Old Valdez

Saturday, May 30, 2009 – Day 30

We had purchased tickets yesterday for the Valdez Museum, which also included admission to another collection called “Remembering Old Valdez”.  This exhibit is housed in a separate building a few blocks away from the main museum. The featured exhibit is a scale model of the Old Valdez plus additional memorabilia of the old town.

On Good Friday, March 27, 1964 the largest Earthquake to ever hit North America occurred in Prince William Sound.  The quake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale and caused a wide swath of death and destruction in south east Alaska.  The “Old Valdez”, town site sustained considerable damage with 32 people losing their lives many of them children.  (The total population at that time was only about 600 to 700 people.)  At 5:36 PM many of the town’s children where down at the dock where the ship Chena had docked.  As was customary in those days the crew were throwing candy and fruit to the children gathered there.  When the quake hit it caused the ship to smash into the dock almost destroying it.  As a large local wave came back in, it lifted the stern of the boat right out of the water and it smashed down into the bottom of the bay.  Another wave carried it out into the harbour where the captain ordered it to be moved out further.  The quake lasted almost 5 minutes, causing numerous local waves and much devastation along the waterfront and further down the Coast as far away as Anchorage,

When relief efforts were finally mobilized it was determined that Old Valdez, was in a precarious area of unstable ground and it was decided to move the town to it’s new location 4 miles down the road.  All that is left of Old Valdez is a couple of cement foundations and pads; and a few pilings from the former dock. 

When you read and hear the survivor’s stories it makes you want to hug your kids just a little tighter.