The Fur Farms of Alaska: Two Centuries of History and a Forgotten Stampede

Author:   Sarah Crawford Isto
Publisher:   University of Alaska Press
ISBN:  

9781602231719


Pages:   230
Publication Date:   15 March 2012
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Our Price $86.99 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

The Fur Farms of Alaska: Two Centuries of History and a Forgotten Stampede


Add your own review!

Overview

After its rudimentary beginning in 1749, fur farming in Alaska rose and fell for two centuries. It thrived during the 1890s and again in the 1920s, when rising fur prices caused a stampede for land and breed stock and led to hundreds of farms being started in Alaska within a few years. The Great Depression, and later the development of warm, durable, and lightweight synthetic materials during World War II, brought further decline and eventual failure to the industry as the postwar economy of Alaska turned to defense and later to oil. The Fur Farms of Alaska brings this history to life by capturing the remarkable stories of the men and women who made fur their livelihood.“For more than 200 years ‘soft gold’ brought many people to Alaska. Fur farming was Alaska’s third-largest industry in the 1920s, and Sarah Isto writes of the many efforts, successes, and ultimately of the fur farming industry’s failure. This well-researched history contextualizes current fox elimination projects on Alaska islands and explains the abandoned pens one stumbles across. This is a story that has long needed to be written.”—Joan M. Antonson, Alaska State Historian

Full Product Details

Author:   Sarah Crawford Isto
Publisher:   University of Alaska Press
Imprint:   University of Alaska Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.425kg
ISBN:  

9781602231719


ISBN 10:   1602231710
Pages:   230
Publication Date:   15 March 2012
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

"Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Russian Period, 1749–1866: Planting Foxes on Aleutian Islands 2. The Pioneer Period, 1867–1909: Americans Reinvent Alaska Fur Farming 3. Prewar Expansion and WWI, 1910–1918: Conservationist Support for Alaska Fur Farms 4. The Fur Farm Rush, 1919–1924: ""A Stampede to Take Up Islands"" 5. The Peak Years, 1925–1929: A Territorial Veterinarian and 700 Fur Farms 6. The Great Depression, 1930–1940: Depression Years and Alaska's Experimental Fur Farm 7. World War II, 1941–1945: A Nonessential Industry in a War Zone 8. Post-War Hopes and Decades of Decline, 1946–2000: Cold War, Oil Boom, and the Demise of Alaska Fur Farming Endnotes Reference List Index"

Reviews

The Fur Farms of Alaska represents the best in local history. Intended for a general audience, it is a useful source for Alaska seconomic history, those who are interested in the fur industry, andthose with antiquarian interests in Alaska s rich history. --John W. heaton Pacific Historical Review


The Fur Farms of Alaska represents the best in local history. Intended for a general audience, it is a useful source for Alaska'seconomic history, those who are interested in the fur industry, and those with antiquarian interests in Alaska's rich history. --John W. heaton Pacific Historical Review


Author Information

Sarah Crawford Isto was born and raised in Fairbanks and practiced medicine in Juneau for twenty years. She is the author of Good Company: A Mining Family in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

Aorrng

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List