The Humble Beginnings of Anchorage

As the most populous city in the state of Alaska, Anchorage is defined as a unified home rule municipality. It is located in the southern central part of Alaska. In terms of geography, Anchorage lies on the northernmost edge of the country, earning the title of “America’s Northernmost City”. In North America, it is considered as the largest community with a total of 298, 610 residents as of 2012. Since it is the state’s most populous city, Anchorage holds 40% of the Alaska’s total population. As compared to the other 50 states, only the city of New York has the higher percentage of people living in the most populous city. The Anchorage metropolitan area encompasses the neighboring cities, such as Borough and Matanuska-Susitna.

Anchorage has a list of interesting achievements under its belt. It had been named “All-America City” four times since the 1950s. The title has been given by the National Civic League. It is also known as the “Most Tax-friendly City” in the country by Kiplinger, a publisher of personal finance advices and business forecasts based in Washington, D.C. The city had also been selected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors as the “Best Tasting Water” during the USA City Water Taste Test. Anchorage is also famous for the number of espresso stands within its borders. Per capita, the city holds the record of most espresso stands in the country.

The city of anchorage rose from small beginnings. The area was just a barren ground when Alaska became part of the United States of America. It was neither a mining nor fishing camp. In 1914, Anchorage became a tent city along the Ship Creek because the railroad construction port was built near it. The railroad was made for the Alaska Engineering Commission. It was not until the 1920s when the tent city of Anchorage became an official city.

Military and air transportation were major players in the economy of the 1930s and the 1950s. The oil industry was also a booming economic driver and encouraged the growth of Anchorage to what it is today. Despite the misfortune of the city being struck by the world’s second largest earthquake in history, Anchorage was rebuilt and grew into a flourishing City of Lights and Flowers. Today, Anchorage is noted as one of the largest US cities by area. Furthermore, it led to a diverse community wherein 100 different languages and dialects are spoken in the Anchorage School District.