Curry Hotel

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The Curry Hotel was an Alaska Railroad owned luxury hotel on the railroad halfway between Seward and Fairbanks . It existed from 1923 to 1957.

history

With the construction of the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks , a base and a roadhouse for the construction of the railway line, which was named Deadhorse, were built at Milepost 248 . With the completion of the railway line in 1923, a hotel was built at this point by the railway company and the place was renamed after Charles F. Curry , a member of the House of Representatives in Curry . This enabled rail travelers to spend the night comfortably on the multi-day journey from Seward to Fairbanks. At the same time, the hotel also served as a station building.

The railway company soon began to market the hotel and the surrounding area as a travel destination. In 1924 a 164 m long pedestrian suspension bridge was built over the Susitna River and the Curry Lookout observation hut was built on the Curry Ridge mountain range , which offers a good view of Denali , as well as a hiking and riding trail there.

In 1926 the hotel was expanded and a 3-hole golf course, a tennis court and a swimming pool were built. In 1927, various stables for poultry and pigs were built to supply hotel guests. In winter, special ski trains were offered to Curry.

In 1935–1936 the hotel was expanded again and now had 75 rooms. In addition, another 30 rooms were managed for the railway employees. With the establishment of the Mount McKinley Park Hotel in the late 1930s, guests began to migrate.

In 1944/1945 the hotel was renovated and a cocktail bar was added. In 1947 a ski lift was built and skiing in the region was advertised.

On April 9, 1957, the hotel burned down to its foundations. The Alaska Railroad subsequently removed the remaining remains.

location

The Alaska Railroad is on the eastern bank of the Susitna River. The hotel and its buildings and residences were in the countryside between the railway line and the river.

The railway line curves slightly to the right when viewed in the direction of Fairbanks. The hotel was right on the railroad track and had a platform.

The suspension bridge was located directly behind the hotel and to the north of the hotel was the covered pool, which was used as a greenhouse after filling.

Building

The two-story hotel with a flat roof was built in a T-shape. The longitudinal wing was located directly on the railway line and housed the station facilities with ticket offices, waiting and luggage rooms on the lower floor. The guest rooms were located in the wing leading to the rear and on the upper floors. Toilets and washrooms were in the hallway. The extension built in 1926 was a single building behind the hotel and connected to the hotel by a covered walkway.

The expansion that took place in 1935/36 connected the two buildings. In this extension, all guest rooms had their own bathroom.

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 978-0-9718302-1-9 .

Web links