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Anchorage's early electricity sources are an often overlooked topic in the city's

history. Yet power was extremely important in establishing Anchorage as a

permanent town. Without a reliable and economical supply of electricity it

would have been very difficult for the young city to maintain any level of

growth.

The town was initially served by a steam power plant built by the Alaska

Engineering Commission (AEC). The 900 kW facilities supported Anchorage

power needs from 1916 until 1929 when a private company, Anchorage Light

and Power (AL&P), completed a hydroelectric power plant at Eklutna.

Local businessman, Frank Ivan Reed, developed the Eklutna power plant. He

began working on a plan in 1920, when AEC engineer John J. Longacre determined that hydropower was possible at Eklutna. In 1923, Reed formed the

Anchorage Light and Power Company. Five years later, in September of 1928,

the company began construction after a lengthy financing and authorization

process. On October 8, 1929, AL&P started supplying Anchorage with electricity. Frank I. Reed sold the power plant to the city in 1943. The plant continued running under city supervision for the next ten years until a larger hydroelectric power plant was constructed. The old Eklutna power plant, as the first

facility has come to be known, served Anchorage for over 25 years. In that

time Anchorage grew from a small railroad settlement into the largest city in

Alaska.

This study was carried out for US Army Alaska, Fort Richardson, in order to

comply with Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as

amended). The purpose of this report is to establish the historic context of the

Old Eklutna power plant. This is necessary so that Fort Richardson may identify and assess remains associated with the system that are found on its land.

These remains consist of a large section of the

electrical transmission line. Approximately 38%

(10 miles) of the original line lies on Fort

Richardson. Though sections of the line were

removed, a substantial number of poles remain

with cross arms and insulators in good condition. Also, approximately three miles of the

original line ran across what is now Elmendorf

AFB. Twelve poles were located near the southwestern Fort Richardson boundary; the rest

were removed at unknown dates.

1.1 Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to Frank M. Reed Sr. for sharing many stories, photographs and documents.

Without his generous assistance this report

 	  	

 

  

 











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would not have been possible. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are from the collection of Frank M. Reed Sr.

Special thanks to Ken Hinchey, Rae Kozlowski,

Jane Lee, Pat Leddy, Mary Ada Peery and

Carmel Tysver for sharing memories of life at

the Eklutna camp. Also, thanks to Russell

Sackett, USARAK Cultural Resources Manager,

for guiding the project throughout its development. Thanks to William Quirk for conducting

numerous aerial surveys of the transmission line,

Douglas Johnson for helping to locate the line

on the ground, Markus Geist for GPS assistance, and Jeff Andrews and Steven Drake for

helping with the maps. Finally, thanks to Mina Jacobs and Diane Brenner of

the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Bruce Parham of the National

Archives Alaska Pacific Region and Bruce Merrell, Alaska Bibliographer:

Loussac Library, for assistance in locating photographs, books and documents.

This report was written with the cooperation of Elmendorf Air Force Base, 3rd

Civil Engineering Squadron, Environmental Flight.


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This report was researched in consultation with Frank M. Reed Sr., the son of

Frank I. Reed. His memory of early AL&P events and his father's activities

was an invaluable source of information for this project. Mr. Reed's recollections were supplemented with documentary evidence collected from four main

sources: the National Archives, Pacific Alaska Region; the University of Alaska

Anchorage's Manuscripts and Records Department; the personal collection of

Frank M. Reed Sr.; and the Anchorage Daily Times for the main years of the

project construction—1928 to 1929.

Frank M. Reed Sr.'s personal collection contained information relating to the

operation of the power plant and early attempts to sell the facilities. His files

contained a large volume of personal correspondence to and from Frank I.

Reed with parties having business with AL&P. The bulk of communication

was to and from: Pemberton & Son: Vancouver Limited Investment Bankers,

Jasper-Stacy Company, Russell-Colvin Company and the Bank of Alaska. Also

included were AL&P annual reports for the years 1930 and 1933.

The National Archives, Pacific Alaska Region held files in Record Group Number 447, Alaska Power Administration historical files and photograph collection from 1948 to 1998. Most information was located in Box 42, File: Fair

Market Value and Severance Damages Applicable to Hydroelectric Properties

and Rights of City of Anchorage, Alaska. The file described the physical condition of remaining structures, outlined land and water rights, and provided

photographs, maps and blueprints.

Information on AL&P's pre-construction activities was found in the University

of Alaska Anchorage, Archives and Manuscript Department, Frank Reed Sr.

Papers. Frank M. Reed Sr. donated the files to the archives in 1982. The papers

contained one folder of information (Box 19, Series 7E, Folder 1) related to

early AL&P activities including: AL&P's articles of incorporation, city council

meetings notes, minutes of AL&P board meetings, and an early report on the

suitability of Eklutna Lake for hydropower development with an examination

on the proposed market for power in Anchorage.

With this large volume of primary documentation available and over sixty

newspaper articles from the Anchorage Daily Times, it was possible to piece

together a detailed narration of AL&P's early organization, financing, construction, and operation.

But few records were found to document the period when the city took over

the power plant in 1943. The author located several Anchorage residents who

lived at or visited the power plant from 1943 to 1955 and who provided detailed accounts of camp life. However, none of the city employees were found.

Therefore, this report focuses on AL&P's period of development and ownership of the old Eklutna power plant.
 	







 	








 

 



		

The city of Anchorage was established in 1915 when President Woodrow Wilson

extended the Alaska Railroad route from Seward to Fairbanks. Anchorage was

selected as the Alaska Engineering Commission's (AEC) new headquarters for

building the railroad. Prior to 1915 there were very few people in the Anchorage area save a handful of scattered homesteaders. The indigenous population

(the Dena'ina) was concentrated in the village of Eklutna.

Many had anticipated the railroad's route and were already settling in the area.

A "tent city" sprang up seemingly overnight on Ship Creek Flats. People flocked

to Anchorage, hoping to get jobs with the railroad or to supply goods and

services for the workers building the line. The AEC took on most management

and organization responsibilities for the community.

Tent city was disorderly at first. Trash was dumped in the outgoing tides of

Cook Inlet, and there were no sewers. Officials were concerned that drinking

water would become contaminated if things were not cleaned up. The land

office stepped up the pace of surveying a new 350-acre town site on the bluff

on the south side of Ship Creek. On July 10, 1915, the auctioning of town lots

began, and within a few days, 655 lots were sold for a grand total of $150,000.

The AEC instructed people to move off Ship Creek Flats to the new town site

by August 16th. On the north bluff, what is now known as Government Hill,

the AEC laid out housing for employees.

People began flooding into the new town and erecting permanent structures.

In 1916, wide concrete sidewalks were built down Fourth Avenue, and AEC

completed construction of a power plant in the rail yard. By 1917 between

6,000 and 7,000 people lived in Anchorage, though only 4,000 were permanent residents. Many of the early settlers were immigrants from Greece, Russia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark seeking work with the railroad.

World War I caused problems for Anchorage and the Alaska Railroad as men

left the territory to join the military. By 1918 the railroad was suffering a severe labor shortage; the 1917 work force of 5,675 men was halved. An influenza epidemic further depressed the economy in 1919. There were only around

2,200 people residing in the town when it was incorporated as Anchorage in

1920.

While the rest of the United States enjoyed a decade of growth and prosperity,

Anchorage’s economy faltered when men did not return to the territory after

World War I. Gold and fish prices dropped, and the Alaska Railroad began

losing money at an alarming pace. By 1930 there were only 5,400 people in

Anchorage, Seward and Fairbanks combined.1

  	


 	 	 	 
	 	
		 
 
 

 	 	
	


 	


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3.1 Anchorage Power

The AEC was the sole power supplier in Anchorage from 1916 until the completion of the Eklutna power plant in 1929. The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce considered government owned and operated facilities desirable in order

to “keep the town out of petty political fights” over the interests of competing

private companies.2

 The AEC’s steam-generating power plant was in the rail

yard, fifty feet from the machine shop.

AEC personnel carried out all maintenance and

construction operations, including the construction of the transmission lines for the city’s use.

In 1921 the city leased the distribution system,

and Anchorage Public Utilities took charge of

retail sales.3

In 1920 a fire destroyed the original power plant

building, and a new concrete structure was erected

in its place. This building still stands today.4

 The

steam plant was fed by coal transported to Anchorage over rail from Matanuska Valley. The

coal was dumped from railroad cars into bunkers that fed to the boilers. Part of the equipment

such as boilers, feed pumps and direct current

generators, was recycled from Panama Canal work. The railroad used steam

from the plant to heat its machine shop.5

Service was limited to those directly in the city limits. Supplying the market

was a challenge at times due to the plant’s limited facilities. A 1917 railroad

circular asked that “the lights when not required to transact official business

should be turned off, in order not only to reduce the cost of maintenance, but

also with the view of increasing this service to the extent the present plant is

capable of.”6

 Average annual production of power amounted to 1,112,327

kWh, of which, the Alaska Railroad used approximately 700,000 kW. Power

was sold to the city at a flat rate of eight cents per kW hour.7

 The AEC made

little profit from the sale of its electricity.

The railroad’s power plant was adequate for a time. But it was expensive to

operate, particularly when one considered the cost of purchasing and shipping

coal to the plant. Later photographs of the railroad’s power plant reveal it as

antiquated and vulnerable to fire hazards. Generating electricity for Anchorage was not a primary function of the commission’s operations. The AEC had

neither the time, resources, or inclination to expand the plant’s capabilities as

the city and surrounding areas grew. Anchorage Light and Power Company

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noted in an early report, “the supplying of

this current appears to have been rather burdensome to the commission, and city officials say the growth of demand for electric

current has been forced by the consumer and

not encouraged by the operators.”8

The railroad enthusiastically supported development of the Eklutna hydroelectric

project. Pledging to buy power from the company, it also agreed to maintain its own plant

for heating its maintenance shop and for

Anchorage’s emergency power needs. Railroad management at the time saw development of the Eklutna plant as beneficial in two

ways. One, it would provide cheaper electricity for the railroad’s own power needs.

Two, cheaper electricity would stimulate

more business ventures around the city, thus

increasing freight possibilities for the railroad.

The opportunity for more business and

money-saving schemes came at a time when

the railroad badly needed to make a profit.9

	
	


	


			

	






	




	
	 
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Eklutna Lake lies in Chugach State Park, a half million-acre nature reserve

bordering Anchorage. Midway between Anchorage to the south and Matanuska

to the north, it is the largest water body in the park. Eklutna Lake presently

plays a multipurpose role in the community, serving as a recreation spot, drinking water source, and providing water to power the modern hydroelectric plant.

The lake is nestled in the Chugach Mountains at 868 feet above sea level.

Retreating glaciers, which left a natural dike facilitating water storage, formed

the lake basin.10 The lake is located in the larger glacial feature of Eklutna

Valley. The valley is a steep-sided, trough-like area approximately 23 miles

long.11

Eklutna Lake, which is about 32 miles from

Anchorage, is 7 miles long, 3/4 of a mile

wide, and up to 200 feet deep in areas.12 It

has a storage capacity of 138,000 acre-feet.

