Rarely if ever mentioned in early Anchorage life is the inescapable mud, ruts, mosquitos, trash, splashes, human waste, and associated noxious odors, among many other lifestyle impairments.  This talk presents some of the other grittier and dirtier--literally--qualities of daily life in early Anchorage.  From reckless motorists to tourists tossed into Cook Inlet, learn what life was really like in the so-called good old days.  This is the second talk in the Cook Inlet Historical Society’s 2020-2021 Speaker Series, “Disasters.”  All presentations will be free and open to the public; advance registration is required to receive the link via Zoom.

David Reamer is an academic and public historian.  His peer-reviewed articles include topics as diverse as baseball, housing discrimination, food banks, and the English gin craze.  His “Histories of Anchorage” column runs weekly in the Anchorage Daily News.  He also posts daily Alaska history on Twitter (@ASC_Historian).

Cook Inlet Historical Society - A History Of Mud And Other Noxious Annoyances Of Daily Life In Early Anchorage