Step back in time with fascinating old images of Juneau, the capital city of the state of Alaska, in the USA.
Old Film of Juneau
Enjoy watching just under two minutes of scenes of Juneau’s streets and buildings, filmed in the middle of the twentieth century.
Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Film Archives – UAF on YouTube
1977
The next film footage, lasting just under three and a half minutes, shows different locations around the city in 1977.
1977 – Juneau / Alaska – visualhistoryaustria on YouTube
Gold!
A brief history of Alaska’s first gold strike which led to the Juneau Gold Rush. Although only 40 or so miners spent the freezing winter of 1880/81 camped out along the river, soon a new city was mapped out and thousands of people arrived over the next few years.
Juneau was Alaska’s first newly created city following the state’s purchase from Russia, which was completed on March 30, 1867 for the price of $7.2 million.
Initially, the new settlement was variously known as Pilzberg (after the German engineer who sent the first prospectors there), Harrisberg (after Richard T. Harris, one of the prospectors), Juneau (after Joseph Juneau, the other proespector), and Rockwell.
The US Post Office insisted on just one name, and the miners chose Juneau.
The gold mining industry thrived, and by the turn of the twentieth century, the Treadwell Mining Complex was Alaska’s largest industrial enterprise.
And even in the early years, tourists arrived on steamships to gaze at the magnificent glaciers in the area.
Joe Juneau and the Alaska Gold Rush – John Sabella on YouTube
Juneau’s History Plaque
Richard T. Harris and Joseph Juneau arrived at the site of today’s city back on August 15th, 1880. This event is commemorated on a history plaque, filmed on a snowy day.
A History Plaque in Juneau Alaska – Garrison Clifford Gibson on YouTube
Family Photos
The first set of photos from the family album show many locations and events around Juneau and Alaska, from 1958 up to the early 1970s.
My Dad’s Old Slides From Juneau Alaska – bpbraba on YouTube
While many of these 1980s photos are of a family at home, there are also photos of buildings, landscapes, the Mendenhall Glacier in 1986, and a school event.
My Parents Old Pictures From The 1980’s In Juneau Alaska – bpbraba on YouTube
