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Tok, Alaska
Because Tok is the major overland point of entry to Alaska, it is primarily a trade and service center for all
types of transportation, especially for summer travelers coming up the Alaska Highway. A stopover here is a good opportunity to
meet other travelers and swap experiences. Tok is the only town in Alaska that the highway
traveler must pass through twice—once when arriving in the state and
again on leaving the state. The governor proclaimed Tok “Mainstreet Alaska” in 1991. Townspeople are proud of
this designation and work hard to make visitors happy.
Tok’s central business district is at the junction
of the Alaska Highway and Tok Cutoff. From the junction, homes
and businesses spread out along both highways on flat terrain dotted
with densely timbered stands of black spruce.
Tok has 13 churches, a public library, an
elementary school, a 4-year accredited high school and a University of Alaska
extension program. Local clubs include the Lions, Disabled American
Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Chamber of Commerce.
Tok has become known as the “Sled Dog Capital of
Alaska,” because so many of its residents have been involved in some way
with dogs and dog mushing,
Alaska’s official state sport. Sled dogs may be
any registered breed or crossbreed, since mushers look for conformation,
attitude and speed rather than pedigree when putting together a working
team.
Tok had its beginnings as a construction camp on
the Alcan Highway in 1942. Highway engineer C.G. Polk was sent
to Fairbanks
in May of 1942 to take charge of Alaskan construction and start work on
the road between Tok Junction and Big Delta. Work was also under way on
the Gulkana–Slana–Tok Junction road (now the Tok Cutoff on the Glenn Highway to Anchorage). But on June 7, 1942, a Japanese
task force invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the
Aleutians, and the Alcan took priority over the Slana
cutoff.
The naming
of Tok
Explanation number one:
From the Internet – which, I think, is the true story for naming
Tok.
The name Tok (rhymes with poke) was long believed
to be derived from Tokyo Camp, a road construction camp sprung up in
1943 as part of the straightening and improvement projects on the
Alcan Highway. During WWII, Tokyo Camp was patriotically
shortened to “Tok.” After much research and documentation, according to
local author and historian, Donna Blasor-Bernhardt in “Tok, The Real
Story” (1996), Tok was actually named after a husky pup on August 15,
1942 when the U.S. Army’s Corp (the 97th engineers—an all black corps)
were breaking trail north from Slana on what is now the Tok Cutoff. They
were working their way to the point where they would intersect with and
begin breaking trail southeast on what would become the
Alaska Highway. Their job consisted of not only building the
road, but naming points along the way. The young pup, named Tok, was
their beloved mascot, and upon their arrival at where Tok now is, it was
unanimously decided to name the junction after the pup.
Explanation number two:
From an information sheet we received at the Westmark Inn Tok,
where we stayed for one night.
Tok got its name from the initials of a famous
Norwegian Gold Prospector who was forced to winter in what is now know
as Tok (Tuuk ~ which means thank you in Norwegian).
His name was Thorine
Osric
Knornson.
He immigrated from Norway
in the early 1900’s, and set out to be a Gold Prospector in Alaska.
What is not well know is that Thorine cam from a famous Norwegian
Circus Family. Thorine
would hold an annual clown day on August 12, where everyone dressed up
as clowns. The date
commemorates the birth date of Thorine, August 12, 1889.
Tok’s namesake passed away on July 4, 1976; but he left behind a
proud legacy which is known as
Tok, Alaska.
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