Alaska closest to the contiguous states. As such, this was where most of the initial non-indigenous settlement occurred in the years following
3838-694: The Inside Passage route remains part of the Alaska Marine Highway System. Matanuska has sailed it periodically over the years, including in 2020. Alaska's ships periodically failed to meet demand for lack of sufficient capacity. This was particularly true when one of them was out of service for maintenance. Malaspina was lengthened in 1972 at the Willamette Iron and Steel Company in Portland, Oregon , to increase her capacity. In July 1977,
3939-794: The Invasion of Kuwait , the US Navy enlisted Lake Union Dry Dock Company to prepare the Seattle-based Minesweeper Offshore (MSO) fleet for transit to the Persian Gulf . In 1994, the Taiwanese Navy contracted with Lake Union Dry Dock to refurbish and then transport four Mine Sweeper Offshore (MSO) to Taiwan . This job required a workforce of 140 craftspeople to concurrently perform repairs on all four vessels. In need of 70 shipwrights , who were difficult to recruit by 1990 due to changes in
4040-639: The National Wildlife Refuge system , parts of 25 rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system , 3.3 million acres (13,000 km ) to National Forest lands , and 43.6 million acres (176,000 km ) to National Park land . Because of the Act, Alaska now contains two-thirds of all American national parklands. Today, more than half of Alaskan land is owned by the Federal Government . In 1989,
4141-585: The Post-World War I recession , Otis Cutting and John McLean started a partnership when they jointly purchased waterfront property on Lake Union and established the Lake Union Dry Dock Company. Between 1920 and 1954, Lake Union Dry Dock Company constructed a total of 63 vessels, the majority of which were not yachts. During Prohibition , rum-runners used fast boats to transport alcohol along “rum-lines” where they risked passage between ports in
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4242-513: The Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii . Alaska is also considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost (the Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian into the eastern hemisphere) state in the United States. It borders the Canadian territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia to the east. It shares
4343-418: The public record in Alaska. The state is divided into 34 recording districts which are centrally administered under a state recorder . All recording districts use the same acceptance criteria, fee schedule, etc., for accepting documents into the public record. Whereas many U.S. states use a three-tiered system of decentralization—state/county/township—most of Alaska uses only two tiers—state/borough. Owing to
4444-409: The 1960s and 1970s, Lake Union Dry Dock Company focused on vessel conversion and repair work. Alaska's rapid growth in that era caused a significant increase in the demand for repair of freighters, tugs and barges that supplied goods to the state. In response to an increase in marine traffic, additional US Coast Guard vessels were stationed in the region, each requiring periodic repair. Additionally,
4545-465: The 29th the situation improved and rescue helicopters and observation aircraft were deployed. A military airlift immediately began shipping relief supplies to Alaska, eventually delivering 2,570,000 pounds (1,170,000 kg) of food and other supplies. Broadcast journalist, Genie Chance , assisted in recovery and relief efforts, staying on the KENI air waves over Anchorage for more than 24 continuous hours as
4646-638: The 80 foot (24 m) wide Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. This was accomplished by heeling the ship to 38 degrees with ballast water then with 1,226 short tons (1,112 t) of ballast blocks and steel plates, plus additional buoyancy. Along with all the industry shifts, servicing wooden vessels remained a mainstay of Lake Union Dry Dock Company's operation. Capitalizing on the opportunity to maintain wooden minesweepers, Lake Union Dry Dock Company assembled vessel-specific tooling and established craft training to service sophisticated componentry. In 1990, after
4747-656: The Alaska Division of Emergency Services to respond to any future disasters. The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System led to an oil boom. Royalty revenues from oil have funded large state budgets from 1980 onward. Oil production was not the only economic value of Alaska's land. In the second half of the 20th century, Alaska discovered tourism as an important source of revenue. Tourism became popular after World War II when military personnel stationed in
4848-661: The German invasion of the Soviet Union . The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities. Statehood for Alaska was an important cause of James Wickersham early in his tenure as a congressional delegate. Decades later, the statehood movement gained its first real momentum following a territorial referendum in 1946. The Alaska Statehood Committee and Alaska's Constitutional Convention would soon follow. Statehood supporters also found themselves fighting major battles against political foes, mostly in
4949-413: The North Pacific trawler fleet. Between fishing seasons, it was not uncommon for several 200–300 feet (61–91 m) trawlers to be in the yard simultaneously. Yard craftspeople adapted to the specific needs of the fleet and developed new skills. In 1976, the yard acquired ex- USS White Sands (ARD-20) , an Auxiliary repair dock ship. This required the ship with an 81 foot (25 m) beam to pass through
