Anton Anderson

American engineer and politician
Alma Menge
​
(m. 1927)​
Children3Mayor of AnchorageIn office
1956–1958Preceded byKen HincheySucceeded byHewitt Lounsbury Military serviceAllegiance United StatesBranch/service United States ArmyUnitUS Army Corps of EngineersBattles/warsWorld War II

Anton Albert Andrew Anderson (1892–1960) was chief engineer of the Alaska Railroad[1] and served as Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 1956 to 1958. He has been called "Mr. Alaska Railroad".

The Hodge Building (later renamed Begich Towers) which Anderson designed

Biography

Anderson was born in Upper Moonlight, New Zealand to a Swedish father and an Irish mother.[2] In 1914, he moved to the United States to work as a surveyor in Hoquiam, Washington. He passed an engineering examination at Seattle University before moving to the recently founded city of Anchorage, Alaska to work for the Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1927, he married Alma Menge, with whom he had three daughters: Jean, Patricia and Shelby.

In the 1930s, Anderson worked on the Matanuska Colonization Project, building infrastructure to support the settlement of the Matanuska Valley. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He also participated in the construction of the Eklutna River hydroelectric dam. In 1951, he was elected President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.[3]

Anderson served on the Anchorage City Council before being appointed in 1956 to complete the term of Mayor Ken Hinchey. Anderson was elected the following year, but ill health forced him to resign early.

Anderson died in 1960. In 1976, the tunnel from Whittier to Portage, which he had overseen, was renamed the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Jean Graves". Anchorage Daily News. October 29, 2003. p. B9.
  2. ^ "Anton Anderson". Cook Inlet Historical Society. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007.
  3. ^ Nyman, Frank (February 1, 2004), "A history lesson: engineering in Alaska has come a long way", Alaska Business Monthly
Preceded by Mayor of Anchorage
1956 – 1958 		Succeeded by
  • v
  • t
  • e
Town/City of
Anchorage (1920–75)
Municipality of
Anchorage (since 1975)Former boroughs
Greater Anchorage Area (1964–75)
Chugiak-Eagle River (1974–75)
  • Jordan