But for the people of alaska, one persistent vision was to become americans, a vision thwarted for 92 years by powerful commercial interests that ruled the territory from a distance and a federal government that seemed at best indifferent. In 1955, alaskans took a major step toward selfgovernment when they wrote the constitution they hoped would help make the territory a state. This is the story of that constitution and how alaskans won the right to govern themselves. In retrospect, i think we did as good a job as could have been done, and i think that the constitution has fully stood the test of time. It was designed to be adaptable to the future, to be a lasting document like the u. S. Constitution. Well, it was a big gamble, except it was a gamble we had to take because we wouldnt get another opportunity. They came here because they were trying to create, literally, a new world based upon lets do it right this time. That was heard more times at the convention. We dont care how you d
Male announcer statehood was funded by [cheerleaders chanting] [cheers and applause] [sports announcer speaking indistinctly] male narrator the comforts and pleasures of modern living were a Long Time Coming for the pioneers of alaska and for the native people whove been here for millennia. To win statehood in 20thcentury america, alaskans had to unite, tell their story to the nation, and convince a skeptical congress. Fortunately, this land bred people with drive and talent, and over the years, they and their spectacular homeland won a special spot in americas heart. Still, powerful forces that controlled alaskas vast wealth werent about to give up their influencenot without a fight. In 1939, a new yorker named Ernest Gruening headed north to be the new governor of alaska. Back in washington, he too often ignored the chain of command, infuriating his boss, secretary of the interior harold ickes. So he wanted to fire him, and roosevelt was not he didnt like to fire people, so he promot
[cheerleaders chanting] [cheers and applause] [sports announcer speaking indistinctly] male narrator the comforts and pleasures of modern living were a Long Time Coming for the pioneers of alaska and for the native people whove been here for millennia. To win statehood in 20thcentury america, alaskans had to unite, tell their story to the nation, and convince a skeptical congress. Fortunately, this land bred people with drive and talent, and over the years, they and their spectacular homeland won a special spot in americas heart. Still, powerful forces that controlled alaskas vast wealth werent about to give up their influencenot without a fight. In 1939, a new yorker named Ernest Gruening headed north to be the new governor of alaska. Back in washington, he too often ignored the chain of command, infuriating his boss, secretary of the interior harold ickes. So he wanted to fire him, and roosevelt was not he didnt like to fire people, so he promoted him to make him governor of alaska,
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Happy Valley resident Rex Hanks began his own private cemetery in the winter of 1951. By the end of 1958, the little graveyard’s inhabitants numbered four. The problem was that Hanks and his wife didn’t own the cemetery land. Kenai Peninsula road-builders had other plans for that location, so all the graves had to be moved.