5050-573: The North Slope and of the Northwest Arctic seldom consider themselves to be one people. Southwest Alaska is a sparsely inhabited region stretching some 500 miles (800 km) inland from the Bering Sea. Most of the population lives along the coast. Kodiak Island is also located in the Southwest. The massive Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta , one of the largest river deltas in the world, is here. Portions of
5151-507: The Pacific Northwest Coast , experienced smallpox outbreaks from the late 18th through the mid- 19th century , with the most devastating epidemics occurring in the 1830s and 1860s, resulting in high fatalities and social disruption. Some researchers believe the first Russian settlement in Alaska was established in the 17th century. According to this hypothesis, in 1648 several koches of Semyon Dezhnyov 's expedition came ashore in Alaska by storm and founded this settlement. This hypothesis
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#17328554728125252-415: The Pacific Northwest. In 1789, a Spanish settlement and fort were built in Nootka Sound . These expeditions gave names to places such as Valdez , Bucareli Sound , and Cordova . Later, the Russian-American Company carried out an expanded colonization program during the early-to-mid-19th century. Sitka , renamed New Archangel from 1804 to 1867, on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in what
5353-439: The Pacific Ocean. Some of these islands fall in the Eastern Hemisphere, but the International Date Line was drawn west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire North American continent, within the same legal day. Two of the islands, Attu and Kiska , were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II. According to an October 1998 report by the United States Bureau of Land Management , approximately 65% of Alaska
5454-401: The Russian Navy aboard the St. Peter . After his crew returned to Russia with sea otter pelts judged to be the finest fur in the world, small associations of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia toward the Aleutian Islands. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1784. Between 1774 and 1800, Spain sent several expeditions to Alaska to assert its claim over
5555-436: The U.S. Congress but also within Alaska. Statehood was approved by the U.S. Congress on July 7, 1958; Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on January 3, 1959. On March 27, 1964, the massive Good Friday earthquake killed 133 people and destroyed several villages and portions of large coastal communities, mainly by the resultant tsunamis and landslides. It was the fourth-most-powerful earthquake in recorded history, with
5656-434: The United States by area , including the state capital of Juneau . The state's most populous city is Anchorage , and approximately half of Alaska's residents live within its metropolitan area . Indigenous people have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge . The Russian Empire
5757-446: The action of the sea is directed". Numerous indigenous peoples occupied Alaska for thousands of years before the arrival of European peoples to the area. Linguistic and DNA studies done here have provided evidence for the settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge . At the Upward Sun River site in the Tanana Valley in Alaska, remains of a six-week-old infant were found. The baby's DNA showed that she belonged to
5858-763: The bottom of this section lists the 100 largest cities and census-designated places in Alaska, in population order. Lake Union Dry Dock Company 47°38′00″N 122°19′39″W / 47.63327°N 122.32758°W / 47.63327; -122.32758 Lake Union Dry Dock Company is a full-service shipyard that specializes in vessel repair and conversions located in Seattle , Washington . Drydocking vessels up to 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons), (420 feet (130 m) in length), Lake Union Dry Dock Company repairs factory trawlers , fishing vessels , Coast Guard Cutters and buoy tenders , tugboats , research vessels , ferries , mega-yachts , barges , and houseboats . Lake Union Dry Dock Company
5959-439: The ceremony, 250 uniformed U.S. soldiers marched to the governor's house at "Castle Hill", where the Russian troops lowered the Russian flag and the U.S. flag was raised. This event is celebrated as Alaska Day , a legal holiday on October 18. Alaska was loosely governed by the military initially and was administered as a district starting in 1884, with a governor appointed by the United States president. A federal district court
6060-422: The city proper and the communities of Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Girdwood, Bird, and Indian. Fairbanks has a separate borough (the Fairbanks North Star Borough ) and municipality (the City of Fairbanks). The state's most populous city is Anchorage , home to 291,247 people in 2020. The richest location in Alaska by per capita income is Denali ($ 42,245). Yakutat City , Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage are
6161-429: The community, disseminating information about shelters and prepared food rations, passing messages of well-being between loved ones, and helping to reunite families. In the longer term, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led the effort to rebuild roads, clear debris, and establish new townsites for communities that had been completely destroyed, at a cost of $ 110 million. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
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#17328554728126262-410: The contiguous North American road system. The Interior is the largest region of Alaska; much of it is uninhabited wilderness. Fairbanks is the only large city in the region. Denali National Park and Preserve is located here. Denali , formerly Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America and is also located here. The North Slope is mostly tundra peppered with small villages. The area
