Founded as a community to supply miners during the Turnagain Arm gold rushes of the 1890s , Girdwood was mostly a small , quiet place until the middle of the 20th century . Two events drastically altered that . The first was the establishment of Alyeska Resort along the slopes of Mount Alyeska , which became an international destination coincidental with Anchorage 's civic promotion of itself as " The Air Crossroads of the World " . The second was the 1964 earthquake , which devastated the original townsite located directly along the arm . Following the earthquake , most of the town moved further up the valley to a new townsite , though a few homes remained and a strip mall was later constructed along the Seward Highway . Historically dominated in the years since the resort 's opening by seasonally-occupied vacation homes and seasonal activity at the resort , the opening of the Alyeska Prince Hotel during the 1990s has shifted the resort , and hence Girdwood as a whole , more towards year-round activity and a year-round economy . This has led to periodic debates about community growth and affordability of housing for resort workers , many of whom over the years have resorted to camping illegally on public lands
1964 earthquake
1964 Alaska earthquake
Girdwood, Anchorage