Into Alaska - Alaska and Points North: Tips and Tales from the Road - page 80

Contrary to what the goldrushers believed, the real fortune was not in the bottom of a gold
pan but in setting up the businesses that would service the rapidly growing population. The
entrepreneurs who came to Alaska and stayed had a real stake in the prosperity of Alaska,
longing for a civil society with a judicial system, policing and social supports. By the dawn
of the 20 th century these “Alaskans” were agitating for statehood and the services that
would bring with it. This was grudgingly granted by the federal government in 1959.
By1947theUShadgottenoverwhateveruneasinessaboutCanadapromptedthemtobuild
Fort Seward so it was decommissioned. A distinctive encampment of white colonial-style
houses, built around the parade grounds remains to mark the place.
These properties were bought up by a group of war veterans determined to create an arts
colony. With the regular ferry service coming through from Skagway there are now numer-
ous B&Bs, art galleries, museums and shops in the Haines area.
LeavingthetownofHaines,wetravelednorthonHwy#7,theHainesHighway.TheChilk-
at River estuary and Cathedral Peaks parallel this highway. The Chilkat Range defines the
boundary between Haines and the heart of Glacier Bay National Park.