I’ve never been there, physically. In my mind, I’ve visited Alaska several times, as I watched it be the third main character in certain movies and books. I think I’d like to see the state if it weren’t for the cold weather there. Here in Ohio, we had our first taste of fall temperatures. I looked like the Michelin Man when I went out to walk with the dogs the other morning.
So Alaska may not be for me. For one thing, their lampshades are all crazy-go-nuts. For instance, In Barrow, Alaska, they see both the longest and shortest amount of daylight in that state. What the heck? Maybe anywhere.
When the sun rises in Barrow on May 10, it doesn’t set for nearly three months. Then it goes up and down for a while, I suppose. But, when it sets on November 18, Barrow residents do not see the sun again for nearly two months. How’s the old song go? “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone….”
I’m guessing she’s gone from November 18 through the end of January.
All of this interest comes to me because on this date, October 18, 1867, the United States took formal possession of Alaska from Russia, having paid $7.2 million dollars. It seems like a lot of money for 1867, especially just two years after the Civil War. Yet, Alaska was a steal, if you ask me. We paid just two cents an acre for the place. The icebox. The glacier vault.
Everyone called it “Seward’s Folly” as our Secretary of State back then was William H. Seward. Russia first approached the United States about selling the territory much earlier. In fact, it was during James Buchanan’s presidency. But the deal got held up by the outbreak of the Civil War.
Once the war was over, Seward was extremely eager to acquire the enormous landmass of Alaska. It was, and is, an area roughly one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States. He had a hard time making his case to those stubborn Senators, but they finally gave in.
Yes, we know Alaska is big. And as such, it has the lowest population density in the nation. There is only one person per square mile. Look at it this way.
If Manhattan, New York, had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in all of Manhattan. As opposed to the 1.7 million people who really are living there. And the 8.5 million in all of New York City.
Alaska is sparse that way. But oh so rich in many other ways.
There are more than 3,000 rivers and three million lakes in Alaska. Furthermore, Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the U.S. combined. Water, water, everywhere. Including glaciers. About 3% of Alaska is covered by glaciers. At least for now.
And if that were not enough, Alaska can be volatile. It is one of the most seismically active places in the world. The Alaska Earthquake Center has reported more than 150,000 earthquakes in the last five years. But quit shaking for a moment because Alaska contains more than 100 volcanoes that have been active within the last two million years. Fire and Ice.
But. Let us always remember. Long before America or Russia got their noses into things, Inuit and other Indigenous peoples had inhabited Alaska for thousands of years. These days, there are 224 federally recognized tribes and 20 indigenous languages spoken there.
The same applies to the 48 states on the mainland, and Hawaii as well. Native people have been here for 20,000 years, at least, before white Senators started approving and disapproving this and that, with their puffed-out shirts and sweltering egos.
One final word on me visiting Alaska. I’m guessing Sarah Palin still lives there. So, I don’t care how big the state is. I think I’ll steer clear of that.
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“The snow doesn’t give a soft white damn whom it touches.”
― E.E. Cummings
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“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.”
― Carl Reiner
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“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat
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Not so baked Alaska. We got it, we did.