Eklutna Creek (East and West fork), stemming from Eklutna glacier, feeds into the

lake and is its primary water source. Eklutna

Glacier is 8 miles long and starts at the peaks

of the Chugach Mountains at an elevation of

6,000 feet, terminating at 1,200 feet. The glacier has retreated about 1 mile in 30 years.

Currently it is about 4 miles away from the

lake.13

Annual water volume of the lake varies widely between the summer and winter seasons. In winter, flow from the creeks is minimal due to limited precipitation and low temperatures freezing the water. It is during the summer months

that most of the lake’s water is collected and the maximum storage capacity

may be reached.14 The Eklutna River drains the lake, flowing from the northwest corner and emptying into Knik Arm. The shores of Eklutna Lake are

generally very rocky due to glacial deposits, and the valley walls are dominated by dense spruce and birch forest.

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5.1 Technology

Hydroelectric power taps the flow of running water falling down a vertical

distance to produce an electric current. Though hydroelectric plants vary in

their design and complexity, all share several key characteristics to generate

power. First there must be a relatively steady water source. This may take the

form of a lake, stream, or river. The water must then be channeled so that it

falls a controlled vertical distance. The vertical distance the water falls from

the source, usually measured in feet, is referred to as the head. The water must

then be directed through a turbine. The power of the rotating turbine is transferred to a generator that produces electricity. The generators must be shielded

from the elements, and so a powerhouse is built to protect the generating equipment. The amount of energy produced by a hydroelectric facility is directly

related to the head and the overall amount of water available or flow. The

equation P (Power) = Q (Flow) H (Head)/11.8 gives the wattage that can be

generated.15

All hydroelectric installations have a power-producing capacity related to the

actual size of the turbine (or turbines) in their facilities. The capability is measured in watts and is referred to as a plant’s installed capacity. Installed capacity available, however, does not mean that amount of power is automatically

produced. Various factors, such as load requirements or inadequate water flow

will determine the amount of use of the installed capacity. The annual average

amount of energy actually produced by a plant is known as the plant factor.16

There are two basic types of hydroelectric installations—low head and high

head. Low head installations use a smaller head, usually from 10 to 50 feet.

These require a large volume of water to pass through the turbines in order to

make up for the lack of head. This type of plant may use a low dam, or just the

“run of the river,” for its water supply. High head installations are more common. These generally use a dam to store water at a higher elevation. Dams

provide a constant and steady water supply even during dry periods of the

year. High head works do not require as much water volume to produce power.17

Hydroelectric installations usually have a very long production life, lasting

anywhere from 30 to 50 years or more. This may or may not be advantageous,

depending on how well the future power needs of an area can be predicted. If

later demand is undervalued, then the system will be too small and may require expensive upgrades. If demand is over estimated, the installation will be

too large to pay for itself, hurting profits. Determining power needs just five

years in advance is often difficult. Figuring out what will be needed 30 or even

50 years down the line may be all but impossible.18

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5.2 Hydroelectric Power in Alaska

Alaska has immense potential for hydroelectric installations, large and small.

It is estimated that nearly one third of America’s waterpower resources are

located in the state. Most potential is concentrated in southeast and southcentral areas of Alaska. Several features make these locations uniquely adapted

to hydroelectric power. The rugged terrain with high elevation lakes, rivers

and streams provides ideal head conditions. The area’s high precipitation rates

guarantee a steady water supply, and the glaciers provide additional water

storage. There are a few problems unique to Alaska, which are unusual in

warmer regions. The rough terrain, lack of infrastructure, and cold winters

may make construction difficult and impossibly expensive in some areas. Formation of ice on water sources and in the surrounding air during the long

winters is also a concern.19

It is important to remember that potential is not synonymous with actual use.

Though Alaska has huge hydroelectric capabilities, the state does not make

use of a quarter of its waterpower resources. Environmental concerns, construction costs, and cheaper alternative fuel sources all contribute to this situation.

In the past, hydroelectric power played a much greater role in supplying Alaska

with energy. First documented use occurred with the Russians in 1840 at Sitka.20

Use increased over time, peaking in the early 1900s when waterpower became

essential in developing many industries. Early installations varied in their capabilities, but as John Whitehead states:

In the first two decades of the 20th century, it could easily be said that

technology in Alaska reached a “state of the art” level for small hydro

plants, unsurpassed anywhere in the world. A number of plants built in

this period have been operating continuously to the present day. And

in many respects the engineering in those plants has not been improved

upon in more recent installations.21

Many small-scale operations were constructed throughout south-central and

southeast Alaska to power mining, canning and sawmill businesses. By 1908

there were at least 30 hydro installations of varying sizes in southeast Alaska

alone, providing a total 11,500 kW of energy.22

Private businesses were not the only ones interested in Alaska’s waterpower

resources. The federal government was also eager to explore and tap hydroelectric possibilities. The Forest Service, Federal Power Commission and the

U.S. Geological Survey were all involved in surveying hydropower capabilities and gauging stream flows throughout the state. Many early reports were

extremely enthusiastic about potential development of hydroelectric installations.23

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If the first two decades of the twentieth century were a boon for hydroelectric

development in Alaska, the following two decades saw use taper off. As mining, canning and pulp industries declined, the need for waterpower to fuel

individual industries correspondingly declined. Fossil fuel sources such as coal,

natural gas and oil became cheaper and started replacing hydraulic developments. The high cost of constructing hydroelectric facilities discouraged continued use of waterpower. As financial futures became uncertain, many businesses preferred not to make the long-term investment required for hydroelectric construction. Diesel generators and oil fuel became more desirable to many

businesses.24

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6.1 Project Development: 1920–1928

The Eklutna area holds an ideal hydroelectric resource for the community; a

fact that was promptly recognized by Anchorage citizens. An early report to

the Federal Power Commission stated, “There has long been an opinion prevalent among those having some knowledge of the country that the Eklutna

River afforded the best if not the only feasible site for hydroelectric development in this vicinity.”25 The Alaska Engineering Commission conducted broad

surveys of the area to determine the extent of hydroelectric potential. A fire

that severely damaged the Anchorage steam power plant prompted this surveying, the main interest being to investigate alternative energy sources.26

In December of 1921, AEC engineers John Longacre and C.D. Pollock visited

Eklutna Lake to gather preliminary feasibility information. Their brief survey

resulted in a highly favorable recommendation regarding future development

of the lake for hydroelectric power production. The findings were relayed to

the head Anchorage engineer, and a more intensive survey of Eklutna River,

from the railroad to the lake, was authorized. James Truitt and members of the

maintenance engineer party began this survey in January of 1922. The crew

was available since severe weather conditions had made their normal duties

impossible. The survey party determined exact dimensions of the lake, established a weir to measure water discharge, and gathered data on basic characteristics of the lake, river and surrounding area.27

For reasons relating to the cost and the time that development entailed, the

railroad quickly ended its involvement in the Eklutna site. It was then that

local businessman Frank I. Reed decided to take matters into his own hands.

He had first visited the area in 1915 while on his way to Cache Creek.28 As

Reed’s son, Frank M., recalls, “My dad had spent a number of years in Nome,

twelve years in Nome, working with hydraulic mining, and he understood the

power of water and how it could be used.”29 Reed and AEC engineer John

Longacre teamed up and began efforts to develop a power plant at Eklutna in

earnest. Reed and Longacre knew each other from being on Anchorage’s first

city council in 1920. From 1922 to 1928, a significant amount of time and

money was dedicated to getting the project off the ground. Over five years

$25,000 was expended in research and development.30

 
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On September 28, 1922, Reed filed a preliminary permit application with the Federal Power Commission.31 In October he

posted a notice of location of water rights

on the land. The notice read:

Know all men by these presents,

that I, the undersigned, do hereby

claim five hundred cubic feet per

second of the water flowing in

this stream, known as the Eklutna

River, for the purpose of generating electric energy to be used

for light and power at points

along the U.S. Railroad and Willow Creek section of the Knik Recording Precinct. Water to be diverted at the point of the river opposite this notice by the erection

of dam and other works and conveyed to powerhouse to be constructed near the mouth of the

Eklutna River. Application for

permit and license to use this

water and land for impounding

same to be made to Federal

Power Commission.

This served as public notification of

Reed’s intent to use the land. On March

9, 1923, the FPC granted Frank Reed the

preliminary permit. The operation was

designated Project Number 350. The permit stipulated a two-year time frame in

which to provide the necessary information for issuance of a license for actual

construction and operation of the Eklutna

hydroelectric power plant.

The same year the preliminary permit was

issued, Reed formed the Anchorage Light

and Power Company (AL&P). It was

tasked with development of the hydroelectric power plant at Eklutna. Initially the

company started out with a board of directors consisting of three people: Frank

I. Reed (President), John J. Longacre

(Vice President and Treasurer), and Chas

LaCoste (Secretary). Longacre and

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FRANK I. REED

Frank I. Reed was born in

Council Bluffs, Iowa, in

1872. He had four sisters and

one brother. Reed moved to

Nebraska as an adult and

worked as a railway expressman. He volunteered to serve

in the Spanish American War

with his brother, Charles, in

1898. They served in the Philippines during the Philippine American War (commonly referred to as the Philippine Insurgency) immediately following the Spanish

American War. While in the

hospital suffering from malaria, the brothers decided that rather than return to Nebraska,

they would go north to Alaska. They sailed for the territory

in April of 1900 on the SS Zelandia.

On the voyage, Reed met sixteen-year-old Pauline Hovey

who was traveling with her mother and two sisters. Pauline

and Frank struck up a friendship, and four years later the two

were married in Seattle.

Frank I. Reed's first years in Alaska were spent in Nome

working for the Solomon Dredging Company. Pauline and

Frank had two sons: Paul, born in 1907, and Frank M., born

in 1912. The family lived in Seattle for several years while

Frank I. worked in the Talkeetna area to establish a gold

dredging operation near Cache Creek. In 1915, they moved

to the new town of Anchorage. Frank M. recalls that his

father invested in a lumberyard selling materials to those

building the Anchorage Hotel on 3rd and E Street. When the

hotel was finished, the businessmen could not pay for the

lumber. Reed took over the hotel to satisfy the debt. The

Reeds lived in and managed the successful hotel until 1935.

Frank I. Reed was a very active member of the Anchorage

community. He served on the first city council in 1920 and

later as president of the chamber of commerce. He also promoted construction of a road to Palmer, and influenced the

fire department to change from a horse and wagon operation

to motorized American La France engines. Reed's most noteworthy activity, however, was the development and construction of the Eklutna power plant. This endeavor took up

a considerable amount of his time and financial resources

from 1922 until its completion in 1929. The income from

the Anchorage Hotel provided the monies for the initial

project development.

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LaCoste resigned in 1927 and were replaced by J.B. Gottstein and Harry F.

