Downtown Anchorage Walking Tour

							Downtown Anchorage Walking Tour
           Matt Cox
           Period 2
1) Central Middle School (9th & “E” St.)

How is our school different than other schools in Anchorage?
Our school is different than other schools in Anchorage because it was the first junior
high school in Anchorage.

Who determines when schools are built and renovated?

The voter determines when schools are built and renovated, because the voters decide
how much money gets put into the school budget and the school budget determines if
schools are built or renovated.

2) Engine 556 (9th & “E” St.)

Why is this engine here?
Engine 556 is here so kids will have a recreational area and to educate the public about
the Alaska Railroad.

How long has it been in this location?
Engine 556 has been there since 1949 (50 years).

Is there a better use for this space?
If you're looking at it from a urban planning point of view, no. Train Park not only
provides a child recreational play area but also a way to see what the locomotives looked
like back 50 years ago. Also, pocket parks provide a permanent recreational zone near
urban areas.

3) Anchorage Park Strip (9th & “C” St.)

How many different uses does the park strip have? List as many as you
can think of.

The park strip provides a place for fairs and carnivals to take place, a place to play
basketball, hockey, tennis, horseshoe, soccer, and more.

Is the park strip important to the success of this city?

Yes, the park strip is important to the success of the city because it provides a permanent
recreational area.

4) Federal Court Building and offices (9th & “A” St.)

Why is there a federal court building in anchorage?
There is a federal building in Anchorage because Anchorage is far away from the rest of
the United States (In other words there is no other federal court in this area.)

What types of activities occur in this building?

They have trials for people who have broken federal law and they manage the federal
court system and many other federal agencies in Alaska.

5) Denali Elementary School (9th & “A” St.)

Do you think this building had another use 40 years ago?

No

What makes you think that way?

Because of the way the building was designed, the windows, and the doorframe.

6) Anchorage Municipal Cemetery (9th & Cordova St.)

What can you find out about a person buried in the cemetery based on their
headstone?

You can find out their lifespan, the time that they lived in, who else in their family was
buried their, and their religion.

What is the oldest date you can find on a headstone?

1865

Can you find a family? Why do you think they are a family?

I found a family. I think that they are a family because they were buried next to each
other and had the same last name.

What can you about periods of history while exploring a cemetery?

What year the cemetery was opened, and the health conditions judging by how many
more people died in that year compared to other years, and how long people lived.

7) Sheraton Hotel (9th & Eagle St.)

Why do you think so many of the large hotels are not near the airport?

Because when the majority of the large hotels were built, there was no International
Airport. Also, airports are very noisy, and it would not be pleasant for visitors to stay
close to a noisy airport.

What are the reasons for this?
See above.

8) McKay Building (4th & Eagle St.)

What do you think this building used to be?

I think it used to be an office building.

Describe its current condition.

It is an abandoned building with a very strong frame but it has no cover.

What do you think should happen to it?

I think that it should be fixed up and then sold to some commercial business.

What could this building be?

It could be an office building.

9) Pioneer School House (3rd & Eagle St.)

What is the role of this building in the growth of Anchorage?

It serves as a meeting place for different organizations.

Why is it located here?

Because the city of Anchorage wanted to tear the Pioneer School House down but the
Anchorage Woman’s Club protested its destruction and in order to make room in the area
that the school house was in without tearing it down they moved it to the location that it
is in now.

10) Anchorage Port (3rd & “A” St.)

Based on your view from here, what importance does the port have to the
rest of Anchorage?

The port is Anchorage’s “heart”. It brings economic activity to Anchorage and is the
center for economic activity in Anchorage.

What part does transportation play in the operation of the port?

Transportation is needed to transport products from one place to another and the things
produced at the port need to be sent to different places to be sold.

11) Saturday Market Place (3rd & “C” St.)
This parking lot will be full of venders each weekend this summer. What
economic principals make this significant?

People are more likely to go somewhere where everything is in one centrally located
place. The Saturday Market provides that centrally located place.

There has been lots of talk of having Saturday Market in other locations
around Anchorage. Where do you think would be the most effective
location?

I think that the most effective location would be right were it is. Another idea would be
to move the Saturday Market to the Park Strip.

12) Alaska Statehood Monument (3rd & “E” St.)

Why do you think this setting was selected for the statehood monument?

Because Ship Creek is one of the most economical places in Alaska.

What role did transportation have in Alaska becoming a state?

The Alaska Railroad brought many economical advantages to Alaska. It also brought
more people to Alaska.

If you were forced to select a more productive use for this space what
would you put here?

I would put a viewing area there so tourists could view Ship Creek.

13) The Leopold David House (2nd & “F” St.)

How do you think this house relates to “Tent City”?

It was among the Rich People’s Houses when Anchorage was still “Tent City”.

Who do you think Leopold David was?

Leopold David was the first mayor of Anchorage.

The average price for a 3-bedroom house in Anchorage is $102,000.
Considering the history and location of the Leopold David house, what do
you think the asking price of this house is?

$250,000