VALDEZ HISTORY
Valdez’s history is one of resilience, adaptation, and connection to both land and sea. Long before it became a city, the area was home to Alaska Native peoples who relied on the rich waters and natural resources of Prince William Sound. Their deep knowledge of the region laid the foundation for understanding this rugged and dynamic environment. This connection to place remains an important part of Valdez’s identity today.
As Alaska continued to develop, Valdez grew alongside it. The community supported maritime industries, military operations, and infrastructure projects that connected coastal and interior regions. A defining moment came in 1964, when the Great Alaska Earthquake reshaped the town and led to its relocation to a more stable site nearby. This event marked a turning point, reinforcing the community’s strength and ability to rebuild.
In the decades that followed, Valdez became known as the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, solidifying its role in the state’s energy economy. Today, Valdez is a vibrant coastal community that honors its history while looking forward. This overview offers a starting point, with deeper stories and perspectives that highlight the people, events, and industries that continue to shape Valdez.
Valdez Timeline
The city of Valdez lies at the head of Port Valdez (pronounced "val-deez"), a natural fjord that reaches inland about 11 miles from Prince William Sound.
Valdez is the activity center for Prince William Sound; a mix of tidewater glaciers, rain forests, and mountains. The growth and settlement of Valdez was attributed to fur trading, salmon canning, and gold and copper mining. During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98, prospectors came to Valdez believing the Copper River and Valdez Glacier to be the entry to the interior gold fields. From 1910 to 1916, copper and gold mining flourished in the area. In the early 1970’s, Valdez became the staging area for work on the lower portion of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Today, Valdez hosts the Valdez Marine Terminal, which is the southernmost end of the 800-mile pipeline. Valdez has several Museums: The Valdez Museum & Historical Archives and the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum.
Before the 1700's:
Historically, as well as now, the territory south of Valdez belonged to the Alaska Native people of the Chugach (pronounced "chew-gach") region, a maritime hunting people. To the north the land is that of the Ahtna, an Athabaskan speaking people of the Copper River Basin. Although there was no known permanent native villages in Port Valdez, it is certain that the Chugach and Ahtna did use the area for fishing and trading copper, jade, hides and other furs. The Chugach had eight principal villages spread throughout the rest of Prince William Sound. Of these, only Tatitlek survives today.
1770's: English Exploration
Captain Cook was possibly the first non-Alaska Native in Prince William Sound. He sailed into the Sound in 1778, naming it Sandwich Sound after his patron, the Earl of Sandwich. When Cook returned to England, the editors of his maps renamed the sound after Prince William IV, popularly known as "Silly Billy" (the English royalty was by this time already in decline). Cook named Hinchinbrook and Montague Islands, as well as Bligh Island and several other locations in the Sound.
Captain Cook was possibly the first non-Alaska Native in Prince William Sound. He sailed into the Sound in 1778, naming it Sandwich Sound after his patron, the Earl of Sandwich. When Cook returned to England, the editors of his maps renamed the sound after Prince William IV, popularly known as "Silly Billy" (the English royalty was by this time already in decline). Cook named Hinchinbrook and Montague Islands, as well as Bligh Island and several other locations in the Sound.
George Vancouver, who had sailed with Cook on his earlier voyages, did the most extensive exploration of Prince William Sound, and it was he who was able to establish conclusively that the Sound was not part of the fabled Northwest Passage (a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic archipelago of Canada).
1790's: Spanish Exploration
In 1790, the cartographer Lt. Salvador Fidalgo followed other Spanish explorers to Alaska to investigate the extent of Russian involvement, establish the Spanish claim in the area, and curb British claims to the Pacific Northwest. As Fidalgo explored the Sound, he named Cordova, Port Gravina and other places. The Exploratory party, which he sent to Columbia Bay guided by two natives, was the first to approach Columbia Glacier. The group did not stay long near the glacier, concluding that it was an active volcano because of the loud thunder and "great pieces of snow" being flung from it. The men ventured down the Valdez Arm and perhaps into Port Valdez. Fidalgo named the area "Bay of Valdez" after Admiral Antonio Valdez, who was head of the Spanish Marines and Minister of the Indies at the time.
