Moose Pass, Alaska encompasses a world class landscape. As you travel along the Seward Highway from Summit Lake to the Snow River bridge the scenery ranges from mountain lakes, through a narrow pass between towering mountains that loses direct sunlight four months a year and is known as “avalanche acres,” to the bucolic setting of upper Trail Lake in “downtown,” and to the spectacular shores of Kenai Lake.
The forces of nature that shaped these sights were impressive and took millions of years. Massive shifts tectonic plates created mountains, huge glaciers advancing and retreating, rivers and creeks flowing for time immemorial, snow, rain, wind, earthquakes, avalanches, and landslides.
The human history of the area undoubtedly began with Alaska Native hunters who sought moose, caribou, bears, fur-bearing mammals, and gathered subsistence foods. These seasonal visitors probably were Dena’ina traveling from settlements along the Kenai River, although more seafaring tribes from Prince William Sound also were attracted by the abundant game.
Local lore says that Moose Pass got its name in 1903 from a cantankerous moose that wouldn't let the mail carrier's team of dogs go through. Local resident Ed Estes attributed the name Moose Pass to a 1904 observation by Nate White of the first moose recorded in this area. The narrow eight-mile pass from Tern Lake to Kenai Lake was the migratory path for moose to get to their winter feeding grounds at higher elevation mountain passes such as Johnson or Turnagain.
The first non-Native settlers probably were trappers and hunters. The community was established after the Hope-Sunrise gold rush when Oscar Christensen and his partner Mickey Natt arrived in 1909 and built a log roadhouse for prospectors heading north and as a supply point for local mining operations.
The building of the Alaska Railroad from Seward to Fairbanks was instrumental in transforming Moose Pass into a real community. Construction of the Seward Highway, some local mining, sawmills, trapping, limited tourism and a lot of community spirit and ingenuity helped keep the community alive.
The early spirit and pluck of Moose Pass that carries over to the present can be seen in the stories of early pioneers who worked together to help one another.
Completion of the Seward Highway between 1948 and 1951, with paving completed in 1954, brought an influx of residents, the school population doubled and the store stayed open later, but the mini-boom faded, although some families stayed.
The pioneering spirit of Moose Pass is best shown by one of its most notable early resident—Alaska Nellie. As a youngster, Nellie Trosper grew up on a Missouri farm and dreamed of Alaska where game roamed in abundance. She trapped rabbits, skunks and other small game, hunted, fished and learned to handle all chores around the farm. She dropped out of school at 16 to take a job to help support her family and later helped raise her younger siblings after her mother died.
She decided to compete in Alaska’s most important mushing event in 1921, but her team ran into problems and couldn’t race. She decided to go to Anchorage anyway to watch the race. Nellie was talked into competing with a borrowed team. She came in fourth, but was feted for her effort.
As the railroad was completed and her roadhouse contract ended, she moved back to where she started in Alaska and where she wrote “my dream comes true:” the shore of Kenai Lake. She married her third husband and they settled in. Nellie and Bill Lawing operated the Primrose Ferry on Kenai Lake and hosted 15,000 visitors lured by her extensive trophy museum. In 1956 when she was 81, she rode into town on an iron chariot she helped build when Anchorage celebrated Alaska Nellie Day. She passed away four months later while sitting in her favorite rocking chair in her home on the shore of Kenai Lake.
A trait that has always defined Moose Pass since the earliest days has been an independent spirit and interest in working together.
Community spirit and participation has always been strong in Moose Pass.
Visit the Moose Pas Public Library for more information.
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