Anton Anderson
Encyclopedia
Anton Anderson was chief engineer of the Alaska Railroad
and served as Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska
from 1956 to 1958. He has been called "Mr. Alaska Railroad".
to work as a surveyor in Hoquiam, Washington
. He passed an engineering examination at Seattle University
before moving to the recently founded city of Anchorage, Alaska
to work for the Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1927, he married Alma Menge, with whom he had three daughters: Jean, Patricia and Shelby
In the 1930s, Anderson worked on the Matanuska Colonization Project, building infrastructure to support the settlement of the Matanuska Valley. During World War II
, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
. He also participated in the construction of the Eklutna River
hydroelectric dam. In 1951, he was elected President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
.
Anderson served on the Anchorage City Council before being appointed in 1956 to complete the term of Mayor Ken Hinchey
. Anderson was elected the following year, but ill health forced him to resign early.
Anderson died in 1960. In 1976, the tunnel from Whittier
to Portage, Alaska
, which he had overseen, was renamed the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
.
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
and served as Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
from 1956 to 1958. He has been called "Mr. Alaska Railroad".
Biography
Anderson was born in Moonlight, New Zealand to a Swedish father and an Irish mother. In 1914, he moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to work as a surveyor in Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington state, United States. The town borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity...
. He passed an engineering examination at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
before moving to the recently founded city of Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
to work for the Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1927, he married Alma Menge, with whom he had three daughters: Jean, Patricia and Shelby
In the 1930s, Anderson worked on the Matanuska Colonization Project, building infrastructure to support the settlement of the Matanuska Valley. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
. He also participated in the construction of the Eklutna River
Eklutna River
The Eklutna River is a 22 mile long river located in the Southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska. A degraded anadromous stream of glacial origin, it originates at Eklutna Glacier and flows through Eklutna Lake and a canyon up to 350 feet deep, emptying into the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet...
hydroelectric dam. In 1951, he was elected President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
.
Anderson served on the Anchorage City Council before being appointed in 1956 to complete the term of Mayor Ken Hinchey
Ken Hinchey
Ken Hinchey was an Alaskan entrepreneur. He served one term as Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 1955 to 1956.-Biography:Ken Hinchey was born September 9, 1912 in Fern Hill, Tacoma, Washington. In 1933, he married Nadine Graves, and in 1937 the couple moved to Anchorage, Alaska...
. Anderson was elected the following year, but ill health forced him to resign early.
Anderson died in 1960. In 1976, the tunnel from Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
to Portage, Alaska
Portage, Alaska
Portage is a former settlement on Turnagain Arm in Alaska, about south of Anchorage. The town was destroyed almost entirely in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake when the ground in the area sank about six feet, putting most of it below sea level. All that remains today are the ruins of a few...
, which he had overseen, was renamed the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska. It links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage at the former town of Portage with the relatively isolated community of Whittier, a port for the Alaska Marine Highway...
.