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Valdez Trail – Richardson Highway

Since it was founded, Valdez has been the supply and service point for construction and maintenance crews, a staging area for travelers, and the political strength behind movements to upgrade the road. The ups and downs of Valdez’s economy and population have often been tied to the demand for and use of the Richardson Highway….

Fort Liscum

The present location of the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal has long been important to Valdez history.  In the late 1890’s, Adam Swan established a small trading post appropriately named Swanport. This trading post became the initial jumping- off place for prospectors heading across the Valdez Glacier for the Klondike gold fields. In 1900, the U.S. Army…

Pinzon Bar

“The Pinzon” –no one ever called it the Pinzon Bar-was a fixture of the original downtown Valdez town site. There were many others, but the Pinzon seems to have been a “hub” for socializing and political activity until it was closed following the 1964 earthquake. The Pinzon served alcoholic beverages, of course, but more than…

Good Friday Earthquake

On March 27, 1964, Alaska experienced the largest-ever recorded earthquake in North America. Known as the Good Friday Earthquake, this event caused an underwater landslide that washed away the waterfront area of Valdez and resulted in the loss of 32 lives. The quake also caused a local tsunami which surged into town, causing significant damage….

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef, spilling 11.2 million U.S. gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. This event naturally holds historic significance for Valdez, as the terminus for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and as a center for oil spill cleanup activity in the aftermath of the…