In 1790, the cartographer Lt. Salvador Fidalgo followed other Spanish explorers to Alaska to investigate the extent of Russian involvement, establish the Spanish claim in the area, and curb British claims to the Pacific Northwest. As Fidalgo explored the Sound, he named Cordova, Port Gravina and other places. The Exploratory party, which he sent to Columbia Bay guided by two natives, was the first to approach Columbia Glacier. The group did not stay long near the glacier, concluding that it was an active volcano because of the loud thunder and "great pieces of snow" being flung from it. The men ventured down the Valdez Arm and perhaps into Port Valdez. Fidalgo named the area "Bay of Valdez" after Admiral Antonio Valdez, who was head of the Spanish Marines and Minister of the Indies at the time.
1800's: Russina Exploration:
The Russians, during their ownership of Alaska, were primarily interested in amassing sea otter pelts, focusing on the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak archipelago, and the Southeast Panhandle. However, they did also explore Prince William Sound, founding at least two forts and trading posts on Hinchinbrook Island. One of these, near the Alutiiq village of Nuchek, became the center for trade in the area between Russians and the Natives, and among the various Native groups.
The Russians, during their ownership of Alaska, were primarily interested in amassing sea otter pelts, focusing on the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak archipelago, and the Southeast Panhandle. However, they did also explore Prince William Sound, founding at least two forts and trading posts on Hinchinbrook Island. One of these, near the Alutiiq village of Nuchek, became the center for trade in the area between Russians and the Natives, and among the various Native groups.
1890's: The Gold Rush:
Few people lived in the Valdez area until the winter of 1897-98 when gold-seekers came to Valdez to follow the "All-American Route" over the Valdez Glacier into the Interior. Some planned to prospect in the Copper River Basin; others planned to continue on to the Klondike. The route was based on an inaccurate description by US Army Lt. William Abercrombie of a trail that he quite probably had never actually traversed during the course of his 1884 Copper River Expedition. Nonetheless, the route was advertised all over the continental US as an established, preexisting trail. It was a great surprise, therefore, to the would-be miners to arrive in Valdez and find no town and no real trail. A tent city sprang up at the head of the bay; thus Valdez was formed. Four thousand stampeders came through Valdez that year. Some of them stayed on shore to set up shops and other businesses; others dragged themselves and their gear up and over the glacier. The trip over the glacier was a difficult one and some people died in the attempt. Snowslides, snowblindness, glacial crevasses, and extreme physical challenges were just some of the problems encountered. Supplies of goods had to be transported on people-pulled sleds; as many as 20 trips back and forth over the steepest legs of the journey were needed in order to get the necessary year's worth of supplies across. The following winter of 1898-99 was long and difficult; huge numbers suffered from scurvy and inadequate supplies. Rescue missions were organized by the prospectors to move sick people out of the interior and back to relief cabins in Valdez.
Few people lived in the Valdez area until the winter of 1897-98 when gold-seekers came to Valdez to follow the "All-American Route" over the Valdez Glacier into the Interior. Some planned to prospect in the Copper River Basin; others planned to continue on to the Klondike. The route was based on an inaccurate description by US Army Lt. William Abercrombie of a trail that he quite probably had never actually traversed during the course of his 1884 Copper River Expedition. Nonetheless, the route was advertised all over the continental US as an established, preexisting trail. It was a great surprise, therefore, to the would-be miners to arrive in Valdez and find no town and no real trail. A tent city sprang up at the head of the bay; thus Valdez was formed. Four thousand stampeders came through Valdez that year. Some of them stayed on shore to set up shops and other businesses; others dragged themselves and their gear up and over the glacier. The trip over the glacier was a difficult one and some people died in the attempt. Snowslides, snowblindness, glacial crevasses, and extreme physical challenges were just some of the problems encountered. Supplies of goods had to be transported on people-pulled sleds; as many as 20 trips back and forth over the steepest legs of the journey were needed in order to get the necessary year's worth of supplies across. The following winter of 1898-99 was long and difficult; huge numbers suffered from scurvy and inadequate supplies. Rescue missions were organized by the prospectors to move sick people out of the interior and back to relief cabins in Valdez.
1900's: Valdez, Alaska, experienced a surge in prosperity during the 1910s as the completion of the Richardson Highway in 1910 transformed it into the primary coastal gateway and supply hub for interior Alaska, linking the town directly to Fairbanks and boosting trade in gold, copper, and other resources from nearby mines like the Cliff Gold Mine and Midas Mine. The town served as a vital port for shipping goods inland via the newly improved wagon road, which had evolved from earlier military trails, supporting a growing population and economy amid ongoing mining activity in Prince William Sound. A lesser-known fact is that in the brutal winter of 1910, record snowfall completely buried the public school building under towering drifts—yet classes continued uninterrupted, with students and teachers digging tunnels or entering through upper windows to keep education going without pause. By the end of the decade, Valdez had solidified its role as a resilient frontier community, though competition from other routes like the Alaska Railroad would later challenge its dominance.
