It Happened in Alaska: Remarkable Events that Shaped History - Paperback

by Diane Olthuis (Author)

From the Gold Rush to Tlingit potlatches to the Alaska Reindeer Project, It Happened in Alaska offers a unique look at intriguing icons and episodes from the history of the Last Frontier. In an easy-to-read style that's entertaining and informative, Alaska resident Diane Olthius recounts some of her state's most captivating moments.

Back Jacket

True tales from The Last Frontier--from the first Russian expedition to the Aleutian Chain to the welcome reintroduction of native Alaskan bison The remote, unforgiving landscape and colossal--and unpredictably unstable--mountain ranges of Alaska have kept at bay many a faint-hearted outsider, but the lure of this territory's beauty, as well as its rich and vast resources, continues to entice adventuresome natives and outsiders alike. It Happened in Alaska goes behind the scenes to tell its story, in short episodes that reveal the intriguing people and events that have shaped The Land of the Midnight Sun. -Meet six-year-old Minnie Lawrence who, from 1857-1860, had the unique experience of living on her father's whaling ship, watching the perilous capture and butchering of these gargantuan creatures, learning about native Alaskan customs, and wintering in tropical Hawaii before returning home to New England -Read about the outlandish attempt by the US to establish a 2,000-mile telegraph route through western Canada and all the way through Alaska to eventually cross the Bering Sea, led by the eccentric, paranoid, and short-lived "Major" Robert Kennecott -Find out about the peculiar--and successful--project that brought together Laplanders from Scandinavia and native Inupiats to cultivate reindeer herds as a more reliable food source for Alaskans -Recall the terrifying devastation of the largest volcanic explosion of the twentieth century, which petrified witnesses, blackened skies along the Alaskan Peninsula and Panhandle, and continued to violently erupt for three long, dreadful days Diane Olthuis moved to Alaska in 1977 to teach on remote St. Paul Island. She has hiked the Chilkoot Trail, climbed Mount Denali, canoed the Yukon River, and kayaked Glacier Bay. The tiny community of Hope is her home, and is where she directs the Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum.

Author Biography

Diane Olthuis moved to Alaska in 1977 to teach on remote St. Paul Island. She has hiked the Chilkoot Trail, climbed Mount Denali, canoed the Yukon River, and kayaked Glacier Bay. The tiny community of Hope is her home, and is where she directs the Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum. Diane is the author of Historical Building Survey Report: Hope, Alaska and Goldpan, Trapline and Camera: The Harry A. Johnson Album.