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The newspaper article that follows describes the founding of the Alaska community of Ship Creek, now known as Anchorage. It also lists many of the men hired to work on the construction of Alaska Railroad.
DAWSON DAILY NEWS, Tuesday, June 1, 1915

COAL TERMINAL
TO BE AT SHIP CREEK

RAILROAD WILL REQUIRE ALMOST
ALL GROUND THERE, SAYS COMMISSIONER

WILL LOCATE NEW SITE

ASSIGNMENTS TO ENGINEERS
TO MAKE SURVEYS FOR GOVERNMENT

    SHIP CREEK, Alaska, April 30. - With the arrival of the steamer Mariposa which brought Lieut. Frederick Mears, one of the commissioners in charge of the construction of the government railway system, preliminary work immediately began at this point. About the first step taken was the laying of a track from the beach to the temporary warehouses to facilitate the handling of the big freight shipments arriving on every steamer.
    The commissioner found a city of tents at Ship Creek and the squatters looked for immediate ejectment from the premises. With reference to the matter the commissioner made the following statement:
    "The land office of the interior department is expected to put engineers in the field within a short time, to locate a townsite in the district between Ship Creek and Ship Creek junction. The plans of the commission contemplate using practically all of the ground which is at present occupied by the temporary roadhouses and dwellings, which have been erected here within the last few weeks.
    "There is no desire on my part to cause unnecessary inconvenience to any of the present occupants of these dwellings. It is a fact, however, that the construction of machine shops, engine houses, terminal freight yards, water tanks, commissary buildings, dwellings for permanent employes, as well as buildings and plant necessary in connection with the terminal coal dock site, will require practically all of the ground now occupied by the tent camp, and it will be necessary to remove these inhabitants as soon as it is selected.
    "I am unable to tell what plan exactly will be followed by the land office in assigning lots for building purposes. It should be realized that the land office has only had cognizance of Ship Creek as a definite point on the railroad since the date of the president's announcement, Saturday, April 10, and they probably have not had time to make definite arrangements for handling the situtation.
    "Inasmuch as the commission will gradually concentrate a number of employes in the vicinity of the present commission buildings, it will be necessary to take steps to closely guard the water supply to prevent contamination. As soon as this plan is determined upon, notice will be given to occupants in the vicinity of the water station to vacate the premises. Until such notice is given no one will be required to move, unless buildings are physically in the way of railroad work.
    The commission announces the following assignments:
    K. K. Kuney, locating engineer, in charge of locating party No. 1, detailed to make final location of the railway line from Eagle river to the Matanuska coal fields. This line has been located from Ship Creek to the Eagle river. Kuney is now assembling a working force and will take to the field within a few days.
    C. R. Breck, jr., locating engineer in charge of party No. 3, detailed to make a preliminary and lineal location in the Broad pass district. A pack train composed of eighteen horses, in charge of Head Packer Coutts, will depart overland tomorrow, en route to Montana creek, up the Susitna valley. Within a few days the engineering party will leave in the launch Explorer and the government river boat Chulita, to meet the pack train at the head of navigation on the Susitna river.
    S. J. Weir, locating engineer, in charge of party No. 4, detailed to make preliminary and final location from the interior terminus of the system toward the Broad pass district. Weir is now in Seattle and will go in via Skagway and the Yukon river.
                                            Engineer and Physicians
    F. B. Standiford and F. Archibal, resident engineers.
    Dr. E. S. Reed, physician.
    Captains Swift and Peterson, pilots; Messrs. England and Bradland, marine engineers.
    R. E. Remore, carpenter foreman, in charge of all buildings operations at Ship Creek.
    Dave McEearchern, pile driver foreman, in charge of all pile driving and dock work at Ship Creek.
    C. S. Jones, foreman in charge of all grading, tracklaying and clearing gangs in this vicinity.
    D. L. Hough, L. C. Starkey and James Bowers, topographers.
    D. D. Vint, H. U. Huggins and George Gerber, draftsmen.
    H. E. Mullen and H. B. Wilkinson, cost data accountants.
    William Haynes, estimator.
    W. R. Manning, material man.
    A. M. McDermott, clerk.
    B. C. Welte, officeman.
    W. M. Peltier, bookkeeper.
    F. A. Fenton, instrument man.
    John Burnett, riverman.
    Aside from the railway employes, there are some 400 people at Ship Creek engaged in various businesses. The Knik News will move its plant to the scene this week. The commissioner's statement indicates that the commission plans on making Ship Creek a very important point. It will probably be the terminus of the coal road from the Matanuska fields, due to the down hill grade all the way.
    Chief Clerk Chase will be United States Commissioner, with powers limited to those of a justice of the peace, at Ship Creek. He will also be postmaster, but will have an experienced postal clerk as deputy. James Wardell, deputy United States marshal at Katalla for years past, will act in a similar capacity at Ship Creek.
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