6363-402: The damage done by the earthquake to the city. The team, called the Engineering and Geological Evaluation Group, was headed by Ruth A. M. Schmidt , a geology professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage . The team of scientists came into conflict with local developers and downtown business owners who wanted to immediately rebuild; the scientists wanted to identify future dangers to ensure that
6464-439: The earthquake was also reported from Florida and Texas . Alaska had never experienced a major disaster in a highly populated area before and had very limited resources for dealing with the effects of such an event. In Anchorage, at the urging of geologist Lidia Selkregg , the City of Anchorage and the Alaska State Housing Authority appointed a team of 40 scientists, including geologists, soil scientists, and engineers, to assess
6565-400: The economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing national forests , national parks , and wildlife refuges . It is among the most irreligious states , one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana , and is known for its libertarian-leaning political culture, generally supporting the Republican Party in national elections. The Indigenous population of Alaska
6666-411: The entire 30-hour trip paid $ 30 plus another $ 7.50 if they wanted a berth. Cars embarking at Prince Rupert paid $ 118 to reach Haines, where they could once again connect to mainland roads, or $ 122.50 to go through to Skagway at the end of the line. She began her operational career on June 10, 1963, when she embarked 154 passengers and 45 cars at Prince Rupert. The initial public response to Matanuska
6767-481: The four largest cities in the U.S. by area . As reflected in the 2020 United States census , Alaska has a total of 355 incorporated cities and census-designated places (CDPs). The tally of cities includes four unified municipalities, essentially the equivalent of a consolidated city–county . The majority of these communities are located in the rural expanse of Alaska known as " The Bush " and are unconnected to that contiguous North American road network. The table at
6868-447: The four 176 foot (54 m) minesweepers, once delivered, Lake Union Dry Dock Company's relationship with wooden Naval Minesweepers was concluded. Between 1995 and 2001 Lake Union Dry Dock Company worked in collaboration with the Virginia V Foundation to successfully restore the Virginia V ; the last operational wooden steam passenger ship of its kind. Lake Union Dry Dock Company, in its 103rd year of business in 2019, remained
6969-404: The labor market, Lake Union Dry Dock Company had to search Washington , Oregon , California , Alaska and British Columbia to assemble an appropriately skilled team. As part of the contract, Lake Union Dry Dock Company provided training to the Taiwanese maintenance staff. To fulfill the transport requirement to Taiwan , the shipyard found and prepared a heavy lift ship to deck-load and transit
7070-432: The largest private landowner in Alaska in advertisements and other communications. Provisions of ANCSA allowing the corporations' land holdings to be sold on the open market starting in 1991 were repealed before they could take effect. Effectively, the corporations hold title (including subsurface title in many cases, a privilege denied to individual Alaskans) but cannot sell the land. Individual Native allotments are sold on
7171-421: The low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough . As the name implies, it has no intermediate borough government but is administered directly by the state government. In 2000, 57.71% of Alaska's area has this status, with 13.05% of the population. Anchorage merged the city government with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1975 to form the Municipality of Anchorage, containing
7272-801: The most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history. The Good Friday earthquake lasted 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Six hundred miles (970 km) of fault ruptured at once and moved up to 60 ft (18 m), releasing about 500 years of stress buildup. Soil liquefaction , fissures, landslides, and other ground failures caused major structural damage in several communities and much damage to property. Anchorage sustained great destruction or damage to many inadequately earthquake-engineered houses, buildings, and infrastructure (paved streets, sidewalks, water and sewer mains, electrical systems, and other human-made equipment), particularly in
7373-538: The name Associated Shipbuilders in a joint venture with the nearby Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company on Harbor Island , a small number of yard minesweepers were built for the United States Navy . In 1946 Harry Jones, an attorney, and George H. Stebbins, a marine engineer, joined forces to purchase Lake Union Dry Dock Company, a union that would be followed by three subsequent generations. Much like their predecessors, Jones and Stebbins took over just after
7474-508: The often remote and roadless locations. The University of Alaska , as a land grant university , also owns substantial acreage which it manages independently. Another 44 million acres (18 million hectares) are owned by 12 regional, and scores of local, Native corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. Regional Native corporation Doyon, Limited often promotes itself as
7575-412: The open market. Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling about one percent of the state. Alaska is, by a large margin, the state with the smallest percentage of private land ownership when Native corporation holdings are excluded. The Alaska Heritage Resources Survey (AHRS) is a restricted inventory of all reported historic and prehistoric sites within the U.S. state of Alaska; it
