It's berry picking season here in Southeast Alaska. Right now, blueberries, salmonberries, wild strawberries, thimbleberries, currants, and huckleberries are in abundance along creeks, roadsides, and mountain shrubs. Articles from historic Alaska newspapers chronicled the status of wild berries. Without the modern convenience of the Internet, or even comprehensive berry guides, people turned to newspapers and …
Month: July 2018
Shark Week
To celebrate the annual phenomenon known as Shark Week, the following articles and news items come from historic Alaska newspapers, some of which have been newly made available online through Chronicling America. These shark-related news items point to the utility of sharks as an oceanic commodity. Their skin, several note, can be made into …
Update: 4 New Alaska Newspapers Available to View on Chronicling America!
Greetings all, Exciting news! As of this week, Chronicling America has made available 4 new Alaska newspapers, available here: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/?state=Alaskaðnicity=&language=. These include: -The Cordova daily times: October 1, 1920 - April 14, 1923 -The Alaska citizen: April 9, 1910 - October 1, 1917 -The Weekly Alaska citizen: October 8, 1917 - December 31, 1917 -The …
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“Eight Stars of Gold on a Field of Blue”: Alaska Flag Day
July 9th marked the 91st anniversary of the adoption of the Alaska flag. Featuring Ursa Major, or the big dipper, and Polaris, or the North Star, it stands apart as an iconic, minimalist symbol of the state as a whole. In its beautiful simplicity, it represents Alaska in a visual way that has been embraced …
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#MuseumFireworksShow: Happy Independence Day!
Happy Independence Day! We're participating in #MuseumFireworksShow with fireworks photos from Alaska's digital archives, and a handful of historical news items. While the famous "Midnight Sun" might not be everywhere in Alaska, the prolonged daylight makes fireworks difficult to display. As a result, many cities and towns are set off their fireworks shows …
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Alaska Digital Newspaper Program 
