The US Army Transport St Mihiel in Alaskan waters.
Photo from the PMHA Frederick collection
“Enrollees leaving the North Star 6 a.m. May 6th in a pouring rain.”
The North Star, bringing workers and building materials for the Colony project, arrived late at night on May 5th.
Photo from the ARRC album
“Enrollees aboard train at Seward.”
Transient workers from the North Star were rushed by train to Palmer on May 6th to begin construction of temporary housing. More workers would arrive on the St Mihiel that night and be taken up by train the next day.
Photo from the ARRC album
Ray Rebarchek described the delay in Seward in his “Memoirs of an Alaskan Farmer:”
“While some of the new Alaskans walked the decks of the St Mihiel and grumbled, others of us took the opportunity of going ashore for long walks on the beach.”
An ocean beach was a delight and wonder to the Minnesotan farmers.
“When the quarantine was lifted on the St Mihiel, some of the colonists, including my family, went out to look over the city of Seward. We were thrilled to be in Alaska and were anxious to get acquainted with some genuine Alaskans. . . It soon became apparent that the people of Seward were anything but enthusiastic about the colonization project. These people didn’t relish the idea of the government sending up a lot of destitute farmers to settle on their land.”
Postcard of Seward from the PMHA general collection.