7676-428: The rebuilt infrastructure would be safe. The team produced a report on May 8, 1964, just a little more than a month after the earthquake. The United States military, which has a large active presence in Alaska, also stepped in to assist within moments of the end of the quake. The U.S. Army rapidly re-established communications with the lower 48 states, deployed troops to assist the citizens of Anchorage, and dispatched
7777-590: The region returned home praising its natural splendor. The Alcan Highway , built during the war, and the Alaska Marine Highway System , completed in 1963, made the state more accessible than before. Tourism has become increasingly important in Alaska, and today over 1.4 million people visit the state each year. With tourism more vital to the economy, environmentalism also rose in importance. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 added 53.7 million acres (217,000 km ) to
7878-505: The remaining land area, the state of Alaska owns 101 million acres (41 million hectares), its entitlement under the Alaska Statehood Act . A portion of that acreage is occasionally ceded to the organized boroughs presented above, under the statutory provisions pertaining to newly formed boroughs. Smaller portions are set aside for rural subdivisions and other homesteading-related opportunities. These are not very popular due to
7979-457: The replacement of her main engines, reduction gears, propeller shafts, shaft bearings, and variable-pitch propellers, among other items. The work was done by Vigor Industrial at its Portland shipyard. The refit ultimately cost $ 47 million and took until November 2019 to complete. In January 2020, one of her new reduction gears failed and she was out of service again for more repairs. Aside from her mechanical troubles, in 2020, Matanuska and
8080-513: The rest of the Alaska Marine Highway System were affected by COVID-19 and by budget cuts imposed by Governor Mike Dunleavy . Matanuska was scheduled to resume her mainline route from Bellingham to Skagway on July 3, 2020, but without service to the Prince Rupert terminal due to virus restrictions. Service was suspended temporarily in August for crew testing when five passengers tested positive for
8181-545: The several landslide zones along Knik Arm . Two hundred miles (320 km) southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by 30 feet (9 m). Southeast of Anchorage, areas around the head of Turnagain Arm near Girdwood and Portage dropped as much as 8 feet (2.4 m), requiring reconstruction and fill to raise the Seward Highway above the new high tide mark. In Prince William Sound , Port Valdez suffered
8282-415: The state of Alaska awarded a $ 15,228,500 contract to the same shipyard to lengthen Matanuska , as well. The ship was cut in two, and a new midsection, 56 feet (17 m) long, was welded into the hull just ahead of the funnel . New staterooms, crew quarters, dining facilities, deckhouses, elevators, and masts were added. In May 2018, Matanuska was taken out of service and began a major refit, including
8383-522: The state's entire land area. The area not part of any borough is referred to as the Unorganized Borough . The Unorganized Borough has no government of its own, but the U.S. Census Bureau in cooperation with the state divided the Unorganized Borough into 11 census areas solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation. A recording district is a mechanism for management of
8484-535: The time of the failure. Matanuska backed into a dock, crushing it, with pieces falling onto her stern. Cars on the ferry's vehicle deck were crushed and gasoline spilled. Two passengers were injured. The ship was taken out of service briefly and underwent repairs at a Bellingham shipyard. On May 7, 2012, Matanuska collided with the dock of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods processing plant in Petersburg. Damage
8585-421: The virus. The waters of Southeast Alaska plied by Matanuska are complex, with a number of narrow passages, and high tidal ranges and swift currents are the norm. This has led to a number of accidents over the years. Matanuska was passing through Sergius Narrows north of Sitka on August 31, 1963, when she scraped her port side on a submerged ledge. Damage was slight, but she was forced to sail to Seattle for
8686-509: The voice of calm from her temporary post within the Anchorage Public Safety Building. She was effectively designated as the public safety officer by the city's police chief. Chance provided breaking news of the catastrophic events that continued to develop following the magnitude 9.2 earthquake, and she served as the voice of the public safety office, coordinating response efforts, connecting available resources to needs around
8787-549: The western waters of both the USA and Canada . To address this challenge, the US Coast Guard commissioned Lake Union Dry Dock Company to construct fifteen 75-foot patrol boats ( CG-263 through CG-277 ), an effort that achieved Lake Union Dry Dock Company economic viability as well as recognition for the craft and quality of the vessels they built. Following the start to their business, in 1923 Cutting and McLean hired R.M. Mooney,
8888-669: The winters. For example, on January 6, 1964, she left Ketchikan for shipyards in Seattle. She stopped at Lake Union Drydock Company for the installation of additional staterooms, Todd Shipyards for equipment overhauls, and back to her builder, Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock, for warranty work. As in this 1964 maintenance interval, much of her routine maintenance during her early decades was done in Washington shipyards. As Alaska Ship and Drydock in Ketchikan became more capable, some of this work
8989-471: The world . If it was an independent nation, it would be the 18th largest country in the world; almost the same size as Iran . With its myriad of islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (55,000 km) of tidal shoreline. The Aleutian Islands chain extends west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula . Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians and in coastal regions. Unimak Island , for example,
9090-513: The world's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm , just south of Anchorage, where tidal differences can be more than 35 feet (10.7 m). Alaska has more than 409,000 natural lakes at least one hectare or bigger. Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,700 km ) (mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). Glacier ice covers about 28,957 square miles (75,000 km ) of Alaska. The Bering Glacier
9191-506: Was done in-state. A $ 5.1 million contract for Matanuska's winter 2001 work was the largest contract ever received by the company at that time. In December of 1967, Matanuska inaugurated direct ferry service between the Lower 48 and Alaska. She completed the route between Seattle and Ketchikan in about 43 hours. While the southern terminus of this route was moved to Bellingham in October 1989,
9292-418: Was extensive to the building and dock, while the ship received only "dents...above the waterline". No injuries occurred either ashore or on Matanuska . After an inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard , she was deemed seaworthy and continued onto other ports to pick up passengers, though two hours behind schedule. The cause of the crash was determined to be conning errors made by the master, who attempted to use
9393-512: Was extremely limited or unavailable until statehood took effect in 1959. Starting in the 1890s and stretching in some places to the early 1910s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. From 1879 to 1920, Alaska produced a cumulative total of over $ 460,000,000 ($ 6,691,927,500 inflation-adjusted) of mineral production. Alaska was officially incorporated as an organized territory in 1912. Alaska's capital, which had been in Sitka until 1906,
9494-483: Was formed as a direct response to the disaster. Federal disaster relief funds paid for reconstruction as well as financially supporting the devastated infrastructure of Alaska's government, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Alaska financially solvent until the discovery of massive oil deposits at Prudhoe Bay . At the order of the U.S. Defense Department , the Alaska National Guard founded
9595-522: Was founded by Otis Cutting and John McLean in 1919 to build and service watercraft vessels. Located along the eastern shore of Lake Union , Lake Union Dry Dock Company is among the longest operating shipyards in the United States . Accessible via the Hiram A. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks , Lake Union provides refuge from tides as well as the marine life and corrosive saltwater of Puget Sound . In 1919, during
9696-408: Was headquartered in Sitka. For most of Alaska's first decade under the United States flag, Sitka was the only community inhabited by American settlers. They organized a "provisional city government", which was Alaska's first municipal government, but not in a legal sense. Legislation allowing Alaskan communities to legally incorporate as cities did not come about until 1900, and home rule for cities
9797-400: Was hired to design the first ships built for the new state system, Matanuska and her sister ships MV Malaspina , and MV Taku . Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company of Seattle won the contract to build the three ships with a low bid of $ 10,445,000. Matanuska's keel was laid on July 6, 1962, in the same graving dock from which Taku was launched just a few days before. She
9898-752: Was moved north to Juneau . Construction of the Alaska Governor's Mansion began that same year. European immigrants from Norway and Sweden also settled in southeast Alaska, where they entered the fishing and logging industries. During World War II , the Aleutian Islands Campaign focused on Attu , Agattu and Kiska , all of which were occupied by the Empire of Japan . During the Japanese occupation, an American civilian and two United States Navy personnel were killed at Attu and Kiska respectively, and nearly
9999-422: Was positive. During her first month of commercial operation, from June 15 to July 15, she carried 6,496 passengers and 1,302 vehicles. The Alaska Marine Highway System as a whole reached its four-year forecast for passenger boardings in the first six months of operation. Ferry traffic peaked during the summers when tourists visited Alaska, so routine maintenance on Matanuska has generally been scheduled during
10100-482: Was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century, eventually establishing Russian America , which spanned most of the current state and promoted and maintained a native Alaskan Creole population. The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale to the U.S. in 1867 for US$ 7.2 million (equivalent to $ 157 million in 2023). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as
10201-436: Was the last built of the three sister ships. The ship was launched on December 5, 1962. She was christened by Anne Lewellen, wife of Alaska Marine Transportation Division Director Bafford E. Lewellen. George N. Hayes, Alaska attorney general, was the principal speaker at the ceremony. Matanuska completed her sea trials in May 1963 and was turned over to her new owners. She left Seattle for Alaska on June 7, 1963. The ship
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