t
EDITION
CO-OP
VOL. 8
2.
jMATANIJSkA VALLEY iMEWS
PALMER, ALASKA
MAY 25, 1945
NO. 21
1935
COLONY DAY
194 '■
tJ
TO REPAY THE COURTESY SHOW US TEN YEARS AGO, WE WISH TO EXTEND AN
INVITATION TO ALL ANCHORAGE RESIDENTS TO 3E OUR GUESTS ON OUR TENTH
Cittccs ir. chr.rgc.
ANNIVERSARY
On the 25th day of August 1933 the United Press Assn, gave out the
story bf a £25,000,000. appropriation by congress for the purpose of a
resettlement of some of the people of the U.S. to aid and encourage
people to acquire land and homes Vrhere they could grow gardens,operate
small farms and make part, if not all the giving from the soil.
Here was c chance for Alaska settlement and development, so thdught
the Agricultural development agent of the Alaska Railroad, who wrote
Cctlonel O.F. Ohlson, calling his attention to the Fre.ss News, end urg
ing him to investagate the possibilities of aid from this fund for the
establishment of a colony for Fairbanks end Matanuska Valley.
In' August of 1934 Jacob Baker came to investigate the possibilities
of such a settlement..Mr. Baker had charge of similar colonies in the
States. Ho had located sites of 44 colonies.to that date and probably
the many others that followed --a total of 92 of c.ll was gained. Upon
Jacob Baker’s investigations and recommendation this project was given
the go-a-hcad signal. The Fairbanks project was turned down.
’.Then Col. O.F. Ohlson-who had been in Washington D.C. returned to
.Jichornge, ho immediately began plana for the colony and set in motion
the.program that resulted in the establishment of this colony. The
final'action vrs in Washington D.C. and the selection of Don. L. Irwin
as General Manager vrs announced in due course. He was called wo Wash
ington for the completion of the setup, also to aid in the selection
I ine meraDers or iamiiies ro oe cnosen. inings moveu siutuy xu ttwiiug
"on in those hays. A lack of knowledge of Alaskan conditions among
the officials in.charge made it impossible for Mr. Irwin to meet any
of the people until his return to Palmer, several days after;thuy had'
arrived. . • . . j
Personally, you, each individual ‘ can fill in and complete this his
torical sketch during the fcrmntive period of the colony group. We,the
old timers here who were expecting you, can fill in from raembory, the
other side of the picture.’ The m'ost important fact vr.s that you came,
and to those who romain we feel and know that you arc one with us.
Finally,we wish to say, that it takes all the people to complete this
story. What the individual contributes to the sum total of what each ai:
and every organization contributes to the building of a farm community,
unique in the history of America,is of importance. The completed picture
should be something wc can all bo proud to know that all had a part in
the building. This one of the 92 projects,set up in the hope that farm
people might enjoy a richer and fuller life, has been a success.
M.D, Snodgrass