Morton, respectively. Morton was also the company attorney. An early AL&P

report stated that the company was formed for the purpose of “pooling assets,

procuring sufficient monies for preliminary surveys, together with other expenses in launching the project for financing.”32

There was a great deal of work to be done by AL&P board members in order

to get the FPC’s approval for the issuance of a license. They had to prove there

was a viable market for power in the area, prepare construction plans, survey

a transmission line route, and procure agreements from the Alaska Railroad

and the city of Anchorage to purchase power from AL&P when the project

was completed.

In 1924 Reed hired Seattle engineer Robert Howes to conduct initial studies of

the Eklutna undertaking. Howes examined the market for power, the environment and climate of the proposed site, transportation issues, lake characteristics, head conditions, cost projections and other aspects of the project. He

conveyed his findings to Reed in a detailed report that concluded the project

was “one of decided merit, presuming that you can conclude contracts to supply the requirements of the vicinity of Anchorage.”33

Howes determined that there was a healthy and steady growing demand for

electricity in the Anchorage area. For instance, in 1922 Anchorage purchased

469,137 kW from the Alaska Engineering Commission. In 1923, this amount

increased to 512,282 kW—a yearly gain of 43,145 kW. Howes assumed the

growth would continue at a steady rate.34

AL&P’s assured market for power relied on three principle consumers—the

city of Anchorage, the Alaska Railroad and city water pumping. The railroad

had agreed to purchase power from AL&P in 1924. A contract with the city

had yet to be approved. The delay in this agreement may have kept AL&P

from an earlier development schedule.

The Eklutna Industrial School was also certain to buy power from AL&P. The

school was established in 1924 by the Bureau of Education to provide industrial training to Alaska native children orphaned by flu epidemics. A letter to

Frank I. Reed stated its eagerness to buy power:

Dear Sir, we are anxious to know how soon you expect to have your

electric power plant in operation. We are at present using two Kohler

light plants, a stationary gasoline engine and a tractor with which to

furnish our light and power. We expect to build this summer and to

put additional equipment into our shop, therefore we are anxious to

know at the earliest possible date when we may expect to secure power

from your company, that we may order electrically driven equipment

and wire our building for the same.35

Other potential markets that could be developed outside the immediate Anchorage city limits were identified. These were Matanuska, Wasilla, Jonesville,

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Moose Creek and the Willow Creek mining districts. The areas were eager to

adopt cheaper hydroelectric power sources. Due to power limitations, several

mines were restricted to operating only during summer months. With inexpensive hydroelectric energy they could expand to year-round work.36

At the end of the year Reed realized that the project would take longer to

develop than anticipated. He applied to the FPC for a one-year extension of

the preliminary permit. On April 4, 1925, the FPC granted the

amendment to the original application allowing Reed until March

8, 1926, to furnish all necessary facts.

On June 15, 1927, AL&P submitted a proposal to the municipal

council that offered to provide the city with electricity for municipal use and for retail distribution within the city limits. The

proposal, Ordinance No. 68, outlined the terms of the contract

and set rates for power consumption. On June 20, 1927, the city

council held a public meeting to familiarize people with AL&P’s

proposal and to solicit opinions. The Alaska Railroad sent B.H.

Barndollar to speak on its behalf. The railroad fully supported

the Eklutna power project. Fifteen to twenty people expressed

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Dec.10, 1922 - AEC Studies

Site

Sept. 28, 1922 - FPC

Permit Application

Sept. 8, 1929 - Power online

to City

March 8, 1923 - FPC

Grants Permit

Dec. 23, 1924 - FPC

Application to Amend Permit

April 4, 1925

FPC Permit Amended

Sept. 1928

Construction Begins

Oct. 12, 1928

50 Year License Issued

Oct. 23, 1928

License Transferred to AL&P


 	








opinions during the

meeting and only one

was opposed to the arrangement. Several

other meetings were

held to acquaint interested parties to Proposed Ordinance #68.37

The ordinance was authorized during a city

council meeting on July

18, 1927. It bound the

city to a fifteen-year

contract with AL&P for

the purchase of electric

power for industrial,

commercial and domestic purposes.38 Reed immediately sent out a

telegram to his attorney,

Sheffield Bridge, in San

Francisco reading, “City

council passed ordinance in favor of Power

Company. Mayor and

clerk have signed contract for light and power

today.”39

With contracts from the

city and the railroad

concluded and a permit

from the FPC approved,

the long process of authorizing the project had

at last come to an end.

The final hurdle to be

surmounted was obtaining money to finance the costly construction work. This was a matter Reed

had been working on throughout the past four years. Eventually he gained the

support of the Russell-Colvin Company, investment bankers in San Francisco.

Russell-Colvin sent Ronald R. Berliner, Vice President, to Anchorage to investigate the projects value. He concluded it was an extremely worthy venture

that could be expected to produce healthy profits and stimulate the economy.40

Berliner made one recommendation—that the city extend the lease on the Alaska

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Railroad’s distribution system. The city council quickly approved this action.41

Russell-Colvin set up a bond issue worth $750,000 to finance the construction. The bonds were to run until August 1, 1943.42 A capitalization of

$1,000,000 consisting of 100,000 shares of stock at $10 per share was created. Of this, 60,000 shares were common stock and 40,000 shares were preferred.43 Many in Anchorage purchased stock in the company.

6.2 Land Rights

The Eklutna Power Project resulted in significant changes in land use. Land rights were

obtained through the Federal Power

Commission’s issuance of a permit for the

construction and operation of a power plant

on federal lands. The FPC’s license for

Project No. 350 stated:

Whereas, by Act of Congress approved June

10, 1920 (41 Stat., 1063), designated therein

as “The Federal Water Power Act” and hereinafter called “the Act,” the Federal Power

Commission, hereinafter called “the Commission,” is authorized and empowered, inter alia, to issue licenses for the purpose of

constructing, operating, and maintaining

dams, water conduits, reservoirs, power

houses, transmission lines, or other project

works necessary or convenient for the development, transmission and utilization of

power across, along, from or in any of the

navigable waters of the United States, (including the Territories), or for the purpose

of utilizing the surplus water or water power

from any Government dam.

The only land AL&P purchased for the

project was 161.42 acres from homesteader

William S. Myers because the power plant

tailrace ran through his property. The land

was purchased in June, 1929 for $1,500.44

Apparently it was purchased after Myers was

convicted for the murder of AL&P employee

Matthew Murphy, in March of 1929. Arrangements were made before the incident

occurred to facilitate incursion of the tailrace through the property. What arrangements were made is unknown. The power-

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house was built just off Myers’ property line, on land reserved for the project

by the FPC.

The legal description of the land purchased from William Myers was:

Seward Meridian, Alaska

E2, NW1/4, SE1/4

S2, SE1/4, NE1/4

S2, N2, SE1/4, NE1/4

NE1/4, SE1/4

Section 19

and SW1/4, NW1/4, Lot 3

Section 20,

Township 16 North, Range 1 East

(Formerly

WS Meyer)

(Formerly

WS Meyer)

(Formerly

WS Meyer)

(Formerly

WS Meyer)

TAILWATER CHANEL

PENSTOCK

TUNNEL

Township 16 North Range 1 East Seward Meridian

Project Boundary

POWER HOUSE

ALASKA RAILROAD

TRANSMISSION LINE

Project Boundary

AL&P

AL&P

U.S. Government

Land

Knik Arm

Knik Arm

Diversion Dam

Bridge No 1429

N

AL&P

Anchorage, Alaska

Scale: 1”= 400’

Datum: Alaska Railroad

Date: September 1930

This drawing is recommended for

approval as part of the License

for Project number 350, Alaska

Approved MARCH 28 1933

by the Federal Power Commission

Instrument number 3


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6.3 Building of Transmission Line

With an assured power market, construction plans, and

money to finance the venture, AL&P was ready to begin construction of the Eklutna hydroelectric power plant.

It was a large undertaking and required substantial organization, management and planning. Building a transmission line from Anchorage to Eklutna was the first

step needed to supply electricity from the AEC’s plant

to power construction activities at Eklutna. Once the

project was completed, the current would be sent over

the line in reverse direction. Construction of the transmission line began on September 27, 1928, and was completed just three months later. Work was carried out at

top speed so that the rest of the project could get under

way.

Laborers began at the Anchorage end of the line and

worked towards Eklutna. The first step was to survey

the route. Behind the surveyors came clearing crews to

remove trees and brush to create a pathway through the

wilderness, a feat that “was no small task in itself where

the survey passed through heavy timber growth.”45 Following the clearing crews were the post-hole diggers. They used

a mechanical post-hole digger when conditions permitted. In

inaccessible areas the crew dug holes by hand. The poles were

to be placed in the ground at a depth of six or seven feet.46 Next,

the poles had to be moved to each point along the 26-mile transmission route. In all, the line required the use of about 600 poles.

A pole was placed every 240 feet along the route—22 poles per

mile.

The transmission line route was mapped out as close to the railroad as possible. This eased transport of the poles. Any other

alignment would have required expensive and time-consuming

transport issues because of lack of roads. As it was, construction of the transmission line took up to 60 men and 30 horses.47

The poles, 40 to 50 feet in length, were transported on railroad

flat cars and pushed off at each location. They were then hauled

from the railroad tracks to the line location. According to Frank

M., “They had a gas cat and they used that in some places, and

they used brute strength and stupidity in other places, they just

picked it up — 6 or 7 or 8 men would get on it and carry it to the

location.”48 In other spots, horses were used to move the poles.

Half of the poles were cedar and half were native spruce, which

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were supplied by the James Campbell Company of Anchorage. The

cedar poles were shipped from Seattle. The butts of the poles were

treated with Anaconda Wood Preservative, the main ingredient being

arsenic, to protect them from decay.49

The poles were erected within 50 days. At one point, a second crew

was brought in to work from the Eklutna end of the line towards the

crew coming from Anchorage.50 Every possible effort was made to

put the line up as quickly as possible. Approximately 15 poles were

erected daily until Reed brought in a light derrick in early October,

which doubled the installation speed to 30 poles a day.51 The crew

camped on specially equipped Alaska Railroad train cars that were

dispatched for power line installation to eliminate travel time from

town.52

The last step in the work of the transmission line was fitting the poles

with the insulators and cross arms, and stringing Number 4 hard drawn,

bare copper wire along the poles. The line was designed for a capacity of 2,000 kilowatts at 33,000 volts. The poles were held in place by

standard guy wires where necessary.53 The current was switched on

and power sent from the AEC plant to Eklutna at 1:30 p.m. on December 31, 1929.54

A second transmission line was built from the power plant to the Eklutna Native Industrial School 1.5 miles from the powerhouse. The main line poles

carried the school’s 2,300 volt line on a second, lower cross bar to a point .71

miles from the power plant. From there the under-built line branched off to the

school.

