Alaska history Q&A: Anchorage hippies, the SS Bertha store and the origin of Buns of Steel

, Smithey earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Idaho State, where he excelled in track and field, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Idaho.

Inspiration came from a random comment. Smithey explained, “They were coming because I was causing their butts to hurt so bad. And soon they started coming in and telling me all these wonderful stories about how their butts look so good, and their husbands love it. After class one day, a student said, “Wow, our butts feel like steel.” In 1987, he produced the first “Buns of Steel” VHS tape, which sold for $25, about $65 in 2023 dollars. Early copies of the tape note his job in Anchorage.

Due to the strong tides in the Knik Arm, the Bertha was pulled onto the mud. According to some stories, the ship itself was then called “the anchorage,” and thus, the name for the future town was born. However, the area had been known and labeled on maps as the Knik Anchorage for years prior. Though there were some twists, turns, and potential alternatives, Anchorage became the name for the new railroad town simply because it was an anchorage, a safe place to anchor a boat.

The hippie craze was one of a long list of moral panics in American history. Change is inevitable yet broadly feared. From switchblades to Dungeons & Dragons to rap music to video games, people have unjustifiably projected their fears onto specific aspects of culture, blaming them for the inescapable passage of time and erosion of what once was.

These hippie job hunters were simply seeking opportunities in Alaska like so many others before and since. Many prominent Alaska families started off with less, like the Hickels. Two-time governor Wally Hickel was a bouncer and boxer who famously arrived in Alaska with just 37 cents in his pocket. However, to a large segment of Anchorage society, these new arrivals were just filthy hippies who came north to spread communism, free love, or LSD.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Disgraced former Anchorage health director accused of defrauding state militiaThe state of Alaska wants more than $60,000 back from Anchorage’s disgraced former health director, saying he fraudulently claimed a higher military rank than he actually had when he joined the Alaska State Defense Force.
Source: KTOOpubmedia - 🏆 439. / 53 Read more »

Weather Lab: Chinook Elementary School students learn about the water cycleIn this week’s weather lab, Chief Meteorologist Melissa Frey visited Chinook Elementary School in Anchorage.
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

SE BUREAU/LEGISLATIVE MMJ - KTUU (Juneau, AK) in Anchorage, AK**About Gray Television:** Gray Television is a leading media company that owns and operates high-quality stations in 113 television markets that collectively reach 36 percent of US television households. We constantly strive for excellence. Through upgrading to the latest technology and seekin...
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

For students at 8 Anchorage schools, chicken jerky and crackers are replacing hot lunches'They all really miss the hot lunch,' said the Anchorage Daily News's Morgan Krakow, who spoke with local elementary-school students whose meals are affected by a shortage of cafeteria managers. I bet that is going over well at Bayshore. And on base for that matter.
Source: AKpublicnews - 🏆 387. / 55 Read more »

GRAY TELEVISION FUTURE FOCUS INTERN - KTUU in Anchorage, AKAre you among the best and brightest at your college or university and are contemplating what's next? Life is short. Stop waiting for “real life” to start and put your knowledge to the test. Launch your media career with Gray Television's paid internship program! As a _paid_ intern, you won't si...
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

Officers responding to shots fired in downtown Anchorage find 1 dead, 1 seriously injured, police sayOne man is dead and another has been hospitalized following an apparent shooting in downtown Anchorage early Saturday morning that police are investigating as a homicide.
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »