The Proposed Stewart-Hyder Branch of the International Highway
THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO ALASKA
As indicated briefly elsewhere in
this publication, the opening of an
automobile highway route to Alaska
over a much shorter distance than
is contemplated in the Pacific-Yukon
Alaska highway proposal is not only
practical but can be accomplished at
relatively small cost by building
from the main highway a branch
road approximately lid miles In
length to connect with the govern
ment built highway extending some
30 miles north from Stewart. B. C.,
at the head of Portland Canal. Such
a road would give direct entry into
Alaska at Hyder, situated on the Alas
ka-British Columbia boundary, two
miles from Stewart. B. C. Such a
road would he 500 miles shorter than
any other road that could be con
structed into Alaska and would pen
etrate a district rich in scenic at
tractiveness and possessing a modern
automobile highway system covering
virtually the entire Portland Cana!
districts of Alaska and British Col
umbia.
That such a short highway route
into Alaska at Hyder would attract
a great number of tourists can hard
ly be gainsaid. The Hyder district
being located some 500 miles closer
to Seattle than any other section of
Alaska accessible by highway, it fol
lows th.at an automobile trip to the
district could he made in much short
er time and at less expense that
would he involved in traveling over
the longer route by way of the Yu
kon Territory a journey of 2000
miles.
The auto tourist of small means
or the summer vacationist with lim
ited time to spend, could visit Alas
ka over this short route and enjoy
a glorious week or two in a dis
trict conceded to be one of the most
beautiful and impressive scenic areas
of the north without straining either
their resources or time.
Such a journey from and back to
the States would involve approximate
ly 1,000 miles of travel, as compared
to the 4,000 miles of travel necessary
to visit the more northerly sections
of Alaska and return.
It is very probable that out of
the vast army of automobiles owners
in the United States who annually
take a trip to new scenes, rel
atively few are able to spare the
time necessary to make a 4,000 mile
journey, while comparatively large
numbers could avail themselves of an
opportunity to visit the northern ter
ritory at llyder over a route involv
ing much shorter travel and consider
i An important feature of this sug
gested highway route to Alaska is
the probability that it could bo con
structed at comparatively low com.
Loss than 110 miles of now construct
ion would bo required to connect the
Hyder district of Alaska with the ex
isting British Columbia highway sys
tern in the vicinity of Hazel ton, U. C.
The route to be followed is, for the
most part, low-lying bench land witli
light, gravelly soil and includes vir
tually no sharp gradients. It would
cross a wide area of land containing
immense agricultural possibilities and
with unexcelled hunting and fishing.
At Bear River Pass the route would
pass thru the last fold of the Coast
Range mountains and would then de
scend rapidly to sea level through the
beautiful Hear River valley. As a
further example of the absence of
heavy construction work on this route
may be cited the fact that this is the
only high mountain pass to be tra
versed on the entire route.
In negotiating the Bear River Pass
the auto tourist would enjoy close
contact with the first of the big
Portland Canal glaciers, as the route
would extend either over or close to
the ancient Bear River glacier.
way. Here, if desired, the traveler
could take a steamer back to the
south through the famous Inside Pas
sage at nominal cost.
Two miles beyond Stewart, over a
partially cement paved highway skirt
the beautiful Portland Canal, the
rout* would reach the Alaska-Canada
international boundary line, with
Hyder, Alaska, the gateway to the
celebrated Salmon River mineral field,
nestling along its western border. At
this point the traveler over this
route would not only enter the great
land Alaska, whose name and fame
had drawn him from the distant south
lands, but also he would enter what
is credited with being one of the
LOOKING UP BEAR RIVER VALLEY FROM THE SURROUNDING HEIGHTS.
] ably less time.
i ,
Consideration of these factors sug
gests that in the event of it3 con- 11
i struction, the Stewart-Hyder route 1
j to Alaska would prove attractive t > r
many thousands of tourists who eouid 1
1 not otherwise visit the territory at c
1 all owing to limitations of time or f
i funds. f
Front the vicinity of Meziadin Lake,
te route would enter a region which,
[though highly mountanous and ex
■emely rugged, presents no difficult
jad construction problems. Bear
iver Pass, the highest point to be
rosscd, is between l.SUO and 1,900
?et elevation and can be approached
■ont either side by easy rising grade.
From Hear River Pass the route, fol
lowing for the most part an existing
automobile highway, would bring the
traveler through an impressive array
of scenic vistas to the thriving town
of Stewart, B. C., situated in de
lightful surroundings at the very
head of the great Portland Canal, the
world’s longest natural inland water
most impressive scenic areas in the
entire north; a region ot wonderful
I views and breath-taking landscapes,
j where few would not delight to spend
; days of sight-seeing and camping.
