PROPOSED KENAI PENINSULA ROAD
CONNECTING WESTWARD DISTRICTS
WITH SEWARD, TREMENDOUS ASSET
Seward Chamber of Commerce Endorses Project and,
Have Had for Some Months, a Special Committee
At Work—Believed Project Will Be Approved.
SEWARD IS NATURAL OUTLET KENAI DISTRICT
With Exceptions Project Would Be Within Boundaries
of the Chugach National Forest—Bureau of Public
Road Department Are Being Petitioned.
Probably nothing in the history of the development of Seward is of such
vital importance as the necessity of procuring a wagon road, or a highway,
leading from this centrally located point of vantage, through the rich and
fertile, productive land of Kenai Peninsula, which area equals that of the
country of Belgium, and extending on to Cook Inlet. The completion of such
a road would mark the immediate advancement of Seward and the surround
in regions; the district served by such an artery, would blossom forth tre
mendously, industrially and commercially, and Seward with its natural as
sets as a distributing center, wrould forge ahead at a rapid pace as a nucle
us for all business activity.
This road would open up a large mineralized country up Resurrection Val
ley, and down Russian river; it would also mean the farming land from Ke
nai River valley on to Homer would be settled upon by ranchers and home
steaders, for there is a strip of land in this locality, five miles wide extend
mg ior tne iuu distance, uu wjuuii
all kinds of farm products can be
grown. Dairy farming would be one
of the first industries to spring up.
Visitors and residents of the Kenai
peninsula regions are authority for
the statement, that this district is
perhaps the most ideal spot in the
entire Territory of Alaska for stock
raising and deversified farming. The
coal fields near Homer would un
doubtedly be developed; at the pres
ent writing there are some twenty fox
and fur farms and ranches from Ke
nai to Kamachak Bay; the many fish
canneries would have an overland out
let which -would, in many cases, some
time save them weeks of time in
comparison to present conditions.
From a tourist standpoint a trip
over such a proposed road could not
be surpassed for gorgeousness of sce
nery thruout its entire length. At
Russian Lake, Skilak Lake and Tus
tumena Lake, there are ideal loca
tions for hunting lodges. A number
of these are to be constructed this
winter, it is stated, for in this dis
trict big game redound aplenty and
hunting unexcelled. Numerous nation
ally known big game hunters have
made the above assertion. Here are
found in abundance, moose, goats,
sheep, brown and black bear. The
latter lake would be but a short dis
tance from the proposed route, given
later in this article. The fishing is
also unsurpassed, and that is saying
a good deal for any portion of the
Territory. The lakes and streams
.are fairly alive with fish.
With the road constructed to Ke
nai river there wTould be but twelve
miles of road left to be built to con
nect up the Moose Pass Highway.
In this manner of connecting up the
system -with the Seward system it
would be made possible to ride in
an auto from Seward, driving clear
thru, passing one of the finest quartz
and placer districts in Alaska, for
additional length of fifty-four miles.
This project would be of great as
sistance to a pulp mill, the con
struction of which has been under
contemplation for some time. Should
a pulp mill be erected, it is the in
tention to construct a power plant
at Kenai river. Supplies could be
brought in with the least possible
expense. The transmission line from
the power plant would have to fol
low this route, for it would reduce
to a great extent, the cost of con
struction and make the line acces
sible for patrol during maintenance.
The town of Kenai has a popula
tion of approximately 500 inhabitants;
Kasilof 30; Ninilchik 100; Anchor
Point 20; and at Homer about 200.
These people have no means of com
munication or travel except by boat
on Cook Inlet, which, during cer
tain seasons of each year, is an ex
tremely hazardous body of water.
During the winter months especially
a large part of Cook Inlet is cut off
from other sources, due to ice con
ditions and prevailing storms. Mail,
in the winter months, arrives at
these outlying places by dog teams,
via Seward-Lake Kenai, thence down
to the town of Kenai, a very long,
tedious and dangerous route. Lake
Kenai in some years, does not freeze
over until late and it generally takes
a dog team at least a week to make
the trip one way. If the proposed
road was constructed mail could be
delivered to the Kenai peninsula dis
trict in two days from Seward, creat
ing a large saving to the government.
