The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-07-09
COLONY RISES
INTO THRIVING
COMMUNITY

This Is the last of series OF
three articles dealing NTH the
first year of the M1t1nuSkG Val
leu pioneer colony, at Palmer,
Alaska, to Which more than 200
Middle Western families tDere
taken from the drouoht-Strtcken
areas to build neID life for
themselves, and to establish a
neD civilization.
By MRS. VICTOR L. JOHNSON
PALMER, Alaska, July 9
O.N.S).-In little more than a
year the Matanuska valley colony
has grown from a nondeScript
group of 16x2O tents to a neat,
thriving community.
It was on May %. 1885, that
the 2O5 families brought here
from the States drew lots for the
"Forties," on which they were to
begin their new life. The work
of clearing homeSiteS started al
most at once.
It was not long before a crude
telephone SyStem-which, with a
few improvements, is still in Serv-
ice-waS installed.
Today the city of Palmer
year ago merely a dirty, Sodden,
cherries, boom-appearing town
resembles nothing so much as a
thriving village Of the Midwest
of 80 years ago. The street in
front Of the trading post, it is
true, is dirty, deeply rutted by
wagon wheels and unbehevably
muddy after q rain; every tree is
deeply SCARED where horses have
been tied, but the new buildings
have assumed an air Of perma-
nence.
Where q year ago trees stood
thickly covering what was planned
as the community center, the city
has grown. There is running
water in every one of Palmer'S
buildings, and in many Of the
farm cabins, as well. There is
ample electric power and practi-
cally every modern convenience,
much of which was undreamed of
on the MidweStern farms from
which these pioneers came.
There have been 81 children
born in the colony and all but one
survives. In addition many Of the
families are now seeking children
to adopt.
The colonist farms are well
stocked, and are becoming better
stocked almost daily.
Seven thousand eight-week-old
pullets arrived in Palmer last week
and Immediately were apportioned
to the settlers. Six hundred head
of sheep are en- route here to be-
come the nucleus Of the pioneer
sheep herds. There are more than
255 blooded mich COWS in the val
ley barns; so head of work horses
arrived from the States Saturday,
and more cattle are coming. The
60 new horses increased the equine
population of the colony to 800
animals which are housed in neat
log barns which stand where less
than 10 months ago virgin timber
grew.
Ten native Alaskan families
have become members of the col
ony. drawing tracts of land which
were given up by some OF the 63
original families which returned to
the United States.
Today there are only IA vacant
houses in the valley as the ma
jority of the returning coloniSts
left before permanent structures
were built.
Today more than 5000 families
have filed applications to become
members of the colony.
Three marriages have occurred
In PalmeA's first historic year. In
every instance the brides were
teachers III the colony schools and
the bridegrooms coloniStS or sons
of colonisS5. All will remain in
the colony.
Many practices with which the
colonists we're acquainted while
residents of the States have been
inaugurated here. There is a All
club and q Women'S club, directed
by Mrs. Lydia-Fohn Hansen, of
the extension bureau Of the Uni
versity Of Alaska at Fairbanks.
Despite q particularly dry June
"a month which recalled for a
time visions of the droughtS they
fled from the States to escape
Matanuska is booming. Rain fell
on June 80 to break the drought.
Everywhere one sees well titled
fields which have replaced the
lush grasses Of a year ago; farms
have been literally whitfield from
the virgin forests: the box-like sta
ton and log hotel have been re-
placed by a thriving town.
It was during the second June
Of the colony'S history that it's
first twins were born-Mrs. John
Parties, wife of a youthful colonist,
presenting her husband with boy
and girl.