World of Exploration

Some of the greatest explorers visited Prince William Sound. Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator, served in the Russian Navy and discovered Alaska in 1741. Georg Wilhelm Steller, the famous German naturalist, was a member of the Bering Expedition, which made landfall at Kayak Island, approximately 100 miles southeast of Whittier. Today, we hear his name: Steller Sea Lion, Steller Jay, Steller Eider, and Steller Sea Eagle.

Capt. James Cook entered the Sound on May 12, 1778. While he traded with the area’s indigenous people, William Bligh – later of Mutiny of the Bounty fame – took a small boat and paddled long enough to determine it was not the Northwest Passage. It was Bligh Reef that the Exxon Valdez struck in 1989. Cook called the area Sandwich Sound, but the British Admiralty renamed it to Prince William Sound in honor of King George III’s third son.

In 1794, Capt. George Vancouver mapped most of the western and eastern portions of the Sound, including much of the area we travel to today. Vancouver was a midshipman and on the Cook expedition.

Edward Harriman’s 1899 Alaska expedition brought twenty-three biologists, taxidermists, geologists, artists, photographers, and writers from New York to Alaska. John Muir was one of the many distinguished naturalists and scientists on this two-month voyage of discovery. A twelve-volume “Alaska” series of albums containing many newly named species, flora, and fauna was a valuable resource developed after this voyage.

Chugach Native People

The Native people of the coastal communities in Prince William Sound had abundant natural resources and productive fisheries. Harvesting of natural resources, fishing, and fur trading provided a way of life. Alaska’s Native communities were devastated by a smallpox outbreak in the early 1900s and later by a pneumonia epidemic in the 1930s. Both had a significant impact on the population in this region. In 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake and Tsunami washed away many of the residents along the coast and caused extensive damage to most buildings. And in 1989, The Exxon Valdez oil spill harmed their subsistence lifestyle and culture.

Today, the Native peoples of the Chugach Region are taking the lead in expanding their communities’ social and economic development. For more details about Alaska Natives and their economic structure today, read about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971.

World War II

The military sought a hideaway to build an army base during World War II. Whittier provided the perfect deep water, the ice-free port access with protection from air attacks due to the towering mountains encircling Whittier with frequent cloud cover. In 1941, the U.S. Army established Camp Sullivan, and engineers began construction on a rail spur connecting Whittier to Portage. This engineering challenge would make Whittier a vital port as the main supply for interior Alaska. But first, they had to work their way through a mountain.

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel construction was started in 1941 by the U.S. Army to connect Whittier to Portage. Once complete, the rail became Alaska’s main supply link for the war effort. Two large buildings in Whittier would house the military stationed in Camp Sullivan, the 14-story Hodge Building (now called Begich Towers) and the Buckner Building damaged in the 1964 earthquake and has remained uninhabitable since that time. Whittier was an active military port until 1960. More tunnel information – HERE

Earthquake

On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, Alaska experienced the “Good Friday” earthquake. Initial readings put the quake at 8.3 on the Richter scale, but new findings place this quake at 9.2 on the Moment Magnitude scale. Experts identified the epicenter forty miles from Valdez. Submarine landslides triggered 30-foot waves that destroyed 80% of Valdez. Another 270-foot wave caused slides that demolished Chenega. In Valdez, 31 people went missing, and the tsunami wave damaged over 100 feet of docks. The original townsite of Valdez was condemned and later moved to a new location. In Whittier, the waterfront buildings and the Buckner Building suffered extensive damage. Once referred to as “the city under one roof,” complete with a mess hall, bowling alley, and movie theater, the Buckner Building, has been vacant since 1966.

Today in Whittier

Today, Whittier’s primary industry comes through the port, bringing goods in for interior Alaska supplies. Tourism provides a substantial resource of economic impact for the community. The latest economic developments include oyster farming which started in Ketchikan around 1950. Because of the cold waters, Prince William Sound has earned a favorable reputation for oysters with a uniquely pleasant taste. And the rich waters of Prince William Sound produce enormous spot shrimp, five species of salmon, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and more! More Whittier information – HERE