A field engineer, perfectly familiar
with the district, outlined for the
Gateway, and especially for this ed
ition, the following proposed route:
Commencing at Mile 2*4 on the
newly constructed Seward-Kenai Lake
Highway, and following up Resur
rection river valley, thru a region
rioh in placer and quartz workings,
for approximately twenty-four miles
to the Summit, an elevation of about
1000 feet where Russian Lake is lo
cated. Here are found the old Rus
sian settlements where today, remains
of former log dwelling and clearings
are yet to be seen. Here is where
the famous rainbow trout are in
abundance; the home of big game
and from which excellent vantage
point a marvelous view of Harding
ice fields and glaciers are obtained.
Thence following along Russian Lake
and Russian River to the Kenai Riv
er, a distance of sixteen miles, cross
ing Kenai River and down the pres
ent road and trail to Moose River, a
distance of twenty-four miles. From
this point, leaving the trail (which
is for -winter travel only) and fol
lowing the line of least resistance,
remaining on higher ground, follow
ing a ridge practically thru the town
of Kenai, a distance of twenty miles.
Thence along Cook Inlet to the vil
lage of Kasilof, twelve miles, to the
village of Ninilchik, twenty miles.
From there to Anchor Point, twenty
miles. It is possible to build on to
Homer from this point and on about
twenty miles to Kachemak Bay, which
is a small, sheltered harbor.
Total distance is 164 miles, and au
thorities claim it is one of the most
feasible routes ever mapped.
The Alaska Consolidated Fisheries,
Inc., located at Portlock, about 150
miles to the Westward of Seward,
will begin packing operations in the
spring. This company purchased,
last summer, the holdings of the de
funct Bering Sea Fisheries Company.
Business at Unga is in a healthy
condition and the codfish industry,
the backbone of that remote dis
trict, was excellent the past season
stated A. Komedal, while in Seward
on business some months ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cunningham,
fox ranchers on Wooded Island, near
Montegue Island, Prince William
Sound, reported to have 300 blue
foxes on their island. The skins
average $75 to $150 each.
There are 78 Territorial schools
in Alaska.
E. R. JESSON, President L. N. JE3SON, Sec.
BARTLEY HOWARD, Vice-Pres. and Treas.
ALASKA
Matanuska Coal Co.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
The ^Alaska Matanuska Coal Company was
organized in January, 1924, with the taking over
of the LeRoy permit by E. R. Jesson, L. N. Jes
son and Bartley Howard. The ground lies along
Moose Creek from four to eight miles from the
mouth of the stream, and the mine itself has an
ideal location for building and townsite pur
poses. The time up to date has been spent in
development work, and the point has now been
reached where production can start. The Gov
ernment railroad has been extended to the site
and the last rails have been laid. A tunnel has
been driven into Wishbone Hill, the coal-bearing
ridge which takes this name from its peculiar
shape; the tunnel is 555 feet in length, giving an
overhead lift of 350 to 400 feet of coal, and
crosscuts seams measuring five, six and nine feet
in thickness, with two that are 11 feet each.
From the mouth of the tunnel a trestle 500
feet long and 36 1-2 feet high has been con
structed; this parallels the sidetrack and con
tains the bunkers. Half a dozen substantial
buildings have been erected, the largest of which
is a two-story log bunkhouse, 60 feet by 30 feet.
The coal itself is high-grade bituminous,
and the company will be putting it on the mar
ket by the date this edition appears; by this
time next-year they will be able to supply all the
coal that Alaska can consume.
USE ALASKA COAL
The station will be* known as “Coal Center.”
"Anyplace at
Anytime”
The Gasboat
“Chase”
CAPT. CHARLES EMSWILER
One of the veteran skip
pers of these and westward
waters.
Open for charter to tourists
or hunting parties
Makes regular trips
to Days Harbor
and Nuka Bay
The Chase is a clean and seaworthy
little vessel capable of making fair
speed, and has excellent accommo
dations for a limited number of
persons
FOR RATES SEE OR WRITE TO
Chas. Emswilerjkm
SEWARD
ALASKA
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PHONE ADAMS 126—Local or Long Distance
The Belmont
HOFMAN’S ROOMING HOUSE
JOE HOFMAN, Propr.
The Workingman’s
Home
RATES 50c AND 75c NIGHT
SEWARD, ALASKA
If you want work Joe will hunt
you a job
If you want labor phone Hofman
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