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There were few people along the transmission line, except for the occasional

homesteader. Planners tried to avoid crossing a homestead with the right-ofway. AL&P routed around the Whitney homestead but crossed the southwest

corner of Christ Folberg’s property. It is not known what arrangements were

made to facilitate this incursion. The land for the transmission line was reserved under Section 24 of the FPC’s permit. All land lying within 50 feet of

the center of the transmission line was reserved for the right-of-way.

6.4 Transportation and Construction Crews

Three main construction areas, spread out over a distance of 12 miles, characterized the project. The first site was Eklutna Lake, where the storage dam was

built. Second was the diversion dam site seven miles downstream on the Eklutna

River. On the northern abutment of the diversion dam was the starting point of

the tunnel through Goat Mountain. Finally, about two miles from the diversion

dam was the powerhouse site.

Transportation to and within

the Eklutna site was a major issue. There were no roads to

Eklutna, and the only means of

access was by railroad. A

2,300-foot rail spur, called

Reed’s Siding, was built to the

site. All equipment was

shipped from Anchorage by

rail. Such a large construction

project necessitated tons of

supplies and equipment, both

for construction and maintenance of the large crews employed. Moving equipment

from Reed’s Siding to Eklutna

Lake, ten miles away, and the diversion dam on Eklutna River, two miles

away, was a monumental task. Trails were roughed out by the construction

crews and were traversed on foot, by horseback, trucks, dogsled, or on a sled

pulled by a gas cat. At one point, 31 men and 12 horses were engaged in

moving supplies up to the lake.55 Frank M. recalls how the problem of moving

a pile driver to the lake dam site was solved:

When they built the first dam at the lake, they needed a pile driver,

and they hauled in the building materials by horse train. But the pile

driver, the hammer, was too big, too heavy to haul—so they flew it in.

It was too heavy for the then existing airplanes; they had to cut the

hammer in two. Which they did, and then they had to fly welding

equipment in to weld it back together again when they got it back to

the lake. There are ways around the lack of infrastructure. Sometimes

pretty difficult, but they can do it!56

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Two electric hoist-operated trams were installed to haul supplies up the hill

from the railroad spur and down to the diversion dam. Installing the diversion

dam tram was difficult in its own right, as men had to be tied to the steep

canyon wall while doing the work.

The isolation of the Eklutna project site and its long distance from Anchorage

required construction crews to live on the site rather than commute from town.

A company construction camp was built to support the workers during peak

construction periods. This camp was built to accommodate 60 men and included bunkhouses, tents, garages, a mess hall and a warehouse with bathhouse and offices. A water system with steam-heated water lines was installed.

Other equipment at the site included a sawmill, boars, several gas cats, a blacksmith shop and cement mixer.57

The Jasper-Stacy Company of San Francisco was awarded the contract for

general construction of the project. Jasper-Stacy was an engineering company

specializing in civil, mechanical, mining and electric engineering consultation

and construction. The bulk of the Eklutna work was supervised and directed

by engineer Harold Woods.58 Woods was an associate of Fred H. Tibbetts, a

leading California engineer. Tibbetts designed the technical details and plans

for the Eklutna plant in San Francisco. Besides the supervisory engineer positions, the majority of labor for construction work was recruited locally. Though

heavy equipment was brought in from outside, it was “the policy of those in

charge of the work to purchase locally everything that it (was) possible to

obtain here.”59

6.5 Project Components

6.5.1 Tunnel

After the transmission line was installed, work began simultaneously at the

lake and the diversion dam site. One of the most time-consuming aspects of

construction was the excavation of the 1800-foot tunnel through Goat Mountain. The tunnel was used to channel water from the right abutment of the

diversion dam to the penstock on the other side of the mountain.

This tunnel was seven feet wide, eight feet high and dropped 16.2 feet along

the end of its course. It was cut out of bedrock with Ingersoll Rand air drills,

and exhaust fans had to be installed in the tunnel to keep fumes under control

during construction. Several five-man shifts, working around the clock, dug

approximately 15 feet per day. Work began at the end of December 1928 and,

by April 1929, two thirds of the tunnel was complete.60 By mid June, workers

were ready to break through the end of the tunnel, and members of the Anchorage City Council were invited to witness this final breakthrough.61

Most of the tunnel length was unlined, except for the last 70 feet that were

lined with concrete and the intake structure that was built with reinforced con-

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crete and steel. The terminus of the tunnel was protected by a 100 square-foot trash rack to keep debris

out of the penstock. The concrete reinforced valve

house at the end of the tunnel contained a 54-inch diameter butterfly valve that could stop the water flow

for emergency repairs and yearly maintenance.62

6.5.2 Diversion Dam

 While the tunnel was the most time-intensive aspect

of the project, building the diversion dam proved the

most dangerous. The dam is located on the Eklutna

River approximately eight miles downstream of the

lake. Its location in a steep-sided canyon made construction work very precarious. Both sides of the canyon next to the diversion dam were stripped of vegetation for safety reasons. Workmen also tried to clear the

walls of loose material, yet there were still occasional

rock falls endangering those laboring below.63

 The purpose of the diversion dam was to divert water

from the natural Eklutna River channel into the tunnel

through Goat Mountain. The dam was a large concrete

arch structure 61 feet high and 98 feet long on the crest.

It was eight feet thick at the base and 5 feet

thick at the crown. The spillway at the top

was designed to allow passage of 6,000

cubic feet of water per second through 73

feet of clear space.64 A sluice gate was built

into the bottom of the dam to allow gravel

and debris deposits to be released downstream. 1948 studies estimated that, on average, 300,000 cubic yards of sediment were

removed from behind the dam every year.

Trees occasionally got stuck in the gate during sluicing operations, and had to be shot

out.65 A catwalk supported by piers was built

over the spillway in 1933 at the request of

the Federal Power Commission.66

The dam foundation on the riverbed floor

was excavated with jack hammers and paving breakers powered by an Ingersoll Rand

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portable air compressor. The foundation and canyon walls were

grouted through drill holes 10 feet deep and spaced 10 feet

apart. The cement was grouted under air pressure of 80 pounds

per square inch. 1,300 cubic yards of concrete (3,000 p.s.i.)

were used in the dam. The design of the dam placed a maximum stress of 400 pounds per square inch on the concrete at

a time. The concrete was poured in temperatures ranging from

20 degrees below zero to twenty-six above.

Abutments were gravity type and anchored on solid rock. The

upstream face of the dam was waterproofed with Inertol.67

6.5.3 Storage Dam

A storage dam on Eklutna Lake proved to be the most problematic construction phase. The storage dam was required to

increase the lake’s water holding capacity. Initially, a 14-foot

high, 240-foot long earthen dam was built on a moraine left

by retreating glaciers. This moraine created the lake originally.

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According to a report written in 1940 by

Consulting Engineer Anton Anderson:

The original dam was made on top

of the glacial muck with brush, clay,

moss, logs, lumber and rocks. When

water in the lake raised four or five

feet, it was found that the slightest

leaks under or around the dam dissolved the glacial muck and soon

allowed the lake flow to escape.68

After the failure of the dam, AL&P put in

interlocking wood piling 12 to 16 feet below

the lakebed foundation. The top of the piling protruded three or four feet above the water surface. As the lake capacity

decreased during dry periods of the year, sections of the piling could be removed to allow water over the spillway.69 These rather costly temporary structures were used until 1941 when a new concrete reinforced rock and earth fill

dam was built.70

6.5.4 Penstock

The penstock, the tube connecting the tunnel to the power plant, was 847 feet in length

and 54 inches in diameter. It was installed at

a vertical slope, allowing water channeled

through it to fall a distance of 216 feet. The

penstock and tunnel were installed to provide a combined vertical falling distance, or

head, of 232 feet. The penstock terminated

in a Y shape, with a separate branch leading

to each generating unit.71 A steel plate sealed

the west portion of the Y until the second

turbine was installed in 1935. The penstock

was buried in the ground at a minimum depth

of three feet and secured in place with six

reinforced concrete piers. The pipe was asphalt-dipped and soil-proofed with an asphalt-saturated felt.72

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6.5.5 Powerhouse

The powerhouse, a concrete reinforced building, was used to shelter generating equipment from the elements. The building, 61 by

27 feet, contained a machine shop, storeroom

and ferro-clad enclosed control room. It had

large galvanized steel-framed industrial windows. A garage entrance was located in the

front of the building, underneath a large

arched window, and there were several other

doors around the building to provide access.

The roof was steel trussed with asbestos

shingles. There were two concrete lean-to

additions attached to the sides of the main

structure. The northern lean-to was constructed in 1935 and housed a switchboard

and an office. It was removed at an unknown date.

The other lean-to was initially used as the switchroom

and later as a tool and supply room. It was built at the

same time as the main building.73

The power plant housed a 1,500 horsepower Pelton

Wheel water turbine and a standard General Electric

1000 kW generator. The turbine rotated at 720 r.p.m.

(revolutions per minute). Identical turbine and generator units were installed in 1935, doubling the generating capacity of the plant. The Pelton Water Wheel

Company supplied and installed the turbine governor, relief valve and butterfly valves. The General

Electric Company provided the generator, exciter and

switchboard.74

The interior of the building was serviced by

a 6-ton capacity, hand-operated crane that

traveled the length of the building and was

used to move heavy equipment. The exterior grounds of the powerhouse were floodlighted. The tailrace, a reinforced concretelined channel extending from the back of the

building, carried water away from the powerhouse and into Knik Arm. Tail water from

the draft tube was directed through a separate conduit from the relief valve discharge.75

It was problematic at first as the channel was

only excavated a short distance from the

powerhouse and water was allowed to run

	

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off naturally. It threatened to flood the railroad line,

so steps were quickly taken to tunnel underneath the

railroad. From there, the water went through a natural

slough to Knik Arm.76

The transformer station, originally on the east side of

the powerhouse, was moved in 1935 when the second Pelton Wheel and turbine units were installed. At

that time AL&P was hoping to extend the transmission line north to Matanuska. This plan wasn’t realized until 1942, when the Matanuska Electric Association constructed its own line from the powerhouse.

The transformer station was a steel bus structure with

three 833-kva transformers, an air break switch, three

single pole lightning arresters, capacitors, bus and bus

insulators. The transformers raised the generators from

2,300 volts to 33,000 volts.

6.5.6 Anchorage Substation

AL&P’s transmission line ended at a transformer station built in Anchorage. It was similar to the one adjacent to the powerhouse at Eklutna. The substation was

built close to the railroad yards and was connected to

the AEC’s power plant in case an emergency shutdown of the Eklutna plant necessitated using the

railroad’s facilities. The substation was the point where

the city took over distribution of the electric current to

the general population. From there, three feeder lines

carried electricity to AL&P’s main consumers: the Municipality of Anchorage, the Alaska Railroad, and the

Anchorage water pump.77

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Power was cut into Anchorage on September 8, 1929. Construction work was

not yet completed. Several jobs, such as further excavation of the tailrace channel and backfilling the penstock, continued over the next few months. The

major issue that beleaguered AL&P, however, was the storage dam at the lake.

