Last updated: November 16, 2022
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Alaska's Matanuska Colony
Alaska's Matanuska Colony (An NPS Publication)
Alaska’s Matanuska Colony reminds us of another time in our history, during the Great Depression, when our nation struggled to get back on its feet. For many rural Americans, the federal government’s New Deal Recovery programs sought to provide relief by establishing agricultural resettlement communities. Alaska’s Matanuska Valley became home to one such farming community in 1935 when, amidst a flurry of construction, new residents started arriving from the upper mid-west. Several decades later, this Alaskan story that began against a national backdrop of despair and hope, includes a legacy of agricultural enthusiasm, pride, and community building preservation.