Historic Hotel Seward, Alaska’s premiere boutique hotel, is proud to be located in the quaint seaside town of Seward, Alaska, the gateway to Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. The history of our town is full of fascinating stories and we’re honored to share photos from our vast collection that is on display in the common spaces of our historic building.
The Alaska Railroad
In 1914, the United States Congress authorized construction of 470 miles of rail line from Seward to Fairbanks. In 1915, the 70 miles of existing track was purchased from Alaska Northern, and Anchorage was established as a “tent city” railroad construction camp, as well as headquarters for the new Alaska Railroad Corporation. The budget for the new railroad was $35 million, although the final cost would be nearly twice that amount. At its peak in 1917, the railroad employed over 4,500 construction workers. President Harding marked the official completion of the railroad by driving in the final “golden spike” in the town of Nenana on July 15, 1923.
On March 27, 1964 the Alaska Good Friday earthquake caused nearly $30 million dollars in damage to the Alaska Railroad, with the greatest impact focused south of Anchorage. The magnitude 9.2 quake, the largest ever recorded in North America, wiped out rail facilities in Whittier and Seward, twisted tracks, and damaged bridges up and down the line.
In May of 1984, the railroad began pulling privately owned “superdome” train cars for a company called Tour Alaska. This started a trend, and today there are over 25 custom built full dome railcars cars in use, including the privately owned McKinley Explorer and Wilderness Express as well as the Alaska Railroad’s own GoldStar domes.
Today, the Alaska Railroad continues to play a critical role in moving natural resources, freight and passengers in Alaska’s interior and Southcentral regions.