Valdez, Alaska, was eagerly eyed as a prime railroad terminus in the early 1900s due to its ice-free port and proximity to rich copper and gold deposits in the interior, sparking a frenzy of proposals from 1901 to 1909 with headlines in local newspapers announcing ambitious lines to connect the town to the Yukon or beyond. As many as a dozen railroads were promoted or chartered—including the Valdez-Yukon Railroad in 1905 and others—but most never advanced past surveys or initial plans, hampered by the narrow, contested Keystone Canyon as the only feasible exit route from town. Fierce rivalry erupted in 1907 when the powerful Alaska Syndicate (backed by Guggenheim and Morgan interests) began work on the Copper River & Northwestern Railway through the canyon toward the Kennecott mines, clashing with the local Alaska Home Railway promoter H.D. Reynolds, whose project collapsed amid a shootout over right-of-way, financial ruin for investors, and the syndicate’s decision to shift the terminus to Cordova instead. A lesser-known remnant of this era is the unfinished Keystone Canyon railroad tunnel begun by engineer M.J. Heney (famous for the White Pass & Yukon), which was abandoned when the route was redirected leaving a short, hand-drilled tunnel visible today as one of the few physical traces of Valdez’s thwarted railroad dreams, while the town later saw only brief, temporary industrial rail use during the 1970s Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction with ex-Alaska Railroad switchers on the dock.
Fort Liscum:
Recognizing that Valdez was a strategic location for communications and defense, Fort Liscum was established in 1900 by the U.S. Army on the south shore of Valdez Bay (about three miles from the modern town of Valdez), at the site of the present Alyeska Pipeline terminal; under the command of Lt. W.R. Abercrombie, primarily to maintain law and order amid the chaotic Klondike Gold Rush boomtown and to construct a military road.
The latter, which became the Richardson Highway in 1919, severed as the only viable inland route to Fairbanks until the 1920's. The population of Valdez soared to 7,000, as it became the coastal port for the majority of traffic going into and out of the interior. along with a telegraph line connecting the Alaskan interior to the continental U.S. without crossing Canadian territory. The post was officially named on September 6, 1900, in honor of Colonel Emerson H. Liscum, who had been killed earlier that year leading his regiment at the Battle of Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion in China. It served as a key military installation supporting infrastructure development and regional stability until post-World War I budget cuts and shifting priorities led to its closure in 1923 (with some sources noting 1922 as the deactivation year), as part of a broader reduction of U.S. military facilities following the war. After abandonment in 1929, the site was purchased and homesteaded by the Day family, who renamed it Dayville and used the buildings for prospecting, a cannery, and other ventures.
1910's: Wireless Communication Comes to Valdez
In the early 1900s, Valdez became one of the first communities in Alaska to benefit from wireless radio communication between the telegraph service in Alaska and the contiguous United States. Until this connection, all telegraph service had to pass through Canada’s telegraph lines, making any real military communication between Alaska and Washington, D.C. difficult. The U.S. Army Signal Corps based its work at Ft. Liscum and installed telegraph lines and wireless equipment that allowed messages to be sent across Prince William Sound and beyond, dramatically improving communication from days to hours. Importantly, Alaska could now communicate directly with Washington, D.C.
In the early 1900s, Valdez became one of the first communities in Alaska to benefit from wireless radio communication between the telegraph service in Alaska and the contiguous United States. Until this connection, all telegraph service had to pass through Canada’s telegraph lines, making any real military communication between Alaska and Washington, D.C. difficult. The U.S. Army Signal Corps based its work at Ft. Liscum and installed telegraph lines and wireless equipment that allowed messages to be sent across Prince William Sound and beyond, dramatically improving communication from days to hours. Importantly, Alaska could now communicate directly with Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Army withdrew from Fort Liscum in 1925, reducing the town’s population and activity. Despite these setbacks, Valdez remained a resilient coastal community reliant on the Richardson Highway for overland connections and serving as a modest supply point for lingering regional mining and travel.
