Palmer’s namesake provides rich history for Valley, state

Homesteader Fanny Warner bore three daughters in the same bed, same house, same homestead. In 1932, her first-born daughter Hazel’s birth certificate lists her home as “Palmer.” Faye’s 1933 birthplace was, “Warton.” When Violet arrived in 1935, her birth certificate specified, “Palmer.”

The White Brothers, owners of a roadhouse near today’s Blueberry Street and the old railroad tracks, applied to name the settlement’s post office, “Farmington.” Photos exist with that name pre-1917. But the federal postmaster replied that there were too many “Farmingtons” and rejected the application.

The Anchorage Daily Times held a contest to choose a name for the town. “Palmer” was chosen to honor George W. Palmer, an early trader at Knik, who owned a small self-service store on the Matanuska River. Eight years later the Palmer Post Office closed due to a drop in population.

Two men named Ward and Felton who had purchased the Whites’ properties, reopened it as Warton, a combination of their names, on Aug. 5, 1931. They’d tried to reopen it as Palmer, but by law, a post office could not reopen under its previous name. The Post Office allowed the new name. Meanwhile, the little red depot, east across the dirt road from Warton’s post office, was still called Palmer.

In 1935, Colonists arrived in Palmer and received their mail in Warton, which some hoped to rename “Valley City.” According to historian, Jim Fox, “Old-timers told me that ‘at one time you could stand in Palmer and spit or throw a rock into Warton and Valley City.’”

Who was this man Palmer whose name the town bears?

George W. Palmer was a hardy, enterprising soul. Born in Erie County, Penn., he was 38 when he arrived in Alaska in 1893 following a stint as a logger in Seattle.

Perhaps it was the Gold Rush that lured him north. Palmer’s first venture was gold mining on a small tributary, since named for him, off Resurrection Creek. One can still access Palmer Creek from the Hope Road turn-off.

Conceivably, Palmer realized the potential for a more stable, enduring “Gold Strike” by provisioning the onrush of prospectors coming through the area.

Palmer built his first store (pre-1898) beside the Matanuska River, above today’s George Palmer Memorial Bridge. According to Coleen Mielke, Valley historian, “[It was] a small un-manned cabin that had food and clothing (packed in tin boxes) for sale. ... By all accounts, Palmer operated the store on the honor system and customers left money in a can.” Palmer would visit the store infrequently to check supplies and collect the cash.

The Alaska Commercial Company operated stores throughout Southcentral Alaska from 1865 to 1901. When ACC’s operations closed, Palmer parlayed his knowledge of prospectors’ needs, into opening his own store in the vacated ACC building. He filled it with his procured goods. He sold crucial foodstuffs and fundamentals such as tobacco, dry goods, hardware and clothing.

He was appointed as Knik’s U.S. Postmaster in 1904. Perhaps the only items prized equally with the prospectors’ gold, were treasured letters from home. Palmer delivered these, and in return took charge of seeing their gold safely to the bank in Seward.

No stranger with the sea, Palmer lightered freight from big steamers anchored at the Knik anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek. He constructed a warehouse on the north hill above Ship Creek to store his goods. Palmer raised Knik’s first wharf, which facilitated the transfer of both stowage and travelers. Later, he sailed his own schooner between San Francisco and Knik, regularly resupplying his stores.

Palmer sold to the non-indigenous people in Knik, but he purchased fish, pelts and berries from the Dena’ina (which he then sold to the non-Natives.) Palmer was the middleman, bartering Dena’ina hire for credit at his store. He also invested his personal life with the Dena’ina; marrying and fathering two children among them.

In 1898, the USDA, from its new agricultural experiment station in Sitka, sent seeds to various settlements throughout South Central Alaska. The experiment wanted to ascertain which plants could flourish in Alaskan soils and weather conditions. Palmer hired his friends, the Dena’ina, to plant and care for his garden.

At season’s end, he wrote the USDA extolling his harvest. Not only had the “cold weather” yield (potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, turnips, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, etc.) lasted through the winter, but he’d sold vegetables to produce starved prospectors. Advocating for the Dena’ina, he described how he’d shared his garden project with them, and recommended the USDA include additional seeds for future gardens to complement the Alaska Native diet.

Palmer worked conscientiously until he took to drink. In 1906, he built a saloon in Knik and began drinking in excess — especially his homemade firewater, “White Mule.” For a time, he was neglectful of his family and priorities — to the detriment of both.

In 1918, fire destroyed Palmer’s Knik store and its outbuildings. Though he planned to rebuild using insurance money, he never got around to it.

Palmer was lured to Kenai by new business ventures — a clam cannery and a general store. Neither thrived.

In 1930, age 74, George Palmer, in physical agony from health problems, shot himself in the heart. He was buried in the Pioneer section of the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

For this article, I found inspiration in Gerry Keeling’s “What’s In A Name?” published in the 1995 book, “Matanuska Valley — Sixty Years — The Colonists and Their Legacy” by Brit Lively. My unflagging appreciation goes to Jim Fox who so liberally provides invaluable information and ready resources such as local historian Coleen Mielke. Her far more expansive history, “George W. Palmer, A True Alaska Pioneer 1855 — 1930” may be found online at bit.ly/QJVcNE. I appreciate her allowing me to draw from it.

Barbara Hecker is a local writer and longtime teacher who writes Inky Visits, a regular history column for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Send suggestions for places, events, and persons to visit and write about to InkyVisits@gmail.com.