www.auntphilstrunk.com/
By Michael Leppert
If our 49th state had been in the dead center of the continent, as Illinois and Missouri are, it would be considered the “Phenomenal State” or the “Amazing State” or probably even “It’s Own Country”, much like Texas once was. As it is, being tucked up in the northernmost western corner of our geographic consciousness, Alaska is many things, to us, but mostly, unknown and mysterious . . . a province-sized juggernaut that the lower 48 know very little to nothing, about.
No state, other than Texas and California, boasts so many incredible aspects and, except for Massachusetts, such a vibrant history as Alaska. It is the largest state in area, larger than Texas, California and Montana (the 2nd, 3rd and 4th largest states) combined! Like California, Alaska boasts a large gold rush as part of its formative momentum, but Alaska’s prospectors looked into a far harsher face of Mother Nature than their California counterparts in their quest for the riches within her dirt; mountains, valleys and unbelievably long distances of rugged terrain and biting cold and snow for much of the year . . . 63 prospective miners died when they were buried in an avalanche on their way to the gold fields in the late 1800s, to name just one sort of hardship.
Also, like California, Alaska boasts powerful and regular earthquakes that make life “interesting” and a bit unstable! Like both of the other biggest states, it also possesses massive amounts of earthy resources in oil, natural gas, coal, platinum and other metals; a wide variety of seafood – salmon, herring, halibut and of course, Alaskan King Crab; furry small wildlife – and grizzly bears — claiming 98% of the total world’s population of the great mammals. Three towns in Alaska, Agattu, Attu, and Kiska, have the distinction of having been occupied by the Japanese in WWII – the only such locales in North America.
Alaska is the only state that possesses glaciers, polar bears, dog sleds and teams; has over 6,000 miles of coastline and over 20,000 square miles of inland water – far surpassing whoever is in 2nd place! If a map of Alaska is superimposed over a map of the lower 48, it stretches from coast to coast!
Alaska can claim the tallest peak in the country, Denali, which is 20,310 feet and 17 of the 20 highest mountains in the U.S Alaska is also a great viewing spot for the Northern Lights. Part of its enrichment comes from Alaska’s powerful Native American presence, shaping its overall culture and history. The Aleuts and Eskimos gave Alaska its name and although their numbers were tragically decimated by European diseases in the 1800s, they still form a living contribution to all that is the great state. Alaska is the only part of the U.S. that lies in the mystical Arctic Circle Polar Region.
Long ago, Alaska was what would become the American side of the land bridge from Asia, over which the wooly mammoths and original Native American ancestors might have crossed, before eventually filtering down into the lower 48 and Canada. Before it was America, it was Russia. William H. Seward, President Lincoln’s Secretary of State during the Civil War, negotiated for the U.S. to purchase Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $.02 per acre or $7,200,000. This transaction was originally called “Seward’s Folly” by many Americans at the time. However, his foresight proved to be uncanny, as Alaska’s people, natural resources and border with Russia are of vital importance to us today.
The People and History
Of course, all of this information does not make a great state.
It makes an interesting conversation piece, but what makes a great state is its people and their history. There, again, Alaska overflows with fascinating and vibrant stories and tales that stretch from its misty Native prehistory to the Russian-European era in the 1700s up to the Gold Rush, general expansion, statehood and to the present day. Many colorful characters have lived in Alaska, for short or long periods of time. Wyatt Earp owned a saloon for a couple of years and the Bird Man of Alcatraz began his prison domicile in Alaska.
Aunt Phil’s Trunk
If ever there was a state that stirred the imagination and begged to be known, it is the state whose motto is “North, to the future”, Alaska.
One of the most potent primary sources of the history of this white giant is Aunt Phil’s Trunk. Aunt Phil, Phyllis Downing Carlson, who died in 1993, was one of Alaska’s pre-eminent historians. Phyllis, a 20-year veteran librarian, gathered historical data and photos of Alaska and its people, throughout her lifetime and her niece, Laurel Downing Bill, inherited the “trunk” of diverse material from Aunt Phil. From the trunk, Laurel has applied exhaustive work and diligence to produce a series of history books on her home state and then has created an entire Alaska History Curriculum, using them. The texts are anything but dry – Charlotte Mason would approve of them, as they are culled from primary source documents, including newspapers and early writings about real people doing real things. Laurel Bill has written them in such a way as to make them almost impossible to put down. One story flows into others and soon the reader has a fine woven “blanket” of Alaska in his mind.
Supplemental Books
Laurel has not been content to simply inherit Aunt Phil’s material; she has also accumulated – or created — supplemental works relating to Alaska’s unique history and cultures. From Laurel’s work you can learn about:
• Jack London’s writings, especially “Call of the Wild” (a 3-volume set of text, workbook and Teacher Guide) which is set in the Gold Rush period;
• Sourdough Cookery – a fascinating original cookbook bringing you the Tastes of Alaska, including the sourdough bread and bakery that supplied miners and prospectors with a basic, hearty nutrition;
• Aunt Phil’s Alaska Trivia full of fascinating and fun facts about the state, as well as crosswords, sudokus and word-search
puzzles;
• The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verse, written by Robert W. Service, the Bard of the Yukon. These poems were written between 1904 and 1907.
Finally, there is the
- Extensive, 5-tiered History of Alaska Curriculum. The series is designed specifically for Grades 4-8, but high school age students can make use of the series by adding essays and other supplemental work. Each tier consists of a Student Textbook, a Teacher’s Guide and a Workbook. Here are the time periods covered by the history series:• Volume #1 up to 1900 – begins with the Native People who inhabited Alaska long before Caucasians entered the region. Aunt Phil had investigated as many of the mysteries of the ancient people as she could; some questions were answers, others never were. This volume also covers the period of fur traders, early prospectors, merchants, gamblers and others who came to the Alaska frontier to seek fortunes of a wide variety. Wyatt Earp moved to Alaska after the Shootout at the O.K. Corral in Arizona. He opened a saloon and a spent a few years in Nome.• Volume #2 from 1900 to 1912 – One of the most fascinating aspects of Alaska’s history is that many famous or infamous people lived there and this comprehensive history by Aunt Phil and niece, Laurel Bill, contains interesting anecdotes about some of them. One was a later famous inmate of Alcatraz. Of course, many of the towns of Alaska have become familiar to us in recent years. One of the topics of this volume is the founding of the town of Valdez. The oil tanker, Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska in 1989 and caused one of the greatest oil spills before the Gulf of Mexico BP Spill.• Volume #3 from 1912 to 1935 – This volume covers the years of WWI and many wartime activities.
- Volume #4 from 1935 to 1960 – This period of time saw a number of turning points for the state. WWII, Japanese occupation of 3 towns, the oil boom and finally, statehood. Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on June 30, 1958.
- Volume #5 from 1960 to 1984 – The time period in this volume includes the largest earthquake ever in North America on March 27, 1964, unleashing tsunamis that demolished many towns, businesses and homes and killed 114 people in Alaska, 4 in Oregon and 12 in California! It also details the battle waged by Alaska’s Native People to win back their land and their ensuing victory in the largest such land settlement ever awarded to Native Americans.
To enrich your child’s understanding of this massive cultural, geographic and geologic resource and significant member of the family of the United States, gift your family with Laurel Bill’s Aunt Phil’s Trunk series of Alaska history books in eBook or print version, and the supplemental books, too – Jack London’s Call of the Wild, Robert W. Service’s book of verse, The Spell of the Yukon and Laurel’s own compilation Sourdough Cookery, which includes a real sourdough starter from 1896!
MjL
