Valdez Centennial

America in 1901

The year 2001 marked Valdez’s centennial. On July 1, 1901, Valdez residents voted to incorporate and form an official City government. What was America like during the year that the City of Valdez formed? Here’s a sampling of what the nation was wearing, doing, and experiencing during 1901: Baseball was popular, but basketball and football…

A Year of Firsts

The year 2001 marked Valdez’s centennial. On July 1, 1901, Valdez residents voted to incorporate and form an official City government. 1901 was a busy year for the budding community. It was a year of “Firsts”. Here are a few of them: The first wedding took place between an Army Captain stationed at Fort Liscum…

Newspaper Editorials

The year 2001 marked Valdez’s centennial. On July 1, 1901, Valdez residents voted to incorporate and form an official City government. Valdez’s first newspaper was published on March 9 of 1901 just before the vote to incorporate. The Valdez News was printed weekly and recorded the events of the newly formed City of Valdez. It…

The Vote

The year 2001 marked Valdez’s centennial. On July 1, 1901, Valdez residents voted to incorporate and form an official City government. How did that vote compare to municipal votes today? For one, there were stricter requirements for who could vote. Voters had to be male, older than 21, a resident of Alaska for one year,…