According to Frank M. Reed Sr., the dam was built to specifications configured for California weather and soil conditions.78 The glacial silt compromising the lake foundation necessitated extra piling placed deeper in the ground.79

The initial structure quickly proved unsound. The dam was almost destroyed

by flooding in 1929 before the plant ever went on line. The Eklutna Lake dam

was a source of continual stress and expense to AL&P board members. Reed

was anxious to get the dam rebuilt before the onset of winter. Joseph Shaw,

engineer for the Jasper-Stacy Company, quoted a price of $8,000 for the work.

Four months and over $15,000 later, the job was still unfinished. Friction developed between Shaw and Reed. Reed felt that Shaw was careless and wasteful in his use of time and company funds for purchasing supplies and equipment.80 Shaw believed there were not enough resources (money or men) made

available for him to complete the project in a timely and economical manner.81

Discouraged and increasingly alarmed by the mounting costs, Frank I. decided to postpone permanent repairs indefinitely. Temporary restraining structures, expensive in their own right, were used at the lake for many years. In

retrospect everyone realized “that it would have been much wiser to have

done nothing at all at the Lake during the winter season just past.”82

The Eklutna power plant was finished just before the stock market crashed in

1929. The United States was rocked by a depression throughout the next decade. Nearly every corner of the economy was affected. Though Alaska did

not suffer like the rest of the country, there were immediate consequences for

the Anchorage Light and Power Company. The line expansions to areas outside Anchorage, which Frank I. Reed was counting on to increase the power

load, became impossible to finance.

Russell-Colvin declined to lend

AL&P money to build a transmission

line to Matanuska. It didn’t believe

the cost was justified, particularly in

view of the fact that the alignment

called for crossing Knik Arm and the

Matanuska River. These crossings

alone constituted a major financial

undertaking.83

 	 	

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Meter readings and earnings for December, 1929

Alaska Railroad 48,4000 KWH @ .04 $1,936.00

City Pump 22,640 KWH @ .04 $ 905.60

City of Anchorage 74,550 KWH @ .05 $3,727.50

Eklutna School $75.00

TOTAL $6,644.10
 	








Besides halting plant expansions, the depression affected AL&P by making

new business startups difficult to back. Reed was hoping that the additional

supply of cheaper power would encourage more business; a hope shared by

the community. Unfortunately, the depression effectively stopped this development.

At the same time, Russell-Colvin was experiencing its own financial difficulties. In 1930, the company was forced to dissolve due to having extensive

frozen assets.84 AL&P still owed Russell-Colvin over $63,000; money it simply did not have at that time. To prevent the stock going to the open market,

Reed worked out a payment arrangement with the receiver. Consequently he

amassed approximately 60% of the company’s stock over the years. One condition of this arrangement was that operating costs of the plant be cut to the

absolute minimum.85

		


Water from Eklutna Lake (the level of which is increased by the storage dam) drains out of the basin and into

Eklutna River. After about seven miles, the water is diverted from its natural course by the diversion dam into

the tunnel through Goat Mountain. The tunnel empties into the pentstock (an enclosed tube) on the other side

of the mountain. In the penstock, where most of the head is created, the water falls a vertical distance of 216 feet

along its course. The penstock terminates at the powerhouse in a Y shape, with a separate branch leading to

each turbine unit. The water hits the Pelton Wheel with enough force to move it at 720 rotations per minute. The

turbines turn the generators and the energy is converted into electricity. After the water passes through the

Pelton Wheel, it is channeled out of the powerhouse into the tailrace. The tailrace channel eventually empties

the water into Knik Arm. The electricity flows from Eklutna to Anchorage over a 26-mile transmission line. At

the Anchorage substation where the line terminates, AL&P's responsibility for the current ends, and the cities

distribution system takes over. From there, the current is distributed along electrical lines to the city and private

homes.

KNIK

ARM

ANCHORAGE

SUB-STATION

VOLTS 3300 MILES 26.3 LINE

EKLUTNA

SCHOOL

DIVERSION DAM

HEIGHT 83 FEET

EKLUTNA RIVER

TRANSMISSION

PENSTOCK

EKLUTNA

ALASKA RAILROAD

SUB-STATION

POWER HOUSE

54 INCH STEEL PIPE

EKLUTNA LAKE

STORAGE DAM

HEAD 230 FEET

TUNNEL

1880 FEET

7 MILES

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Therefore, during its first few years of business, AL&P was operating under a

very tight budget. Reed urged that economy be exercised in every aspect of

business. The original operating budget permitted $1,800 a month for expenses.

The amount was immediately cut to $1000.86 Reed went so far as to discourage use of the phone for conducting company business between the Anchorage office and the Eklutna operating crews. After all, the mail ran three times a

week!

The depressed condition of the company finances moved Reed to try selling

the plant in the early years of its operations. The whole business seems to have

put great stress on Reed. At one point near the end of construction he stated,

“It certainly will be a wonderful relief when this plant is in operation. Some

days I feel that the pressure is so great that if the plant would happen to start off

without a few days notice I would almost explode with relief.”87 Reed stated

his motivations for selling the plant as being, “to put the plant in good standing

and with finances sufficient to extend the lines into the Willow Creek also with

a thought that the Anchorage stockholders would more quickly realize on

their investment.”88 AL&P came close to being sold to Pemberton and Son,

Vancouver Investment Bankers, but the deal fell through at the last minute.

After a lengthy investigation Pemberton decided that the plant was not in a

position to make significant financial gains in the near future. They wrote,

“Confidence has declined to a very low level during the last few months as

you know, and for that reason it is almost impossible to finance any venture no

matter how attractive it is.”89 Reed gave up on selling AL&P and continued

operating the plant, doing everything he could to make it a profitable business.

AL&P opened a store in 1929 as construction neared completion, with the aim

of increasing the use of electrical appliances in Anchorage. The store sold and

installed ranges, washing machines, and other electrical wares. Located on

Fourth and D Street, it was in the same room as the company headquarters.

Most products were sold just above cost to encourage energy consumption

and long-term profitability for the company.90 Reed quickly realized that the

store was a serious financial drain on the company. There were only so many

people in town and another electric store was already in business. Operations

were cut to the bone.91 The full-time shopkeeper was let go and the general

maintenance man took over part-time sales and installation of equipment on

an as-needed basis.

Reed worked several angles over the years, trying to increase the power load.

He tried purchasing a tract of birch timber, hoping to start a furniture business

or a pulp mill, but his application was unsuccessful. In his application Frank

wrote his reasons for wanting the timber:

The principle object and purpose for which the said hydro-electric plant was constructed was the development of the resources

of the territory in the vicinity of Anchorage, it being readily un-

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derstood that without cheap and ample power,

no major development could be undertaken nor

effectually carried out. It is just as important now

that cheap and ample power is available that a

market for the power be developed, and it is with

this in view that my application to purchase timber is being made.92

In 1931 Reed contracted with the U.S. Army Signal

Corps to provide power to its broadcasting and receiving station. The Signal Corps, later named the

Alaska Communications System, was set up in 1900

to provide telegraph and cable lines to link the Department of Alaska Headquarters with remote Army

posts. Both the military and civilians used the system.93 The contract resulted in additional monthly

revenue of approximately $200 for AL&P.94 It was

a constant battle to keep costs down and maintain

some semblance of profitability for the company.

In 1935 conditions in Anchorage improved somewhat. The Matanuska Colony, a federal farming relief project, began and it was rumored that a large

military base was in the works. That year the second

Pelton Wheel and generating unit were installed in

the powerhouse, doubling the plant’s capacity. The

increased power demand can likely be attributed to Anchorage’s modest population growth and development during the mid 1930s.

In 1935 Reed also decided to put in a better road from Eklutna Lake to the

powerhouse. AL&P borrowed a grader from the Alaska Road Commission

and started clearing the way. According to Frank M., the grader was not in

very good condition, nor was it meant to be used in such rough terrain. Nevertheless, several men started clearing a right-of-way and leveling the ground.

The Alaska Road Commission eventually took over the work and finished the

road. That year Reed also purchased a Washington Iron Works 1,500 horsepower diesel generator and installed it at Anchorage. It was used to provide

backup power in case of an emergency plant shutdown or line complications.95

The Anchorage substation was expanded to house the large generator.

Alaska began bolstering its defense infrastructure in 1940. Executive Orders

8102 and 8343 were issued—withdrawing 45,939 and 40,563 acres of land

respectively for the establishment of Fort Richardson. Construction began on

June 8, 1940, and continued throughout the winter. Anchorage would never

be the same as people flooded into the area at an unprecedented pace due to

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the military buildup.96 Frank I. tried to finance

a plant upgrade to keep pace with the new

power demands, but the effort was unsuccessful.97 A few essential changes were made

that year as the plant started operating at

100% capacity. A permanent road was built

from the powerhouse to the lake, 8 1/2 miles

away, to provide easier access for monitoring the water supply. Telephone lines between the powerhouse and lake were also

installed for the same reason.98

1941 was also a very busy year for AL&P as

approximately $84,000 was spent on various projects.99 First, a section of the transmission line on what is now Fort Richardson

had to be relocated. The relocation was done at the request of the War Department to avoid a proposed runway under construction. An amendatory application to the FPC was filed on March 25, 1941, for the line reposition. The

area involved began at the E1/2 SE1/4 section 24, township 14, range 3W,

running in a southwesterly direction for approximately seven miles to a point

on the SE1/4 SW1/4 section 8, township 13N. Range 3W.

Then in 1941 AL&P built a new storage dam at Eklutna Lake. Increased and

more reliable water storage became crucial as the plant was suddenly blockloaded most of the time. The new dam, constructed with wood and steel pilings, was a 360-foot long, 8-foot high earth and rock fill structure. A gate

controlling water flow into the river was fitted with 19 hand-operated head

gates. Fifteen open bays spaced ten feet apart could be flash boarded to increase the holding capacity.100 The old storage dam was left intact and served

as a woodpile breakwater to control wave action.101

Finally, on October 14, 1941, AL&P entered into a contractual agreement

with the Matanuska Electric Association (MEA). MEA, a co-operative financed

by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), was formed on March 1,

1941, and established to provide power services to the increasingly populated

Matanuska Valley area, which began experiencing significant growth with the

introduction of the Matanuska Colony farmers in 1935. AL&P agreed to provide a maximum of 250 kWh to MEA. The line from the powerhouse to Palmer

was installed in 1942. MEA financed the transmission line through a low interest (2.46%) loan provided by the REA.102 AL&P sold power to MEA at two

	 
	 
	

	 
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THE LIFE OF AN OPERATOR

Once the Eklutna power plant was completed little supervision was required. Several operators were needed at the powerhouse to keep an eye on the equipment and take readings.