At Hyder the route would connect
with one of the finest highway sys
i terns in Alaska, which traverses the
accessible portions of the Hyder
mining district from north to south
and from east to we3t. This system,
built by the United States govern
ment at a cost of $1,000,000, contains
some of tlie best mountain highway
to be found on the continent. Smooth
for the most part as a boulevard, this
splendid highway system extends
along the deep and nigged Salmon
River Valley to a point 13-miles north
of Hyder, where it reaches the inter
national boundary line and connects
with an excellent Canadian highway
which penetrates the high-lying sec
tions of the upper Salmon River
mineral field.
At a point on the Salmon river
highway about nine miles from Hy
der an equally fine mountain high
way extends westward through the
Texas Creek valley to the eastern
border of the great Chickamin Glac
ier, traversing in its course a district
filled with rugged beauty and bor
dered by great glaciers on every side.
Including the Bear River road, the
highway system of the Portland Canal
district covers an area containing ap
proximately 400 square miles of ter
ritory and is something over 50 miles
in total length. There are also nu
merous government-built horse pack
Irails extending from the highways
to various parts of the district.
Considering the shortness of this
proposed branch of the Pacific-Yu
kon-Alaska Highway, combined with
the fact that it would permit entry
into one of Alaska's most interest
ing scenic sections in much less time
than would be required to reach
Alaskan territory over the main high
way, it appears not impractical to
suggest the advisability of construct
ing a Stewart-Hyder branch highway
simultaneously with the extension of
die main highway, as tourists from
the south could then be able to visit •
Alaska long before other sections
of the Territory could be made acces
sible to automobiles.
The opening of such a route would
undoubtedly attract large numbers of
tourists to the Hyder district and,
after having once experienced the
pleasure of seeing some of Alaska’s
scenic beauties, they would not only
wish to visit other sections of the
Territory but also would become in
valuable publicity agents for the main
project.
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...Fraser Hotel...
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THE TOURIST HEADQUARTERS
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CAN WE HE OF SERVICE?
ALEX FRASER
PROPRIETOR
HYDER
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Steam Heated
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1 Airplane Transportation j
I—-*
Owing to tlie great distances in
Alaska, airplane transportation is de
ve'ioplng rapidly and the Territory
now has 63 landing fields. Five well
organized air transport companies op
erate out of Juneau, Anchorage, Fair
banks and Nome. During 1929 the
business of these companies amount
cd to 6S4.000 passenger miles, with
cut injury to a passenger. Mail and
express totaling 120,000 pounds wa
also carried.
Flying in winter is carried on cor.
tlnuously and is considered no more
hazardous than in summer, if reason
able precautions are taken. Cold
weather does not affect travel, a
most of the planes used in winte
are cahin design.
Airplanes are now more g- nerall
used in interior Alaska than in th
more densely populated states. As at
example of their utility in the North
It requires only five hours to mah
the trip from Fairbanks to Nome !>;,
plane, compared with three weeks bj
dog team and two weeks by rivet
steamer.
The first permanent Russian set
tiement in Alaska was established ai
Three Saints Bay, Kodiak Inland it
>78?.
Spanish Exploration in Alaska
Several Spanish expeditions ex j
plored tlie lower coasts of Alaska be £
tween 1774 and 1791 and left an ■
imprint of their passage in the shape !
of Spanish names attached to many J
important points, including Valdez ! t
Port Fidalgo, Malaskina Glacier. £
Roea de Quadra Inlet, and many . •
others. I«
others.
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the Aleut Indian word '
meaning “a great country.’
“Alakshak,”
Loading Ore From the Premier Mine at Hyder, B. C.
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HYDER,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Consists of the thriving business center
occupying the area between the International
Boudary and the Canadian Government
Wharf. Closest town in British Columbia
to the Premier and Bi& Missouri Mines
TOTAL AREA—320 ACRES
AREA PLATTED 150 ACRES
POPULATION 150
TOTAL PROPERTY VALUE $200,000
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AN OPPORTUNITY
HYDER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
possesses an unexcelled opportunity for the estab
lishing of a General Mercantile Store. It is a virgin
held with no competition. For information, write
P.0. Box E,Stewart,B.C. See cuts on front page
"THE CONVENIENT HOTEL"
Three Minutes Walk from
Stewart Wharf
Hotel Keith
Steam Heated Throughout Electric Lights Baths
Newly Furnished Thoroughly Modern
WILLIAM R. REID
Proprietor
HYDER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
I
Early History of Alaska
What is now the Territory of
Alaska was until 1867 a part of the
Russian Empire and was known as
Russian America.
Vitus Bering, Danish explorer,
heading a Russian expedition, sighted
Mt. St. Elias on July 16. 1741, and
a few days later landed at Kayak
Island, near Controller Bay. in the
Prince William Sound region.
rlarii'oil f rom
■ ■■■■■ i«... iiin—r«»l
Credit for the discovery of the
Alaska coast is given to Michael
Gvozdef who is presumed to have ,
touched the coast of Alaska near
Cape Prince of Wales in 1730.
E. E. CHARLTON
General
Contractor
Building
Carpentering
House
Moving
HYDER
British Columbia