Module VI - American Period: Transportation and Communication

Essential Question:
*Alaska's infrastructure of transportation and communication systems- what are the cause-effect relationships to settlement patterns and to the development of the Alaska economy?

Transportation and communication systems in Alaska were greatly affected by economics as well as technological developments. Let's look at the current transportation and communication systems to see how they have evolved over time to become what they are today.

Ocean and River Transportation:
Most early settlements in Alaska were located on the coast and near large rivers that could be accessed by boats. These waterway routes had been used for centuries by Natives and later by Russians and Europeans. Although waterway routes had been heavily used throughout history, traveling these routes in Alaska proved dangerous. It took time for surveyors to chart the waters surrounding Alaska but this did not impede economic pursuits. Early economic booms brought hoards of adventurous souls looking for gold, creating a great demand for passage north. The earliest route north was via waterway routes. Other industries drove the use of water transportation as well. Commercial fishing provided demand for suitable employees as well as transport of processed fish bound for markets.

Over time, technology has made passage in Alaska waters easier, faster, safer, more comfortable, and affordable. The Alaska Marine Highway provides extensive waterway transport throughout Alaskan cities and towns. Also, many private shipping and commuter companies service the area. Today tourism relies on the beautiful marine transportation system in the state. Because of advanced technology, new means of transport through the unforgiving territory of the state makes marine travel just one of many modes of transportation.

Marine transportation: flickr.com

Air Transportation:
Technological advances created opportunities for people to do the unthinkable - fly. Challenges presented by the treacherous topography of Alaska made flying the most practical mode of transportation. Not only did flying avoid impassable obstacles, it was faster. This opened up the state to new opportunities but also impacted travel methods of old. Flying contributed to the closure of the steamship transport on the Yukon River. It is interesting to observe the cause and effect relationships of transportation methods.

Alaska Airlines: flickr.com

A growing need for air transportation created industry. Because of aviation, schools were formed to provide opportunities for those seeking employment in aviation. Due to an increasing demand on air travel, many airfields were built and, over time, many flights were scheduled to and from Alaska, thus stimulating economy. It took time but Alaska and it's citizens benefited greatly from the development of air transportation. Currently, many communities rely heavily on air transport of mail, goods, and services. Air travel remains to this day the most efficient way to travel great distances in the state.

Road and Rail Transportation:
Rail transportation was primarily developed because of the gold rush and mining industries. The railroads were used to transport people to work in the mines as well as to transport the ore that would be mined. Railroads not only provided a mode of transportation, they created an industry that developed opportunities to those looking for employment. The building of Alaskan railroads required many trained engineers as well as laborers. This provided jobs for people in the state of Alaska.

Many different railway endeavors were pursued but few were met with success. The railroad endeavors that were completed were short lived and faced ongoing challenges. One rail company that is still around today is the Alaska Railroad. During World War II the Alaska Railroad was used heavily to haul military supplies into Interior Alaska. After the war, the railroad equipment was in need of repair. Military construction in the 50's and oil pipeline construction in the 70's kept the Alaska Railroad running. In 1985 the State of Alaska purchased the Alaska Railroad. It is still in operation today transporting over 6.1 million tons of cargo in 2008 and is now connected with the Alaska Rail-Marine Service that ports in Seattle and transports rail cars to and from the lower 48. Alaska Railroad also attracts tourists. Currently, other modes of transportation compete with the slower, less reliable rail system, making it less profitable than in times past.

Communication Systems:
Alaska was heavily dependent on communications systems because of the fact that communities were far spread. The communication systems in Alaska began first as simple operations. Early in the 1900's, mail arrived via dog team, river steamer, or aboard ships. As transportation methods improved, so did the communications system, creating a cause/effect relationship.

The US Postal Service was one of the first communication systems, beginning in the late 1800's. The service was provided in specific areas and would expand as transportation methods improved. Airmail began in the 1920's as one military plane was used to fly mail between Fairbanks and McGrath. Certain regions of the state received little or no mail during certain parts of the year due to accessibility issues. Eventually

The US Army played a large roll in the development of early communication systems. Technological discoveries such as the telegraph, WAMCATS, satellites, long-distance phone service, and telecommunications eventually changed the connections that the citizens of Alaska had with other communities.

Examine Question:

*What is the current status of ocean and river transportation in Alaska? How significant is it today?
Many people do not realized that today, over 80% of all Alaska's cargo arrives via marine transport. In the 1990's nearly 90% of cargo arrived by water. I believe the reason for decline is because of an increased dependence on air transportation for cargo. Many airplanes are now responsible for moving mail and freight between Alaska ports and other countries and states. But, we still rely heavily on marine transportation in Alaska today. River transportation, on the other hand, is not what it was in the past. Because of air transportation it is much easier and faster to travel or send freight. This eventually made the steamships obsolete, as they could not compete with air travel. This being said, we still rely heavily on marine transportation in this state.

Extend:
What/why are the rail/road connections in the area of Alaska where you live?
I am located on Prince of Wales Island. Due to location, there is no railroad service on our island. We rely heavily on the Inter-Island Ferry Authority - IFA for short- for passage into Ketchikan. From here we hop aboard the Alaska Marine Highway or an Alaska Airlines flight that will take us anywhere we would like to travel. Air travel is also accessible to and from the island.

Interisland Ferry Authority: evergreenfleet.com

Unlike many Southeast Alaskan communities, Prince of Wales has over 2,000 miles of roads. These roads are the results of the logging industry on the island. The roads make much of the island accessible to citizens and tourists but is used little for mass transport of goods.

Evaluate:
I continue to struggle with knowing the information well after spending much time on reading and blogging format issues. Everything is taking longer than I thought. When I find myself out of time I tend to publish what I would call a less than perfect posting, where I am leaving out information. The reading is always interesting but takes me a while to really grasp all of the content.

Colleague Reviews for Module V:

Exploring Alaska's Cultures
Shannon shared a great link that lead me to read more about the Bokan Mountain Mine Project on Prince of Wales Island, just south of where I am living currently.

Latitude 61
Crystal used many links that lead to other informative publications. This gave me some ideas on how I can improve my blog in the future. She also did a great job elaborating on mining and how it has impacted the state of Alaska.

Crossing Alaska
I enjoyed Kristi's summary of the components of the economy as well as her insight on the purchase of Alaska. She also included some interesting facts on the purchase of the Virgin Islands.