Two operators and one maintenance man lived and worked at

the powerhouse initially. The operators worked 12-hour shifts,

seven days a week, with occasional relief from the maintenance man. There were three cottages at the site and one general building with a kitchen for visitors. Operators lived on

site with their families.104

In 1937 Frank I. Reed’s son, Frank M. Reed Sr., was hired as an

operator. He worked for AL&P until 1940. The men alternated

8-hour shifts, seven days a week.105 Pay was between $200 to

$250 dollars per month.

Frank M. said problems with plant maintenance were few and

far between. “It ran just like a clock...steadier than a clock.”106

Most of the work involved routine, hourly reading and recording of the meters and keeping the machinery greased. At

that time, Frank M. was also reporting weather conditions to

the Weather Bureau in Anchorage. Unless a problem developed, there was generally no need to keep a constant eye on the equipment. Reading helped to pass the time,

and there was a shop in the building where handiwork could be done.107

Frank M. recalls a rare instance when power transmission failed due to a problem on the line. In those days

there was no high tech equipment or easy way of accessing the remote poles. It was necessary to walk along the

transmission line to find where and what the trouble was. Frank walked down the easement towards Anchorage.

“I got down about three miles, and it was hard going, and I came to a pole on top of a hill, and I

stopped there and leaned against the pole, because I was tired. The damn pole started to fall over! It

had broken off and that was where the short was! And if I hadn’t have leaned up against it I would

have never seen it. But what happened was it swayed in the wind and it broke and it ran the lines

together, running shorts”.108

Life at the power plant was isolated. The Eklutna Industrial School and village, a mile and a half away, were

the operator’s closest neighbors. The Reeds had good friends there, Paul and Pearl Thompson. Frank and his

wife, Maxine, went into Anchorage once a week to shop and visit with family and friends. The road to

Anchorage was not heavily traveled. Reed remembers that when traveling back and forth from Anchorage, one

was careful to be prepared for an emergency since help was a long way off.

Continued on Page 40

cents per kWh.103 The area’s electricity needs steadily grew in the coming

years with sustained population growth. Though AL&P did not actually construct the transmission line to Palmer, the contract with MEA fulfilled a longstanding ambition of the company to supply power to the Matanuska area.



	

	





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“ One time we were invited into Anchorage for a Christmas

dinner. And it was black tie and all that good stuff, and so

we never, we didn’t drive in our good clothes, we always

dressed prepared to walk if you had to. And there weren’t

many places along the road. And if you had to walk, you

might have to walk four or five miles to find a place, if

anybody was there. And this one time I put my good clothes

and stuff in the back because of a pickup. And when I got

into Anchorage and changed my clothes, I didn’t have my

trousers! Rough! So when I went back out [to the powerhouse] and this was about 4 or 5 in the afternoon and there

had been a fresh snow on the road, so we were making the

first tracks going out, and coming into town. And about

four in the morning when we were going back, we were

making the second set of tracks. And we got about two

miles from the power plant, three miles, something like

that, and what do you know — there’s my trousers in the

middle of the road! I stopped and picked them up.”109

The power plant was closed down once a year for maintenance. Water flow through the tunnel was closed

off, and the machinery was stripped and cleaned. The diversion dam gates were opened, allowing the

accumulated debris and gravel to be released downstream. Frank M. said some years there was so much

gravel it nearly reached the top of the dam. Men also went into the tunnel with wheelbarrows and hauled out

the sand that collected there.110


	

	

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According to Frank M. Reed Sr., many in the community were skeptical of AL&P’s ability to get the

power plant built. As the years passed by with still

no progress being made, that skepticism escalated.

Once the facilities were completed, however, there

was general goodwill and enthusiasm towards AL&P

and Frank I. Reed specifically. The possibility of

extended and cheaper electric service was a development most could appreciate and benefit from personally. Many saw the project as an indication that

Anchorage was growing as a city and hoped that

business opportunities would grow correspondingly.

A 1928 editorial in the Anchorage Daily Times

stated,

The announcement yesterday that the Eklutna

power project is to become a reality was the

best news that has come to Anchorage in years,

for it will mean not only cheaper electric light

and power rates to Anchorage consumers but

will also be the forerunner of new industries

here which will increase the business life of

the city to a point far beyond the hopes of its

most optimistic citizens.111

When AL&P finished construction, the Anchorage Daily Times ran a fifteen-page special edition on the Eklutna hydroelectric plant. It detailed the

construction and engineering work that had occurred over the last two years.

The paper was filled with congratulatory messages to Frank I. Reed and

AL&P from almost every business in town. The Times had followed the

progress of the power plant’s construction throughout 1928 and 1929, publishing several articles on the project each month.

The Eklutna power plant resulted in 20% lower rates of wholesale electricity to the city of Anchorage. Power was sold to the Municipality and the

Alaska Railroad at four cents per kWh—except for domestic power for cooking and heating (2.5 cents per kWh) and domestic and commercial light (6

cents per kWh). The city decided to sell the power on to private citizens at a

1-cent profit per kWh, or 3.5 cents.112 The rates were comparable to those

paid by residents of Seattle, Washington.113

Besides the material benefit of cheaper power, the Eklutna plant affected

the community in several ways. First, it provided many temporary jobs. The

 


  


  



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work took over a year. At times AL&P had more than one hundred

men working, and the majority of labor was local. Seven carpenters,

two boiler makers for the penstock, the tunnel foreman, and supervising engineers were the only forces brought in from outside.114 In

excess of $750,000 was spent on the project and a significant portion of this money found its way into local hands. Construction work

provided direct, if temporary, stimulation to the Anchorage economy.

Money was spent on everything from labor, horses, and lumber to

food for feeding the large construction crews. Others in the community had a direct interest in the power plant through their investments. Many Anchorage residents were stockholders in the company. They hoped to make a profit through dividends on their stock.

Frank I. Reed’s intent in building the power plant (besides personal

profit) was to stimulate the Anchorage economy by making power

cheaper and more widely available. The initial success of this goal

was hampered by the depression. AL&P began enjoying modest

profit gains as the community grew in the mid-1930s. This growth

and development cannot, however, be attributed to the availability

of cheap power. As John Whitehead states, “For nearly 75 years,

Alaskans have hoped that the provision of hydroelectric facilities

would lead to an expansion of industry. For the most part this has

been an illusion.”115 Rather it was the military buildup of the 1940s

that stimulated the economy. Power resources were hard-pressed to

keep up with the extreme rate of growth experienced by the city.

The Eklutna power plant is significant in Anchorage’s history as it

represents a substantial private undertaking conducted in Anchorage in the early 1920s. In an era dominated by federal projects,

Anchorage Light and Power and Frank I. Reed built an independent

power plant that served the city of Anchorage for over 25 years. The

power plant harnessed resources that were located over 30 miles

away from the city. It took years of planning and determination to

tap the resource and make it available to Anchorage citizens.116 Further, as the city grew and additional power sources were brought

into use, the Eklutna power plant remained the only economical

resource in Anchorage. Steam generators were expensive and costs

ran “in excess of the average revenue per kilwatt-hour.”117

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After ten years of slow and steady operations, things took a dramatic turn with

the arrival of the military in Anchorage during World War II. The city population, which experienced no significant growth throughout the last decade, exploded. The power plant began operating at full capacity and the money was

flowing in. Unfortunately, it was at this time that Reed’s health began to deteriorate. Reed was already blind in one eye due to an accident suffered during

military service. Glaucoma rapidly claimed the vision of his other eye. Facing

the prospect of total blindness, Reed knew he could not successfully continue

operating the company. He also realized that major upgrades would soon be

required to cope with the city’s increasing power demands. Reed’s son, Frank

M. did not want his father to sell the company, but Reed did not feel his son

had the necessary experience to undertake the major fund-raising that expansion necessitated.118 So when the city indicated an interest in buying the plant,

Frank I. Reed was ready to negotiate.

It was largely through the personal efforts of longtime Alaskan, William (Bill)

Stolt, that the city purchased the Eklutna power plant. Stolt, an electrician, had

long felt that the city should own the production system since it already owned

the electric distribution system. “Boy we’re the guys, the city should buy it

before somebody else comes along and grabs it, and why not the city own

it?”119 Stolt operated an electrical store in Anchorage, selling appliances and

wiring houses for power. He thought the city was not expanding power services to Anchorage citizens fast enough. He said people were consistently

telling him they wanted to use electrical appliances and equipment, but there

was no electricity available at their houses. According to an interview, it was

Stolt’s desire for the city to expand electrical services and own the Eklutna

power plant that provided his motivation to serve on the city council and later

become mayor of Anchorage. Stolt ran for mayor in 1941, won the election,

and served as mayor until 1943.120

It took Stolt several years to convince the city council that purchasing the

Eklutna power plant was good for the city. The council eventually agreed to

put a bond issue for the plant purchase to citywide vote. During the years that

it took to get the proposition on the ballot, Stolt promoted the purchase idea.121

On June 28, 1943, Ordinance No. 139 was passed. It called for a special election for the purpose of submitting to the electors the question of whether Anchorage should purchase the Anchorage Light and Power Company. The purchase was to be paid for by the issuance of $1,250,000 of general obligation

 


  


	
	

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bonds. The election was held on August 17, 1943, and the proposition passed.

Of the 510 votes cast, 328 were “for” and 177 were “against.”122 Ordinance

#142 was passed, “providing for the terms and conditions of the purchase of

the physical assets of the Anchorage Light and Power Company by the City of

Anchorage and confirming said purchase and authorizing Council to complete negotiations.”123 Ultimately, the city paid $1,000,000 for the facilities.

On November 3, 1943, AL&P and the city of Anchorage jointly filed a request

to the Federal Power Commission for a transfer of the license. The license

transfer was approved on March 1, 1944. The Municipality operated the plant

under Anchorage Public Utilities.124

By the time AL&P was sold, Reed had amassed approximately 60% of the

company’s stock. Reed passed away in 1944 soon after the purchase was

completed. He was 71 years old.125

9.1 Life at the Power Plant: 1943–1955

The city owned the Eklutna power plant from 1943 to 1953. In 1953 the Bureau of Reclamation purchased the plant, and then it was shut down in 1955.

The power plant operators lived with their families at the site’s Eklutna camp.

With city ownership of the power plant, more money was available to operate

the facilities. Frank M. Reed Sr. remembers four cottages at the powerhouse

when he worked there from 1937 to 1940. By the mid-1940s there were six

cottages, a cookhouse and a bunkhouse. Five families were prominent at the

camp between 1943 and 1955. They were the Stevens, Hendricks, Turners

and two Lee families, Jack and Jane Lee and Francis and Genie Lee. Jack Lee

was the son of Francis and Genie.

Lil and Gene Turner had two daughters: Pat and Gene. Mr. Turner was a mechanic and operator. Mrs. Turner was the camp cook. She prepared meals for

the single men living and working at the site. Initially there was a separate

cookhouse and bunkhouse for the men. Then

the Turners moved into a new, larger house.

There were bedrooms upstairs for boarders

and a large kitchen for Mrs. Turner to prepare meals.

