Alaska 2010: Day 43 - Palmer, Alaska

Linda & Darrell Marshall Adventure Caravans #7

Today is July 21, 2010. It’s cloudy with a few sprinkles, about 56 degrees. That didn’t slow us up at all as we headed for the Palmer Visitors Center. The grounds of the Center were beautiful with flowers. There a gentleman told us how the area was settled. Prospectors found gold and coal in the area. The government was very interested in having coal resources on the west coast for ships during WWI. In 1935 the Government started a relocation program for families to better themselves. The program was looking for farmers, butchers, blacksmiths, clerks, etc. 104 families were chosen from northern Minn., Wisc. & Mich. because they were used to the cold. They were given 40 acres of land, a house, a barn, animals, equipment, and $3,000 at 3% interest for 30 years, their passage and they could ship 2,000# of goods. Because of the weight limits not a lot of furniture was shipped. One item, a piano that was 45 years old at the time, was filled with clothing during shipping. Nothing had been built and the first summer they lived in tents. Their ages went from an 18 year old wife to a 45 year old man, and lots of kids (about 500). But medical care did not arrive until measles took the life of some of the children and the community contacted Eleanor Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt then had a hospital built. A short time after arrival $250 was added to their loan debt and they were given the Sears & Roebuck’s catalog to order from. Many of the homes ended up with the same kind of furniture. A couple other relief program communities were in Elvis’ hometown in Miss. & Johnny Cash’ s hometown in Ark.

One of the program homes is Colony House Museum. It has been restored and has original furniture from a number of the old homes. A lot of the things I have from my grandparents homes.

We had a great lunch at The Inn Café. Then the afternoon was free. Marlene & Nelson went with us to a Musk Ox Farm. The Musk Ox was gone from North American, but in 1930 some were brought from Greenland with a grant. There are now around 3,000 in the wild. The mortality rate is high for the young the first year. On the 77 acre farm there are 60. The calves weigh about 20 lbs. when born and gain 1lb a day because of mama’s rich milk. They sound like a lion roaring, we heard one!