The Nome nugget., 1955-04-25
Fifty Years of Service
Juneau Daily Empire

Daily
 On May 15 the Alaska Road Commission will have completed fifty years of service to Alaska Created by act of Congress of January 2 1905 as an agency of the War Department the first Board of Road Commission CTS convened at Skagway May 15, 1905 This board consisted of Major Wids P Richardson, 1st It. George B Pillsbury and 1st It. Samuel c. Orchard
 Funds available to the board for the construction and maintenance of wagon roads, bridges and trails in the then District of Alaska limited to 70 percent of the Alaska Fund.- monies derived from liquor occupaon of trade licenses outside incorporated towns For the fiscal year 1905 such funds otaled $28000.
 In describing the few existing ''roads'-fnanced by public subscrpton-the boards first annual report stated in part By no reasonable pervers0n of the term could these steep slope sections be caed roads, Intersected and cut up in all directions by heavy wagons and struggling animals, with deep dches washed by the recent rans they appeared only huge ugly the face of nature There were actually reports of horses having drowned in the roads!
 'Permafrost" the principal obstacle to econom cal road construction today was equally problem half century ago. book by Chester Wells Burlington includes this paragraph: "A serious detriment the making of road in Alaska is the thawng of the ground beneath the moss. It has been universal experience that wherever the moss is cut into thawng immediate ly commences, and the trail which passable be- comes filthy. slimy of mud roots and broken stone, difficult route for foot slow and tire some road for loaded animals, and impossible obstacle to any sort of vehicle
 By 1882 when the Alaska Road Commission was transferred to the Department of the Interior the road system consisted of some 2200 miles of roads, of which less than 800 miles improved grave-surfaced and 10000 miles of trails and sled roads Expenditures for the quarter century totaled $18312, ,82540
 Today the territory's highway system totals 3791.5 miles. The primary system connecting Interior Alas kas principal cities with each other and with cont mental United States via the Alaska Highway through Canada is either paved scheduled for paving in the immediate future. There 2174 miles of the system including all primary routes, which are maintained open the year round Total expenditures to date exceed $1895 OOO
 The development of the territory's highway sys- tenn closely parallels the development of the territory itself Alaskans have long recognized the fact that development of overland transportation facilities are prime requisite to the economic development of the territory The first session of the Alaskan Legislature convened 42 years ago in 1913 memoralized Congress to develop highway network. The demand for roads and ever more roads-has continued to this day.
 The Alaska Road Commission is proud and justly so of it's contribution to the growth of the territory Arrangements are going forward for banquets to be held by commission personnel in Anchorage Fair banks, Valdez, Nome and Juneau in commemoration of the ARCS 50 years service to Alaska.
 As the Golden Anniversary draws near we salute MT. A. F. Ghiglione the Alaska Road Commissioner and the many able persons who in the past and the present have contributed to the achievements of the Alaska Road Commission Alaska has great destiny