Anton Anderson

Anton Anderson (born June 28, 1892 in Upper Moonlight, Ahaura , New Zealand , † March 16, 1960 in Mount Vernon , Washington , United States ) was an American engineer and local politician. He was the chief engineer of the Alaska Railroad and Mayor of Anchorage , Alaska from 1956 to 1958 .

Life

Anderson was born in Upper Moonlight, New Zealand in 1892 to a Swedish father and Irish mother . In 1914 he went to the United States , where he first worked as a surveyor in Hoquiam , Washington . He graduated from Seattle University for an engineering exam and then moved to the newly formed city of Anchorage , Alaska, where he worked for the Alaskan Engineering Commission . In 1927 he married Alma Quantity. The marriage produced three daughters: Jean, Patricia and Shelby.

In the 1930s, Anderson worked on the Matanuska Colonization Project, an infrastructure building project to settle the Matanuska Valley . During World War II , he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers . Anderson was also involved in building a dam and power station on the Eklutna River , and he designed the Hodge Building in Whittier . In 1940 he was naturalized in the Anchorage District Court. In 1951 he was elected President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers .

Anderson was a member of the Anchorage City Council before being named mayor in 1956 to end the tenure of his predecessor, Ken Hinchey . Anderson was elected for a full term the following year, but his health forced him to leave office early.

Anderson died in Mount Vernon, Washington in 1960. In 1976 the tunnel between Whittier and Portage , the construction of which Anderson supervised, was named Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel in his honor .

supporting documents

^ Frank Nyman: A history lesson: engineering in Alaska has come a long way (English) . In: Alaska Business Monthly , Free Library, Feb. 1, 2004, pp. 43–45. Retrieved January 25, 2019.

Web link

Biography at the Cook Inlet Historical Society (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Ken Hinchey	Mayor of Anchorage 1956-1958	Hewitt Lounsbury

personal data
SURNAME	Anderson, Anton
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American engineer and local politician
DATE OF BIRTH	June 28, 1892
PLACE OF BIRTH	Upper Moonlight, Ahaura , New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH	March 16, 1960
Place of death	Mount Vernon , Washington , United States

[abm-1] Frank Nyman: A history lesson: engineering in Alaska has come a long way (English) . In: Alaska Business Monthly , Free Library, Feb. 1, 2004, pp. 43–45. Retrieved January 25, 2019.