Curry (Alaska)
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Location in Alaska
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| Basic data | |||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Alaska | ||
| Borough : | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | ||
| Coordinates : | 62 ° 37 ′ N , 150 ° 1 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Alaska ( UTC − 9 / −8 ) | ||
| Residents : | 0 (as of: 2019) | ||
| Height : | 169 m | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1400901 | ||
Curry is an abandoned settlement in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough , Alaska . An alternative name of the 169 m high place is Deadhorse or Deadhorse Hill.
history
The place is designated in 1916 by the predecessor company of the Alaska Railroad , the Alaskan Engineering Commission, when building the railway line as Dead Horse. It is said that several horses fell to their death at this point when they saw a bear. At this point at mile post 248.5 there was a base for the construction and maintenance of the railway line. The AEC built a roadhouse (led by Nellie Neal Lawing , among others ) and its headquarters for the construction phase at this point. At the same time, a 48-kilometer 1.75% gradient began here, which made it necessary to keep the appropriate auxiliary locomotives available. After the camp was expanded into a train station in 1922, AEC Chairman Fredrick Mears changed the name to Curry. The place was named after Charles F. Curry , a member of the House of Representatives from California .
The marshals are about halfway between Seward and Fairbanks. In order to offer passengers a comfortable overnight stay on the train journey lasting several days, the railway's own Curry Hotel was opened in 1923 at the same time as the railway line . A locomotive shed and power station were also built. In addition to the guests passing through, the railway company also tried to attract multi-day tourists to the hotel. Therefore, a 164 m long pedestrian suspension bridge was spanned over the Susitna River in 1924 . From there, a hiking and bridle path leads to the nearby mountain peak with the Curry Lookout viewpoint , from which there is a good view of Denali .
The settlement quickly became a popular destination. In the following years, a three-hole golf course, a tennis court and a small swimming pool were built at the hotel. On July 18, 1926, the engine shed and the power station were destroyed by fire. During the subsequent reconstruction, two separate buildings were erected. In 1933 the engine shed burned again. On June 6, 1945, a steam boiler exploded in the power station building and destroyed it.
With the establishment of the Mount McKinley Park Hotel in the late 1930s, guests began to migrate. During the Second World War, the hotel and the surrounding area served as a resort for soldiers stationed in Alaska. After the war, attempts were made to revive the business. In 1947, a ski lift, a ski jump and a ski hut were built on the western slope and trains were used especially for anglers and fishermen.
After the hotel burned down on April 9, 1957, the end of the place was sealed. There was still a ticket office until 1959. After that the settlement was given up. The remains of the hotel, the suspension bridge and the water tower were removed by the railway company.
Today there is a track with a parked snow blower on site. If necessary, the Alaska Railroad trains stop in Curry. There was also an aircraft landing pad on the eastern side of the settlement. Above the village, the Alaska Railroad opened a quarry for the mining of gravel from 2006 to 2008 . The loading takes place on a newly built track system east of the railway line.
The Anchorage Ski Club and the Alaska Railroad have organized a ski train to Curry annually since the 1970s.
In the management plan of Denali State Park from 2006 it is planned to restore the suspension bridge or another connection usable for pedestrians (hand ferry or similar) and thus create a hiking trail connection to the remaining network of trails in the nature reserve. The construction of a new bus shelter at the station is also planned.
location
The Alaska Railroad is on the eastern bank of the Susitna River. The hotel and its buildings and houses were in the countryside between the railway line and the river. On the other side of the railway line were the facilities of the railway company (locomotive shed) and later several army barracks, which also served as living quarters.
Transport links
Curry is only accessible on the Alaska Railroad. There are no roads or paths that can be used by vehicles into the settlement. During the Second World War, an airplane runway was laid out, which was no longer maintained after the town was abandoned and which has since become unusable, even due to newly built railway systems.
population
The place was listed in the census as an unincorporated village . In 1930 91, 1940 45 and 1950 183 people were counted living in the village. In 1958 there were still 48 people living in Curry.
literature
- Kenneth L Marsh: Lavish Silence: A Pictorial Chronicle of Vanished Curry, Alaska, a Unique Alaska Railroad Community . Trapper Creek Museum Sluice Box Productions, 2003, ISBN 0-9718302-1-5 (English).
Web links
- John P. Combs: Curry Hotel. Retrieved August 8, 2018 . - story, with lots of photos
- Curry Hotel | Alaskan Roadhouses. Accessed August 8, 2018 . - History, especially the period 1916–1923
- Curry Ski Hill. Retrieved August 8, 2018 .
- Alaska's Digital Archives. Retrieved August 9, 2018 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Diana Pesta: Cabins & Commercial - Search Homes For Sale in Talkeetna, Willow, Trapper Creek, Montana Creek, Petersville, Cantwell, Sunshine Lake, Sunshine City, Caswell Lakes, Willow, Denali Park, Curry, Mat-Su, Bear Ridge, Eagles Nest, Susitna Valley, Wasilla, AK. Retrieved August 8, 2018 .
- ^ ARRC Curry Quarry Ballast and Riprap Production. Accessed August 8, 2018 .
- ^ Ski Train - Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage . In: Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage . ( anchoragenordicski.com [accessed August 9, 2018]).
- ^ State of Alaska: Denali State Park Management Plan. Retrieved August 9, 2018 .