Valdez, Alaska, September 12, 2017 – On March 27, 1964, Alaska experienced the largest-ever recorded earthquake in North America. Known as the Good Friday Earthquake, this event caused an underwater landslide that washed away the waterfront area of Valdez and resulted in the loss of 32 lives. As a result of the earthquake, the Valdez town site was deemed unsafe for habitation, causing the entire town to be relocated to its present, safer location approximately four miles away, a process completed over the next three years. On October 1, 1967, all services to the “Old Town” were severed and the building of the new town site complete. About sixty-eight residents and businesses relocated to the new site.
After the disaster Valdez residents realized that to assure the recovery program’s success the city had
to play a strong part in the formulation of policy. The success in the relocation efforts came from
strong and forward thinking leadership, including H. Bruce Woodford (Mayor), Max H. Wells
(Mayor), George H. Gilson (Mayor), Nels Kjelstad, James F. Bedingfield, Don. J. Williams, William
L. McIlroy, Robert Oligney, William Pettit, Don Teeters, D’Burl Teeters, Ralph Migliaccio, David
Vietti, Walter Day, Helen Long, William Stouder, Raymond Huddleston, Marvin Beals, Jack
Devault, Frank J. Minish, Harvey F. Stelling, Walter Farmer, Ed Walker, James Brayton, Herman
Londagin, L.H. Parker, Leora L. Rutledge, Orville G. Ness, and John “Slim” Giesler.
For more information, please contact the Valdez Museum at 907-835- 2764 or info@valdezmuseum.org.
1967 Relocation to new Valdez from Old Town complete
1967 Valdez Museum opens and “centennial building” constructed at 217 Egan Drive
1967 Oil discovered in Prudhoe Bay
1967 Post Office located in City Hall building (A-frame)
S.S. Manhattan unsuccessfully attempts marine delivery of Prudhoe Bay oil, prompting Trans Alaska Pipeline construction: 1968
1968 Auditorium of Southern Baptist Church purchased by Masons
1960s and 70s Eagles serves as movie theater in Valdez
1969 Valdez Breeze newspaper’s run ends
1969-76 Valdez-Copper Basin News
1969 Dayville purchased to create Alyeska Pipeline Terminal
1970-71 first pipe ship
1973 or 74 Coast Guard operations begins
1974 Begin construction of pipeline
1975-93 Valdez Vanguard newspaper
1975 Post office opens on Tatitlek Street
1975 First barrel of crude oil transported to Valdez via dogsled by Red Olson from Prudhoe Bay
1977 Alyeska Pipeline Terminal construction completed
1977 Pipeline open with oil flowing
1978 Prince William Sound College founded
1978 Valdez Fisheries established
1977? Valdez High School opens
1978-79 Valdez News newspaper publishes
1980 Terminal Radio, Inc. formed
1980 Rescue of the Dutch cruise ship Prinsendam
1981 Hermon Hutchens Elementary School dedicated and open
1981 Valdez Fisheries Development Association builds Solomon Gulch Hatchery (SGH)
1982 Valdez Convention and Civic Center opens
1982 Valdez Container Terminal, the world’s first floating concrete container terminal put in service
1982 Valdez voted All America City for the second time
1984, ERA Aviation starts serving Valdez
1986 KCHU Radio makes first broadcast
1986 Valdez Container Terminal “silos” constructed
1989 – 92 Valdez Pioneer newspaper publishes
1989 Kelsey family concludes the running of Valdez Dock Company
1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
1989 Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (RCAC) formed
1989 Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) created
1989 First heli-skiing took place
1989-90 snowfall record of 568 inches in Valdez
1990 World Extreme Skiing Competition begins
1990 Oil Pollution Act of 1990 improving oil spill prevention, response planning and more
1990 Alyeska’s Ship Escort/Response Vessel System (SERVS) formed
1992 Valdez Star begins publishing
1993 First annual Last Frontier Theater Conference
1993 Petro Star Valdez refinery completed, producing 60,000 barrels-per-day
1995 New Providence Valdez Medical Center opens
1994-98 Valdez Vanguard newspaper publishes
1996 KVAK Radio first broadcasts
1997 Valdez Museum & Historical Archive Association, Inc. (VMHA), a private non-profit forms
1998 Maxine Whitney donates collection to PWSC establishing the Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum
1999 Museum Annex opens to display Old Town model
2000 Last year of World Extreme Skiing Competition, WESC
2001 September 11th terrorist attacks result in stricter security for the Valdez Marine Terminal: public tours are discontinued, the entry gate is moved beyond sight of the Pipeline Workers’ Monument, and a marine security zone is enforced.
2001 Coast Guard operations greatly expand
2003 First annual May Day Fly-In
2003: U.S. Coast Guard transferred from U.S. Department of Transportation to U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2007 Valdez City Dock renamed John Thomas Kelsey Municipal Dock
2008 Valdez designated as “Tsunami Ready”
2008 Richardson Highway Rendezvous launches
2014 “Damalanche” heavy rains close the Richardson Highway and bring about avalanches
2013 Original George H. Gilson Middle School closes
2015 New George H. Gilson Middle School opens
2015 Groundbreaking and construction of new small boat harbor underway
2016 Allison Creek Hydroelectric Project construction completed and first kWh of commercial power generated
These are possible additions to the timeline.
Other airlines: Polar Air, Era, Cordova Air, Lepage’s Charter Service, Kennedy Charter Service
Court House opens
Valdez News becomes Valdez-Copper Basin News
Sale of Valdez-Copper Basin News
Black Gold subdivision opens; Mineral Creek Subdivision opens; Robe River Subdivision opens; trailer courts every where; Nordic Subdivision
Valdez News- Valdez Star- Valdez Vanguard
Fly-In; Gold Rush; Silver Salmon Derby; Halibut weigh-in; Octoberfest; Road House dinners; College
Fund Valentines fund raiser dinner; 100 + 10 Club (Gold Rush);
Porcupine Street residents forced to move because of avalanche
Sports fans rescued from avalanche (Judy Londo and friends were trapped in a motor home under a snowslide.)
Valdez Medical Clinic opens
Valdez Mental Health Clinic opens
Valdez Banks: First Bank of Valdez, First National Bank of Anchorage, National Bank of Alaska, First Federal Savings & Loan; Wells Fargo; First National Bank of Alaska(just a new name, dropped Anchorage)
Opening of City Hall
Building three other fire stations.
New Library building
New agreement with the City Library and PWSCC – Consortium Library many thousands of volumes added.
