On this day #1
On this day in 1942, the Alaska Highway first linked Alaska to the North American railway network at Dawson Creek, up in Canada. Before that, Alaska was a long way from everywhere. Folks there relied on boats and a great deal of patience. Then a road came through the wilderness and met the rails, and suddenly the far north was tied to the rest of the continent.
The photo was taken along the Alaska Highway a little later. You can almost hear the gravel crunching under the tires.
My grandmother used to say a road is just a promise that somebody will come visit. That highway was a big promise, and it was kept one mile at a time. Most of what holds us together works the same way: a phone call, a casserole dropped off on a porch, a neighbor who shows up.
With Halloween a few days off, the little ones will soon be walking their own roads door to door. A good road still brings good company.
Who was the person in your life who always made the long drive to see you?
Photo: Unknown author, 1944. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Unknown author, 1944 · Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H._14,_Alaska_Highway_(NBY_429819).jpg
Sources:
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H._14,_Alaska_Highway_(NBY_429819).jpg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Highway
On this day #2
On October 28, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, paving the way for Prohibition to begin the following January.
The picture here is the act itself, the official record of that day's decision. An old document like this can look like nothing more than paper and ink. But behind it were ordinary families, and soon the way they gathered, celebrated and shared a table would change.
What stands out to a historian is that the veto did not end the matter. Congress took a second look and voted again. Whatever anyone thinks of the outcome, that is how the system was built: a decision can be revisited, and a first "no" is not always the last word.
The same is true closer to home. A second conversation, another try, or a neighbor who gives you a fresh start can change more than we expect.
With Halloween a few days away, here's to porch lights left on and a warm welcome for whoever comes up the walk.
Photo: Unknown author or not provided, 1919. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Unknown author or not provided, 1919 · Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Act_of_October_28,_1919_(Volstead_Act)_-_NARA_-_299827.jpg
Sources:
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Act_of_October_28,_1919_(Volstead_Act)_-_NARA_-_299827.jpg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volstead_Act
