Petition to make Houston Founder’s Day a holiday poised for October ballot

Houston currently has no official city holidays, according to the city code. While there may be one if the voters approve in October, for many who call Houston home, there already is a holiday for the city-Founder’s Day.

The annual event, held on third Saturday in August, is deeply rooted in the city. It marks the anniversary in which the city got its start during the early part of the last century as a stopping point on the Herning Trail—now the Willow Creek Sled Trail.

Oddly, the celebrated day is not an official holiday for the city of Houston. But a group of residents is hoping to change that as they have joined to circulate a petition to make Founder’s Day the official City of Houston, Alaska holiday, honoring the city’s history, which is not a recognized holiday under city law. If they are able to get enough signatures-75 to be exact-it is hoped to make it on the ballot for the October election.

“Well it did use to be a holiday. But no one can find the code for it,” said Kim Short, one of the petitioners for the measure.

Others would like this to be the first city holiday instead of the Matanuska Thunder Funk, a free, one-day festival hosted by the Houston Grass Station Campground, which is set for the October ballot for voters to decide if it should become a city holiday.

Houston made a name for itself by transporting freight and supplies to the Willow Creek Mining District. First called Houston Siding, after Congressman Sam Houston of Tennessee, the town was first listed on an Alaska Railroad blueprint map in 1917. The name endured.

The town was officially declared and recognized as an Alaska third-class city on June 6, 1966, with a population of 69 residents. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough reclassified Houston as a second-class city on Aug. 7, 1984. By that time, Houston’s population sat at more than 725. It has continued to grow with a population of around 3,100 at present.

Based on the responses on social media, many residents were surprised to learn it is not an official city holiday and have been eager to sign it. It is unclear how many signatures organizers have collected as of this publication, but they say that response has been good so far.

Houston Residents have until July 10 to sign the petition to get Founder’s Day on the ballot.