Mary Ada Peery (Francis and Genie Lee’s

daughter, and Jack’s younger sister) recalls

that her family lived at the camp from 1941

to 1955. They moved to Alaska from Minnesota in 1935 to join the Matanuska Colony.

Francis Lee had a steam engineering degree

from the University of Minnesota. He was a

plant operator. Mary Ada was home schooled

until entering high school. She used to study

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in the powerhouse with her father while he

worked.

Mary Ada remembers that during World War

II soldiers were assigned to protect the facilities around the clock. They were stationed

for the duration of the war at the diversion

dam, powerhouse, and storage dam. Soldiers

often visited the operators’ families to warm

up on cold winter days and borrow food.

Eugene and Olive Shackleton lived at Eklutna

Lake from 1945 to 1947. They had five children: three boys and two girls. Eugene regulated the storage dam water. He coordinated

with the plant operators by telephone to release water downstream as needed. Turning

the head gates was difficult during extremely

cold weather. Jane, the eldest Shackleton daughter, married Jack Lee in 1947.

Jack Lee was a lineman. Jack and Jane lived in a 23' X 7' trailer for four years

until a house was built for them.126

Rae Kozlowski and her brother Ken Hinchey spent much of their childhood

visiting the camp on the weekends and summer vacations. Their grandparents

were Ray and Ruth Stevens. The Stevens lived at the camp from 1946 to 1956.

Ray and Ruth moved to Alaska from Oregon for the operator’s position. Their

son Ken Hinchey Sr. and his family had lived in Anchorage since 1937. During summer vacations Rae and Ken took turns staying at Eklutna as a special

treat. Rae remembers that,

Because there was a whole little village living there, with lots of kids,

it was like going to camp. We got into some scrapes and had a lot of

freedom to roam around that you wouldn’t have had in town.”127

There was plenty to keep a child occupied at the Eklutna camp. In winter the

men made an ice skating rink near the powerhouse by using the fire hose to

flood an area for the ice. There was also a steep sledding hill behind the camp

that was popular with children and adults alike.128 In the summer there were

picnics, big family dinners and games of hide-and-seek and kick-the-can. Ken

Hinchey remembers a salmon run in the tailrace where they caught fish and

sold their eggs on the roadside. The children often visited the Eklutna Native

Village to play with their friends. Everyone interviewed remembers the Eklutna

camp as an ideal place to grow up.

Bears were a fairly constant presence at the camp—largely due to a nearby

open dump. Mary Ada used to scare them away with a slingshot. “I don’t

remember how many confrontations I had with bears. My mother, when she

went to take my dad his dinner, she’d make me go chase the bears away. They

used to be on our roof!” 129

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Carmel Tysver’s grandparents were Francis and Genie Lee, and her aunt and

uncle were Jane and John

Lee. Carmel often visited

her relatives on weekends,

Christmas holidays and

school vacations. Carmel

recalls that everyone had

gardens and well kept

lawns. “And my grandpa

had a pig. And I remember

getting in trouble because

we rode the pig.”130

The operators worked eight

hour shifts six days a week.

The shifts were 8:00 am to

4:00 pm, 4:00 pm to 12:00

am, and 12:00 am to 8:00

am. The men rotated shift hours every four

weeks. There were also mechanics, linemen

and maintenance men working at the camp.

Operations were usually routine. The only

time things got really hectic was when the

militaries power sources went off line. Mary

Ada remembers:

“Fort Rich was always going off line.

Fort Rich and Elmendorf, and they

caused major problems for us. All the

guys would go dashing over there to

throw their switches and balance the

thing. I mean, this was a big deal...And

they’d usually be able to fix it so it

wouldn’t go off line.”131

 

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During the city ownership of the Eklutna power plant, Anchorage developed

at a phenomenal pace. In 1939, the population of Anchorage was just 4,000

people. By 1941 there were 10,000 in the city.132 From 1939 to 1948 the city

population increased 570%.133 The Matanuska Valley population, which was

still mostly dependent on Anchorage power sources, was also undergoing rapid

expansion. The Eklutna power plant was built at a time when the population of

Anchorage was around 2,500 people. The most ambitious of developers could

not have anticipated the incredible growth that Anchorage would experience.

The military immediately realized the Eklutna power plant could not meet its

energy requirements and installed several diesel and steam plants around Fort

Richardson. The plants were connected to one distribution system, which in

turn was connected to the Eklutna transmission line at a substation on Fort

Richardson. This allowed power sharing in the event of an emergency.134

The rapid influx of people due to the military buildup stretched city power

sources to the absolute limit in the 1940s and 1950s. Rolling blackouts during

peak load times were imposed throughout the city. The city leased and then

purchased the stern half of an old oil tanker that had broken in half during a

storm near Adak. The ship, a WWII Liberty Ship called Sackett’s Harbor, was

equipped with a coal generating power plant with a 3,000 kW capacity—larger

than the Eklutna plant’s 2,000 kW capacity. At first, the Navy intended to haul

the ship near Anchorage waters and use it for target practice. But after its

power capabilities became known, locals encouraged the city to use the ship

as a power resource. It was brought into Anchorage and outfitted for connection to the municipal distribution system. The ship was used for the next eight

years as, “the biggest generating unit in the whole hodge-podge of municipal

facilities.”135 The arrival of Sackett’s Harbor marked the end of an era for the

old Eklutna power plant. No longer was it the largest power supplier in Anchorage (though it remained the most economical power source until the new

Eklutna plant was completed).

Even with the additional energy provided by Sackett’s Harbor, power shortages were critical. The AEC’s old coal plant was intermittently brought back

into service, and several diesel generating units were purchased. Electrical

demand had far exceeded the combined generating capacity of Anchorage

power plants. Upgrades and expansions were no longer an option for the old

Eklutna power plant. The city had simply outgrown the facilities.

Recognizing the inevitable, the Bureau of Reclamation began investigating

the possibility of building a new, larger hydroelectric power plant at Eklutna.

 

 

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In 1948, a detailed report was completed and

presented to the Commissioner of the Reclamation. Submitted by Joseph M. Morgan,

Chief of the Alaska Investigation Office, the

report concluded that the project was sound

and economically feasible. The new Eklutna

Power Project was authorized on July 31,

1950, by Public Law 628, 81st Congress, 2nd

Session, H.R. 940.136

The Bureau of Reclamation determined that

there was not enough water to power both

the new and old facilities—the old Eklutna

power plant would have to be shut down.137

The new facilities took water directly through

a tunnel on the lake floor, increasing the water

storage and head capacity. The Bureau entered into contractual agreement No. 14-06-

906 for the purchase of the old plant. The

Bureau paid the city $1,841,760 for the facilities.138

Palmer Construction was awarded the contract for construction, and work began in October of 1951. The new plant went on line on July 1, 1955, and is still

serving Anchorage. The plant had a 33,000 kW capacity as compared to old

Eklutna’s 2,000 kW capacity. Interestingly, none of the old Eklutna power

plant employees were hired to work at the new plant.

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The National Register of Historic Places was instituted with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The purpose for its creation is to contribute to

the identification, evaluation and preservation of important cultural resources

in the United States. The National Register is the list of significant historic

properties in the United States. As such, it is the national repository of documentation on the variety of historic property types, significance, abundance,

condition, ownership needs and other information. It is the beginning of a

nation census of historic properties.

A property becomes eligible for inclusion in the National Register if it meets

the criteria for evaluation. The criteria are written broadly to allow incorporation of a wide variety of building and property types. The criteria are applied

within a property’s historic context. Historic context is the time, place and

theme during which a property/place was constructed or used. There are four

criteria that may then be used to determine a property’s eligibility. The property must be associated with one or more of the following requirements:

A. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to

the broad patterns of our history.

B. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

C. Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method

of construction or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.

D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important

in prehistory or history.

Buildings listed in the National Register must also retain their historical integrity. For a property to retain its integrity it must include most original aspects

of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.

Listing in the National Register provides uniform recognition that an area or

property is of significance to the nation, state or community. 139

11.1 Physical Remains

While the outbuildings and operators’ cottages have been destroyed or relocated, several key engineering components of the old Eklutna power plant

remain. These include the powerhouse, diversion dam, tunnel, the Anchorage

substation building that housed the diesel generator and switchroom, and segments of the tailrace and transmission line. The various sheds, garages, and

 

 	
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other support buildings at the lake and powerhouse were

likely destroyed or moved as their condition deteriorated

in the mid 1950s and early 1960s. The operators’ cottages

were sold and relocated. The location and current status of

the houses are unknown.

The powerhouse is the most well known remnant of the

old Eklutna power plant. It has suffered vandalism in recent years. All windowpanes and doors have been removed

or destroyed. Its lean-to addition and all interior fixtures

and equipment were removed. All electrical equipment was

removed at the time it was shut down. The shell of the

building is stable and in fair condition.

The diversion dam on Eklutna River has come to local attention recently. The Native Village of Eklutna is attempting to rehabilitate the river, which has long been used for

illegal dumping. As part of their long-term cleanup plan

they would like to remove the old diversion dam from the

river. Large gravel deposits have accumulated behind the

dam that will make removal very tricky.140 The dam has

deteriorated, but it still retains structural integrity.

The Anchorage substation building at 601 Whitney

Road still stands. The building housed the diesel generator that was purchased in 1935 and the main

switchroom. This was the location where the transmission line ended and AL&P’s responsibility for the

current ended. Today the building serves as a warehouse for E.J. Bartells, a supplier of products for insulation, refractory and HVAC customers.

The tunnel through Goat Mountain has been sealed

off. It was not possible to physically examine the tunnel for this report. It is not known if the penstock still

exists.

Substantial segments of the transmission line remain

within Fort Richardson’s boundaries. Twelve poles

were also identified on Elmendorf Air Force Base,

close to the Fort Richardson boundary. Aerial survey

determined that approximately 80% of the poles on

Army land are still extant. The poles examined were

generally in excellent condition. The wire was removed from the line except for several poles where

small pieces of the wire remain attached to insulators. Most insulators and

cross arms are intact. A metal number plate nailed to the pole approximately

five feet from the ground identifies each pole. Numbering began at the Eklutna

end of the transmission line with number one. The line is highly distinct and

 
  
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easy to differentiate from other poles. The right-of-way has not been maintained, and new vegetation has grown up around the poles in most areas. However, the vegetation is still fairly distinct from mature growth, making the old

right-of-way distinguishable.

11.2 Eligibility

Fort Richardson’s concern with the old Eklutna power plant is in determining

the historic significance of the remaining poles on its property. If the poles are

eligible for the National Register, a plan for their management should be developed. Approximately ten miles of the 26-mile transmission line lie on Fort

Richardson. Of the ten miles of transmission line, approximately 80% of the

poles are still standing. Time and budget constraints did not permit close examination of poles off Fort Richardson or Elmendorf Air Force Base. However, aerial survey determined that a substantial portion of the line still exists

in excellent condition—from the east Fort Richardson boundary to a point

parallel with Chugach High School. From there, the route coincided with high

development areas and the poles were removed. In some places a new transmission line appears along the old route.