1920s: Aviation Arrives in Prince William Sound
By the 1920s, aviation was beginning to change travel and mail delivery across Alaska, and Valdez played a role in this early era of flight. Pilots flying small aircraft began experimenting with routes that connected coastal communities with interior mining towns. Landing on water or improvised airstrips, these early flights demonstrated that airplanes could dramatically shorten travel times in Alaska’s rugged terrain. These pioneering flights helped lay the groundwork for the aviation network that remains vital to Alaska today. Owen Meals is widely regarded as the pioneer who introduced aviation to Valdez, Alaska, arriving in the territory with his family in 1903 the same year the Wright brothers flew and later becoming one of the state’s early bush pilots.
By the 1920s, aviation was beginning to change travel and mail delivery across Alaska, and Valdez played a role in this early era of flight. Pilots flying small aircraft began experimenting with routes that connected coastal communities with interior mining towns. Landing on water or improvised airstrips, these early flights demonstrated that airplanes could dramatically shorten travel times in Alaska’s rugged terrain. These pioneering flights helped lay the groundwork for the aviation network that remains vital to Alaska today. Owen Meals is widely regarded as the pioneer who introduced aviation to Valdez, Alaska, arriving in the territory with his family in 1903 the same year the Wright brothers flew and later becoming one of the state’s early bush pilots.
A lesser-known fact is that Valdez aviation history began in the late 1920s when local pioneer Owen Meals purchased an airplane and made the town’s first flight from its early airfield in June 1928, marking the start of air service that would eventually help connect the isolated community. By the end of the decade, these changes positioned Valdez as a quieter but enduring gateway town, setting the stage for its later transformations through improved transportation and new industries.
Valdez was a busy town in the first two decades of the 20th century. It supported a bowling alley, a university (for one semester), several breweries, a dam and hydroelectric plant, a sawmill, the seat of (the Territory of) Alaska's Third Judicial District, a bank, two movie theaters, two newspapers, an Ursaline convent and an excellent public library, hospital and public school system. In addition to the main industries of mining and shipping, fox farming, fishing, and tourism, provided additional employment and revenues.
There was much talk and speculation about construction of a railway line from Valdez into the Interior and even some preliminary track laid: however no line ever reached any farther than Keystone Canyon. Two rival companies in particular were the cause of considerable upheaval in Valdez. The Alaska Syndicate was choosing among Valdez, Cordova and Katalla for a terminus for their railway from the Kennecott Mine. When it appeared that Valdez would not be selected, H.D. Reynolds appeared on the scene touting his plan for the Alaska Home Railway. He convinced the people of Valdez that "his railroad was their railroad." Many Valdezians invested their entire savings or businesses into supporting his project. Reynolds bought up much of the town; he soon owned a newspaper, hotel, bank and even some of the streets. In 1907, a shoot-out erupted between the two rival railroad companies over the right-of-way through Keystone Canyon.
The Alaska Home Railway project fell apart and the Alaska Syndicate chose Cordova as the terminus for its Copper River and Northwestern Railway. Reynolds left town in a hurry, owing a great deal of money. A newpaper report from shortly after reported that he was seen in Mexico. Valdezians were left with no railroad, 500 unemployed workers and little money.
1930s: Depression-Era Work Projects in Valdez
During the 1930s, the Great Depression affected communities across Alaska, including Valdez. Federal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped fund infrastructure and community projects that provided employment during difficult economic times. Workers constructed roads, improved public buildings, and supported community development efforts that helped keep the town functioning through the decade. Many of the improvements completed during these projects continued serving Valdez residents for decades afterward.
During the 1930s, the Great Depression affected communities across Alaska, including Valdez. Federal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped fund infrastructure and community projects that provided employment during difficult economic times. Workers constructed roads, improved public buildings, and supported community development efforts that helped keep the town functioning through the decade. Many of the improvements completed during these projects continued serving Valdez residents for decades afterward.
1940s: Military Strategy in Prince William Sound
During World War II, Prince William Sound quietly became an important strategic area for coastal defense and transportation in Alaska. Military planners recognized Valdez’s protected harbor as a potential staging point for supply and communications operations in the northern Pacific. While the community remained small, wartime activity brought increased maritime traffic and federal attention to the region. These defense considerations helped reinforce Valdez’s importance as a deep-water port in Alaska that continues on today.
During World War II, Prince William Sound quietly became an important strategic area for coastal defense and transportation in Alaska. Military planners recognized Valdez’s protected harbor as a potential staging point for supply and communications operations in the northern Pacific. While the community remained small, wartime activity brought increased maritime traffic and federal attention to the region. These defense considerations helped reinforce Valdez’s importance as a deep-water port in Alaska that continues on today.
