That’s not Texas! This is our neighboring community of Chitina up the Copper River, and
the photograph was likely taken in the early 1900s. Chitina was a railroad junction town,
even though the railroad was never extended to Fairbanks. The Copper River and
Northwest Railway remained until the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1923, the only
route to the interior other than the government wagon road out of Valdez.
Chitina was reached by rail in October of 1910 and immediately sprang to life as a small
and bustling Alaskan city. Then in November, the Chitina -Tonsina road was completed and
the Orr Stage Lines soon inaugurated wagon service. Matched teams of six white
horses met the northbound trains from Cordova, and carried passengers and freight on
into the Interior. Mail contracts were let the same month. The Hotel Chitina was one of
the finest hostelries in early Alaska, was finished in November and was advertised as
ready to serve interior travelers.
