history of Anchorage , Alaska . Originally settled as a tent city near the mouth of Ship Creek in 1914 , a townsite was platted the following year alongside the bluff to the south . Anchorage was mostly a company town for the Alaska Railroad for its first several decades of existence . The strategic location of Alaska , which led to a massive buildup of military facilities throughout Alaska during the years of World War II , changed that . Largely due to the military presence and resource development activities throughout Alaska , Anchorage has enjoyed significant boosts to its population and economic base from 1940 to the present . The 1964 Alaska earthquake outright destroyed or caused significant damage to most of the Anchorage neighborhoods adjacent to Knik Arm , including its downtown . The community rapidly rebuilt , and has since emerged as a major American city
1964 Alaska earthquake
1964 Alaska earthquake
History of Anchorage, Alaska