Homesteads on Fort Richardson, Alaska - The USARAK Home Page ...

Chapter 1.0 IntroductionToday we know Fort Richardson as an important and busy Army fort. The sizeableinstallation is sprinkled with office buildings, homes, training facilities, and lacedwith roads. Access to and from Anchorage is speedy and effortless by way of theGlenn Highway. Just sixty years ago, however, this area was dramatically different.The landscape was largely an undeveloped expanse of forest and brush, broken uponly by the occasional homestead. Roads were at a premium, houses were small,and there were no public utilities available for those living that far out of town.Homesteading was a program initiated by the government to open up federal landsto agricultural development and push settlement westward. In Alaska, homesteaderswere presented with unique challenges when compared to the rest of the UnitedStates. Alaska homesteading regulations evolved over the years to account for thesedifferences. Homesteading on what is now Fort Richardson began with John andDaisy Whitney in 1914, and ended in 1941 and 1942, as the land was acquired forthe establishment of a military base during World War II. Those who had receivedpatent (title to the land) by fulfilling the homestead requirements were obligated tosell their land to the government. Those still in the process of obtaining a patent onclaims (known as “proving up”) sold their improvements on the land.The bulk of the homesteaders on Fort Richardson applied for entry from 1937 to1939. Most did not have enough time to prove up on the land before it was withdrawn.Though they had but a few years, most were involved in constructing extensiveimprovements such as cabins, roadway clearings and clearings for cultivationpurposes. One must assume that the withdrawal of the land for military purposescame as quite a shock to many who had put so much work into the area.This study is intended to be a companion to the Elmendorf Air Force Base HomesteadStudy, though its scope and focus are somewhat different due to the later dateat which the majority of homestead applications were filed in this area. Fort Richardsonprobably received less initial homestead settlement because it was furtheraway from Anchorage.The intent of this study is to document the history of homesteading in the area andestablish a historic context of the time period. This is necessary in order to accuratelyidentify, document and manage any cultural resources related to homesteadingthat may exist within the military boundaries. Section 110 of the National HistoricPreservation Act of 1966 mandates this process.This study focuses on those who were homesteading in the Fort Richardson areaduring the land withdrawals and those whose land and improvements were subsequentlypurchased by the government. The study is further focused on those homesteadsthat received patents, were close to receiving patents, or those that had builton or improved the land to some extent. It should be noted, however, that others<strong>Homesteads</strong> on Fort RichardsonAlaska1