In several places on Fort Richardson and Elmendorf, the transmission line

right-of-way appears to have been reused for roads. In these areas, poles were

cut down since they were in the middle or along the sides of the new roads.

Other poles were used to create eagle mues.

The Eklutna power plant transmission line was an essential component to overall

operations as the power delivery system to Anchorage. As such, it could be

determined eligible for the National Register under criteria A and/or B - either

independently or as part of a district encompassing the entire power project.

The transmission line is not eligible under criteria C or D. Its construction,

while certainly challenging, cannot be considered a significant engineering

feat, or the embodiment of a distinctive type of construction. Nor does it contain information important to prehistory or history. It did not set a new standard for transmission line engineering or construction.

The transmission line may be eligible for the National Register as a site under

criterion A. It is significant in local history because it was the first privately

funded power plant in Anchorage. It served the city for over 25 years as the

town grew from a budding railroad settlement into the largest Alaskan city.

The Eklutna power plant represented local work, ingenuity and vision. It affected everyone in the Municipality through the provision of cheaper electricity. Finally, its construction was a symbol of permanence during a period of

uncertainty.

The transmission line may also be eligible under criterion B through its association with Frank I. Reed. Reed is an important figure in the Anchorage’s

history. He was heavily involved and invested in the community both financially and personally. Reed arrived in Anchorage in 1915, just as the city was

getting its start. He served on the first city council, instigated building a road

out to Palmer, assisted the U.S. Army Signal Corps in finding a location for its

new station in Anchorage, and (with his wife Pauline) ran a highly successful
 	








hotel. “When he thought something should be done, he had the capacity to

marshal resources and get it started.”141 Reed left an indelible imprint on the

city through his power plant, hotel and other activities.

Consultation with Paul Lusigna, the National Park Service Keeper in Washington DC, concluded that the transmission line is not eligible for the National

Register of Historic Places. The integrity of the line has been compromised as

key sections of it are missing. The largest remaining continuous segment is a

central piece of the line. This does not convey where transmission started or

where it ended. Therefore, the overall significance of the transmission line has

been compromised and it is not eligible as an independent property or as part

of a district encompassing the entire power project. The powerhouse building

is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is beyond the

scope of this report to determine the entire projects eligibility to the National

Register as a district.

Though the transmission line is determined ineligible, it is unlikely that the

remaining poles will be affected by military training activities in the near future. A significant portion of the transmission line has survived 60 years of

military ownership largely intact. Where the line was destroyed, it was usually

for early road building purposes at a time when the right-of-way still presented

a visible and attractive cut through wilderness. Today, the right-of-way is obscured by new vegetation growth.

11.3 Areas for Further Study

One aspect of the power plant that was not examined in this report is the effect

construction had on the Alaska Native population. The power plant was built

in the heart of Eklutna, the largest Dena’ina settlement in the area. It altered

Eklutna Lake, Eklutna River, and areas around these natural features.

Further, this report focuses on the period of development when Anchorage

Light and Power owned the facilities. The city of Anchorage owned the Eklutna

power plant from 1943 to 1953. Very few records were found to document

this portion of the history, though a number of Anchorage residents were located who lived at or visited the Eklutna camp. Future studies may reveal more

information regarding the power plant’s operations from 1943 to 1955.

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BOOKS

Brabets, T. Glacier Runoff and Sediment Transport and Deposition: Eklutna Lake Basin, Alaska.

Water Resources Investigations Report 92-4132. Anchorage, Alaska: United States Geological Survey.

Carberry, M. and D. Lane. 1986. Patterns of the Past: An Inventory of Anchorage’s Historic Resources. Municipality of Anchorage: Community Planning Department.

Davis, N. 1984. Energy / Alaska. University of Alaska Press.

Hollinger, K. 2001. Homesteads on Fort Richardson, Alaska. Colarado State University, Center for

Ecological Management of Military Lands. U.S. Army Alaska, Fort Richardson.

Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo 15, Auxillary 4. 1996. Fond Memeories of Anchorage Pioneers. Vol 1., pp.

186–187

Routledge, G. 1985. Alaska’s Energy Resources. Anchorage, Alaska: Wolfe Business Services.

U.S. Army Alaska. 1985. Installation Commander’s Annual Real Property Utilization Survey, U.S.

Army Alaska Volume 2 - Fort Richardson. 1998.

United States, Bureau of Reclamation. 1958. Technical Record of Design and Construction: Eklutna

Dam, Tunnel and Powerplant, Constructed 1951–1955, Eklutna Project Alaska. Denver.

United States, Bureau of Reclamation, Joseph M. Morgan. 1948. Eklutna Project: To Serve 25% of all

Alaskans. Alaska Investigations Office.

Whitehead, J. 1983. Hydroelectric Power in the Twentieth Century Alaska: Anchorage, Juneau,

Ketchikan and Sitka. Bulletin of the Institute of Water Resources, Vol. 2. University of Alaska: Fairbanks.

NEWSPAPERS

“Light and Power are Discussed,” Cook Inlet Pioneer, 21 Aug. 1915.

 “Editorial,” Anchorage Daily Times, 26 June 1928, p. 1.

“Council Approves Power Line Lease,” Anchorage Daily Times, 30 June 1928, p. 4.

“Poles are Ready for Heavy Cable: Linemen at Work,” Anchorage Daily Times, 27 June 1928.

“Actual Construction Work on Eklutna Power Project Will Commence Next Week,” Anchorage Daily

Times, 11 Sept. 1928.

“Eklutna Project Making Progress Along All Lines,” Anchorage Daily Times, 9 Oct. 1928, p. 8.

“More Men Added to Rush Work on Power Line,” Anchorage Daily Times, 26 Oct. 1928, p. 6.

“Poles are Ready for Heavy Cable: Linemen at Work,” Anchorage Daily Times, 13 Nov. 1928, p. 4.

	


 	








“Power Line is Completed; Work Starting on Tunnel at HydroElectric Camp,” Anchorage Daily Times,

3 Jan. 1929, p. 1.

“Witnesses Relate Details of Death, Eklutna Shooting,” Anchorage Daily Times, 28 March 1929, p. 4.

“Work at Eklutna Moving Steadily; Lake Dam Ready,” Anchorage Daily Times, 20 April 1929, p. 5.

“Power Tunnel is Near Completion; Finish Tomorrow,” Anchorage Daily Times, 20 June 1929, p. 4.

“City Council Lowers Rates Lights-Power,” Anchorage Daily Times, 25 July 1929, p. 1.

“Excursionists Inspect Great Power Project,” Anchorage Daily Times, 27 May 1929, p. 5.

“Myers Sentenced For Slaying Man at Eklutna Camp,” Anchorage Daily Times, 29 June 1929, p. 8.

“General Description of Project,” Anchorage Daily Times, 21 Sept. 1929, p. 15.

“Chance Launched Power Project: Success Achieved by Hard Work Backed by Faith in Enterprise,”

Anchorage Daily Times, 21 Sept. 1929, p. 13

“Building of Transmission Line Established Records for Speed: Work Completed in 90 Days,” Anchorage Daily Times, 21 Sept. 1929, p. 10.

“Many Enjoy Trip to Eklutna Camp; See Power Plant,” Anchorage Daily Times, 23 Sept. 1929.

“Beloved City Power Facility was Stern Half of Tanker,” Anchorage Daily Times, 26 Jan. 1957, p.

11A.

“River Rehab: Village wants to removed junked cars and other trash and restore salmon runs,” Anchorage Daily News, 29 May 2001.

PERSONAL COLLECTION OF FRANK M. REED SR.

Company Correspondence

Russell-Colvin Company to Anchorage Light and Power. 25 June 1928.

Frank I. Reed to William Timson. 22 Oct. 1928.

Harold I. Wood, General Description of Power Project of the Anchorage Light and Power Co. 1929.

Joseph Shaw to Fred Tibbetts. 24 Sept. 1929.

Frank I. Reed to J.L. Dobbins of Russell-Colvin Co. 17 Feb. 1930.

Joseph Shaw to Anchorage Light and Power Company. 20 Oct. 1929.

Russell-Colvin Company to Frank I. Reed. 19 March 1930.

J.L. Dobbins to Frank I. Reed. 11 March 1930.

Frank I. Reed to J.L. Dobbins of Russell-Colvin Co. 30 May 1929.

Frank I. Reed to Pemberton & Vancouver Limited. 21 Dec. 1931.

Pemberton & Son Vancouver Limited to Frank I. Reed. 5 Dec. 1931.

Frank I. Reed to J.L. Dobbins of Russell-Colvin Co. 17 Feb. 1930.
 	








Other

The Application of Frank I. Reed to Purchase Birch Timber. U.S. Land Office, Anchorage, Alaska.

Serial No. 07431.

President’s Annual Report. Anchorage Light & Power Company. 14 Oct. 1930.

President’s Annual Report. Anchorage Light & Power Company. 1933.

MISCELLANEOUS

William and Lily Stolt, interviewed by Stephen Haycox & Maureen Cowles, Anchorage Pioneers

Oral History Project, 9 Oct. 1992. UAA Archives. p. 34

Circular No. 164, Alaska Railroad Record, Vol. 1, No. 13.

Baird, S. 1993. Energy Facts: Hydroelectric Power. Originally Published by the Energy Educators of

Ontario. http://www.iclei.org/efacts/hydroele.htm.

Eklutna Hydroelectric Project, Palmer, Alaska. U.S. Department of Energy, Alaska Power Administration.

Matanuska Electric Association’s Pioneers, An History of Matanuska Electric Association. http://

www.matanuska.com/About/History2.html

NATIONAL ARCHIVES - PACIFIC ALASKA REGION. Record Group No. 447, Alaska Power

Administration. Box 42 of 67. Alaska District, Juneau. Historical Files and Photograph Collection

1948-1998. File: Fair Market Value and Severance Damages Applicable to HydroElectric Properties

and Rights of City of Anchorage, Alaska (Federal Power Commission Licensed Project No. 350 Alaska

- Eklutna) December 1952.

FRANK M. REED SR. PAPERS

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

MANUSCRIPTS AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT

Box 19, Series 7E, Folder 1

INTERVIEWS

Frank M. Reed, interviewed by William Gossweiler, Douglas Johnson and Russell Sackett, 29 Dec.

2000.

Frank M. Reed Sr., interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 10 April 2001.

Frank M. Reed Sr., interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 30 April 2001.

Frank M. Reed Sr., interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 15 June 2001.

Frank M. Reed Sr., interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 3 July 2001.
 	








Frank M. Reed Sr., interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 23 Aug. 2001.

Rae Kozlowski and Ken Hinchey, interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 19 Sept. 2001.

Jane Lee, Pat Leddy and Mara Ada Peery, interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 26 Sept. 2001.

Carmel Tysver, interviewed by Kristy Hollinger, 21 Sept. 2001.