Vintage photos show Alaska before it became a state

Business Insider

6 hours ago

Alaska was controversially purchased by the US from Russia in 1867.
Critics called the transaction "Seward's Folly" after US Secretary of State William Seward.
Alaska was officially made the 49th state in January 1959.
One commonly accepted theory was that the first people traveled to North America from Asia via the Bering Land Bridge, although more recent discoveries suggest they made their way by sea.
Russia began colonizing Alaska and other parts of North America in the late 1700s, establishing Russian America and making money off the fur trade. But by the 1860s, the fur trade had declined due to over-hunting.
US critics dubbed the purchase "Seward's Folly," named for then-Secretary of State William Seward because they felt the land, which they called an "icebox," was useless. The transaction was also made against the wishes of some Native Alaskans, who argued it wasn't Russia's land to sell, according to the Alaska Native Foundation.
Three decades later, the Klondike Gold Strike brought thousands of migrants to the territory.
Alaska officially became a state 92 years after the transaction, in January 1959, making it the 49th state. Hawaii became the 50th state that same year.
Now, Alaska is a popular tourist destination, with thousands of people traveling there via cruise each year.
It's also the location of President Donald Trump's high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. As well as a symbolic choice, considering the state's history with Russia, it's also a practical one: It's the closest US state to Russia, and Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes, can step foot there without fear of arrest.
These vintage photos show what Alaska looked like before it became part of the United States.
1955: This photo of a group of Indigenous Alaskans was taken 70 years ago.