The Washington times., 1938-06-24
ALASKA COLONY
TAKES HOLD AND
PAYS DIVIDENDS
10 Families Get New
Chance to Come Back
Bv MERRILL MUELLER


wear of operation, the govern
ment's S1,0O0,O0O Alaskan coloni-
cation and rural rehabilitation
proiect has become a model agri-
cultural center of ITO families, a
government spokesman said, who,
with their own hands, hewed from
a virgin forest a new home and
existence.
Details of the Matanuska Valley
Colonization project were related
today by Stewart C. Campbell, as
sistant to Administrator Leo B.
Jacobs, of the Alaskan Rural Re
habilitation Corporation, and DR..
H. M. Colvin, WPA counsel assist
ing the corporation. Campbell is
here to report on the work conf
pleted by the colony in its first
three years"
STARTED IN 1888
The colony did an agricultural
business last season Of over $51 900
and aims to do a maximum of
100000 by 1910, when each
family head must begin paying
back the loans granted by the
Government to establish the new
homeSteadS.
In May, 1885, two boatloads of
the best farm families of Michi-
gan, Minnesota and Nebraska en-
barked from Seattle to a remark
able virgin forest deep in an in
land Alaska Valley.
These farmers left behind them
lands which had been ravaged and
from which they could not longer
make a living. The Government
offered free land, a $4,000 year
loan, with repayment permitted
within 80 years-and a new life
for colonization of the United
States largest and richest posses
sion.
Dumped into the middle of a
forest growing out of a valley
floor 70 feet above sea level and
surrounded by mountains rising
5000 or more feet On three sides,
these hardy pioneers set to work
with axes.
BUILT OWN HOMES
All summer long, while warm
breezes from the japanese Current
Sifbed into the valley from it's
mouth on the south side, these
farmers cut the trees, first to
build their homes, stores and ad-
ministr atiVe buildings and then to
clear land for farming. AgricuI-
ture was to be the prime business
of the Valley for it had two large
and ready n1arketS-Anchorag
80 miles below Cooks inlet, and
Fairbanks, 70 miles inland by the
Alaskan Rai / road. Fairbanks
alone was a $1,000, 900 per year
agricultural market in which the
Matanuska colonists aimed to par
ticipate.
FAMILIES QUIT
With the first winter the we'll.
chosen colonists decreased from
200 families to ITO because 80 of
their number preferred the United
States to Alaska, found that aver
age winter temperature for their
valley was zero. Deep in Alaska
they were experiencing cold much
more intense than that through
which they had lived on the plains
of their home States. When sum-
mers and its average 74-degree
temperature came again, the work
of consolidating the colony, set
ting up its government and found,
ing its industries was begun.
NEW PROSPERITY PEAK
Today the colony is inaugurating
what viii be its biggest year to
date. The land has proven its
value and returned to the farmers
$40 for each acre cultivated, SIS
more than the average general
crop returns Of the farming dis
trictS in the United States. But
besides farming the community
has q busy cannery, hatchery,
creamery, meat packing plant and
fishing industry.
The life of MatanuSka Colony
centerS around the village of Pal
mer, a post office before the
colony was established but now
a new, modern town where are
located 400 pupil school. trading
post, hospital, cobbler. barber, gift
shops and. yes, even women'S
beauty salons. Nearby are tie
rich Government coal fields and
independent gold mining opera
tions.