How Homer, Alaska got its Name

Do you know how Homer, Alaska, got its name? Discover the best place in the world to catch a certain type of fish in this edition.

Michael R Dougherty

Jun 04, 2024

Alaska has long been a magnet for colorful characters. In its early days, Anchorage had Joe Spenard and Russian Jack. During the Klondike Gold Rush, Skagway had “Soapy” Smith. And you have probably heard of others.

Many years ago, the Inuit Eskimo and Tanaina Indians settled about 125 miles southwest of what would become Anchorage, on the Kenai Peninsula.

Gold

Then, in the late 1800s, a mining company promoter and con man came to an area where a spit of land goes out into Kachemak Bay. He passed himself off as a gold prospector, even though gold mining had never been profitable in the area.

The con man built living quarters for a crew that would mine for gold. Men, who were working in near-by fish canneries, were lured to the scam because of the living quarters the man offered.

Miners crowded into the area, but the gold mining venture failed.

By 1902, the area was all but abandoned.

About a year after the con man arrived in the area… he was gone.

Coal

In the 1890s, coal was discovered in the area.

The Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town, dock, railroad, and a coal mine.

Coal mining continued in the area until World War II. There are still about 400 million tons of coal in the area.

The Beginning of a Town

From around 1910 to 1920, homesteaders settled in the area, where the coal mine town had begun.

But this new town needed a name.

For some unknown reason, it was decided that the new town would bear the name of the con man who had claimed to be a gold prospector. His name was Homer Pennock and that’s his picture at the top of this edition.

And so, Homer, Alaska was born.

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Did you know?

Homer, Alaska, is the Halibut fishing capital of the world.

And

Homer has a population of about 5,500 people.

BONUS

Do you want to know more about Homer, Alaska?

Take a look at Homer, Alaska and discover.

From Our North Stars (that’s you)

Our look at favorite restaurants in Anchorage brought these comments:

Molly wrote in to say:

“some of my favorite restaurants are, the Garden of Eatin, the Rice Bowl, Legal Pizza, Flippers (or Flippy’s) and Harry’s”.

Larry said:

“I really liked Elevation 92, Clinkerdaggers and The Corsair”.

And Sam wrote this:

“The Lucky Wishbone story was a great one and brought back many a great memory. Dad owned the property on 5th Ave between Pop Hodleys grocery store and a little ways down towards Merrill Field. I don't know the exact street, but that is where my dad started Alaska Towing and Wrecking. So The Lucky Wishbone was one of our hang-outs as kids”.

Michael Remembers this:

“My earliest memory of eating at a restaurant in Anchorage was at the White Spot when it was located at 412 C street. This was probably in 1969 or 1970. We had just moved to Alaska (Bethel) in 1968, so it was a treat to have a hamburger there back in the day. Will always remember that!”

Don wrote this:

“My memory recalls Klinkerdagger, Bickerstaff & Petts, the original Rice Bowl along E. 5th; then to E. 6th and now The Rice Garden off Sitka St. and E 5th. The Nikko Gardens, and The Garden of Eatin''; both in Spenard.