Valdez Remembers the 1964 Earthquake
Flowers floating on the sea in remembrance of those lost in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Photo by Allison Sayer.
This article has been edited to correct an error as to who read the City Proclamation at the event.
By Allison Sayer
On March 27, The Pioneers of Alaska, Valdez Igloos Two and Seven, and the City of Valdez hosted a commemoration of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake at Kelsey Dock. Chenega and Valdez suffered the greatest loss of life among Alaska’s communities on that day. Both communities were destroyed and eventually relocated to other sites, which created additional hardships for survivors.
Valdez City Councilman Dennis Fleming read a declaration proclaiming March 27, 2024 as Earthquake Memorial Remembrance Day. The declaration highlighted the immediate response of Copper Center, Glennallen, Fairbanks, and other communities to provide aid. It also stated, “In the intervening 60 years, the families and friends of those who perished have borne their sorrow quietly and with diminishing public awareness of their personal tragedies.”
A group of former residents of Old Town Valdez gathered for a photo on Kelsey Dock. Back Row: Donna Gifford, Pat Day, Gloria McAlister, Steve Harrison, and Gary Minish. Front Row: Priscilla Gregg, Linda Guthrie, and Dorothy Moore. Photo courtesy of Linda Guthrie.
Deacon Dan Stowe led those assembled in prayer for healing despite life’s frailty. Walter Walmsley read the names of Valdez’ lost, Sheila Jordan read those from Chenega, and Dorothy Walmsley those from Anderson Bay, Port Ashton, Port Knowell, Port Nellie Juan, and in an Air National Guard plane crash following the quake.
Attendees were invited to toss flowers from the dock into the sea.
Former Old Town resident Priscilla Gregg prepares to toss a flower into the sea in remembrance of those lost in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Photo by Allison Sayer.
Several former Old Town Valdez residents were in attendance, and gathered for photos on the dock after the service. Former Old Town resident Linda Guthrie said it was “nice to get together and remember” the people who were lost in the earthquake.
Guthrie also enjoyed sharing happy memories of Old Town with other people who had lived there. She described it as a “close-knit” community much smaller than today’s city. Guthrie reflected on how “with our parents passing away” over time, a dwindling number of people have a personal memory of life in Old Town.
Detail of “Hands of ‘64,” a sculpture created as a gift to the people of Alaska by Carl M. Hild. Photo by Allison Sayer.
Following the service, the Valdez Visitors’ Center hosted an open house with Carl M. Hild, the sculptor who created the marble sculpture Hands of ‘64 on the 50th anniversary of the earthquake. The sculpture is rich with symbolism, with finely sculpted marble hands representing the work of “faith, hope, and charity.” The sculpture can be viewed at the Valdez Visitors’ Center.