The 1964 Earthquake devastated transportation routes from Anchorage to Seward, and sunk the earth 6-10 feet, submerging the former boomtown of Portage. A daring rescue of the rail bridge over Twenty-Mile Creek helped keep the line open in the days following the quake.
The photo of rail damage at Portage following the 1964 earthquake is from Walter Strong, courtesy of the Alaska Railroad historical photo collection. Color photos show an abandoned horse stable and cabin struggle to stand among the grassy wetlands. You can view these from the road as you drive by. Also photograph the standing "ghost forest," killed when saltwater flooded their roots.