1950s: The Rise of Highway Travel
In the 1950s, improvements to the Richardson Highway began changing how people reached Valdez. For the first time, more visitors and residents could drive to the community rather than relying primarily on ships or small aircraft. Road access helped expand trade, tourism, and connections between Valdez and Interior Alaska. These improvements helped set the stage for the larger economic developments that would arrive in the following decades.
In the 1950s, improvements to the Richardson Highway began changing how people reached Valdez. For the first time, more visitors and residents could drive to the community rather than relying primarily on ships or small aircraft. Road access helped expand trade, tourism, and connections between Valdez and Interior Alaska. These improvements helped set the stage for the larger economic developments that would arrive in the following decades.
1960s: The 1964 Good Friday Earthquake
On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 in the evening, disaster struck Alaska,an earthquake lasting over four minutes and registering 9.2 on the Richter Scale, struck 45 miles west of Valdez and dramatically changed the history of Valdez forever. The earthquake triggered a massive underwater landslide that destroyed much of the original townsite. The first waves washed away the Valdez waterfront and drowned the 30 people who had been standing on the dock. Three men on the steamer Chena, which had been tied to the dock, also died. In all of Alaska, 114 people died as a result of the earthquake.
"Old Town" Valdez was condemned when it was discovered that the entire town had been built on unstable ground. Within a month after the disaster, the community made the difficult decision to relocate and rebuild approximately four miles away at what is now known as "New Town". In 1967, the town was relocated to its present site, four miles east of the former site. 52 buildings were moved and the other structures were burned and the ground razed. The rebuilding effort became a powerful example of the determination and resilience of the people of Valdez.
1970's: Building the Valdez Marine Terminal
In 1973, Congress approved the plans for the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline with its southern terminus at Valdez. Thousands of people moved to Valdez to be part of the construction boom. The town's population soared to 8,000 people. When construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System began, it transformed Valdez into a global energy port. Alongside the pipeline itself, the Valdez Marine Terminal was built to receive oil from the North Slope and load it onto tankers. The project required massive engineering efforts, including new docks, storage tanks, and safety systems designed for Alaska’s harsh weather conditions. When the pipeline began operating in 1977, Valdez became the southern gateway for Alaska’s oil industry.
1980's: The Icebreaker Era
In the 1980s, Valdez became home to specialized icebreaking vessels designed to escort oil tankers through Prince William Sound during the winter. These powerful ships helped keep shipping lanes open and ensured safe passage through heavy ice conditions. The presence of icebreakers was a unique feature of Valdez’s maritime operations and highlighted the challenges of operating a major port in Alaska’s environment. Their work helped maintain reliable year-round operations at the terminal.
In the 1980s, Valdez became home to specialized icebreaking vessels designed to escort oil tankers through Prince William Sound during the winter. These powerful ships helped keep shipping lanes open and ensured safe passage through heavy ice conditions. The presence of icebreakers was a unique feature of Valdez’s maritime operations and highlighted the challenges of operating a major port in Alaska’s environment. Their work helped maintain reliable year-round operations at the terminal.
1989: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989 (another Good Friday), the tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh reef, approximately 25 miles outside of Valdez, causing the largest oil spill in North American history and thrusting Valdez into the national spotlight again. During the months following the spill, the population of Valdez grew to almost 10,000 as cleanup workers, reporters, and state and federal employees streamed into town. As a result of the spill, thousands of birds, sea otters, and other wildlife died, and hundreds of miles of beach were oiled. Crews worked all that summer and fall and into the next year, cleaning the beaches and rescuing animals.
Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, the 1990s were a period of major environmental and operational change for Valdez. New safety regulations, escort vessel systems, and improved spill-response programs were implemented to protect the Sound. Alyeska, local residents and organizations such as the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen's Advisory Council (PWSRCAC)played an important role in restoration and monitoring efforts. These changes reshaped how maritime operations are conducted in Prince William Sound today.
1990's-2000's: Growth of Adventure Tourism:
In the early 2000s, Valdez began gaining international attention as a destination for adventure tourism. Visitors were drawn to the community for activities such as glacier kayaking, backcountry skiing, fishing, and access to the Chugach Mountains. The annual World Extreme Skiing Championship also helped put Valdez on the global map for winter sports. This new chapter expanded the local economy while showcasing the natural beauty that surrounds Valdez.
Today, the population of Valdez is approximately 4,200. Its residents are mainly employed by the city, the oil industry, winter and summer tourism, fishing, or transportation and shipping.
