Whittier
The City of Whittier is located in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area. Whittier Glacier was named after the poet John Greenleaf Whittier; the name was published by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1915.
Whittier is at the west end of Passage Canal. The canal was the quickest route from Prince William Sound to Turnagain Arm, a route the Chugach Indians used, and later Russians and Americans used for exploring the region.
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese aircraft struck a U.S. installation at Dutch Harbor. A secret Japanese message was intercepted regarding the attack, and to their surprise, they were meet with anti-aircraft fire. When they did not find an airfield or carrier fleet, they turned to Margaret Bay Naval barracks, killing 25 servicemen. The Japanese attacked and occupied Kiska and Atlu Islands in the far western Aleutian Islands. In 1943, combined Canadian-American forces recaptured the islands, ending the Aleutian Campaign.
The United States was already looking for and working towards a route that could run year round and cut the distance into the interior. With the priority shifting toward security, construction started in 1941 on a route from Whittier to Portage, funded by the War Department. A tunnel passing through Maynard Mountain would cut approximately 51 miles off the route to Fairbanks and avoid a 50-mile mountainous section frequently closed between Seward and Portage. Named after the chief engineer, the Anton Anderson Tunnel is the second longest tunnel in America. Following completion of the tunnel, the first train arrived in Whittier in 1943. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was converted to railroad and automobile use in 2000, providing the first road access to Whittier.
Two huge buildings remain from World War II: the Hodge Building (now Begich Towers), a 14-story building built for housing soldiers, and the Buckner Building (a city under one roof). When the Army pulled out of Whittier in 1960, the Buckner Building was abandoned. Out of approximately 200 residents, 180 live in Begich. The Begich is self-sufficient with a police department, school, storage for food, stores and post office, one never needs to leave during winter.
Whittier has an interesting past, contributing to the war and surviving the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami waves that hit Whittier were between 30 and 50 feet, while the waves that struck in other parts of Passage Canal were estimated at 104 feet.
Whittier, being open year round, is at the center of Alaska's transportation network for rail, marine, and highway traffic, with around 700,000 visitors a year.
Whittier is at the west end of Passage Canal. The canal was the quickest route from Prince William Sound to Turnagain Arm, a route the Chugach Indians used, and later Russians and Americans used for exploring the region.
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese aircraft struck a U.S. installation at Dutch Harbor. A secret Japanese message was intercepted regarding the attack, and to their surprise, they were meet with anti-aircraft fire. When they did not find an airfield or carrier fleet, they turned to Margaret Bay Naval barracks, killing 25 servicemen. The Japanese attacked and occupied Kiska and Atlu Islands in the far western Aleutian Islands. In 1943, combined Canadian-American forces recaptured the islands, ending the Aleutian Campaign.
The United States was already looking for and working towards a route that could run year round and cut the distance into the interior. With the priority shifting toward security, construction started in 1941 on a route from Whittier to Portage, funded by the War Department. A tunnel passing through Maynard Mountain would cut approximately 51 miles off the route to Fairbanks and avoid a 50-mile mountainous section frequently closed between Seward and Portage. Named after the chief engineer, the Anton Anderson Tunnel is the second longest tunnel in America. Following completion of the tunnel, the first train arrived in Whittier in 1943. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was converted to railroad and automobile use in 2000, providing the first road access to Whittier.
Two huge buildings remain from World War II: the Hodge Building (now Begich Towers), a 14-story building built for housing soldiers, and the Buckner Building (a city under one roof). When the Army pulled out of Whittier in 1960, the Buckner Building was abandoned. Out of approximately 200 residents, 180 live in Begich. The Begich is self-sufficient with a police department, school, storage for food, stores and post office, one never needs to leave during winter.
Whittier has an interesting past, contributing to the war and surviving the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami waves that hit Whittier were between 30 and 50 feet, while the waves that struck in other parts of Passage Canal were estimated at 104 feet.
Whittier, being open year round, is at the center of Alaska's transportation network for rail, marine, and highway traffic, with around 700,000 visitors a year.