Boomtowns Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

water overflowed banks of chena river in august 1967, flooding fairbanks , fort wainwright.

construction of pipeline caused massive economic boom in towns , down pipeline route. prior construction, residents in towns fairbanks—still recovering devastating 1967 fairbanks flood—strongly supported pipeline. 1976, after town s residents had endured spike in crime, overstressed public infrastructure, , influx of people unfamiliar alaska customs, 56 percent said pipeline had changed fairbanks worse. boom greater in valdez, population jumped 1,350 in 1974 6,512 summer of 1975 , 8,253 in 1976.

this increase in population caused many adverse effects. home prices skyrocketed—a home sold $40,000 in 1974 purchased $80,000 in 1975. in valdez, lots of land sold $400 in late 1960s went $4,000 in 1973, $8,000 in 1974, , $10,000 in 1975. home , apartment rentals correspondingly squeezed upward rising prices , demand pipeline workers. two-room log cabins no plumbing rented $500 per month. 1 two-bedroom home in fairbanks housed 45 pipeline workers shared beds on rotating schedule $40 per week. in valdez, apartment rented $286 per month in december 1974 cost $520 per month in march 1975 , $1,600 per month—plus 2 mandatory roommates—in april 1975. hotel rooms sold out far away glenallen, 115 miles (185 km) north of valdez.

the skyrocketing prices driven high salaries paid pipeline workers, eager spend money. high salaries caused corresponding demand higher wages among non-pipeline workers in alaska. non-pipeline businesses not keep demand higher wages, , job turnover high. yellow cab in fairbanks had turnover rate of 800 percent; nearby restaurant had turnover rate of more 1,000 percent. many positions filled high school students promoted above experience level. meet demand, fairbanks high school ran in 2 shifts: 1 in morning , other in afternoon in order teach students worked 8 hours per day. more wages , more people meant higher demand goods , services. waiting in line became fact of life in fairbanks, , fairbanks mcdonald s became no. 2 in world sales—behind opened stockholm store. alyeska , contractors bought in bulk local stores, causing shortages of cars tractor parts, water softener salt, batteries , ladders.

the large sums of money being made , spent caused upsurge in crime , illicit activity in towns along pipeline route. exacerbated fact police officers , state troopers resigned in large groups become pipeline security guards @ wages far in excess of available in public-sector jobs. fairbanks second avenue became notorious hangout prostitutes, , dozens of bars operated throughout town. in 1975, fairbanks police department estimated between 40 , 175 prostitutes working in city of 15,000 people. prostitutes brought pimps, engaged in turf fights. in 1976, police responded shootout between warring pimps wielded automatic firearms. , large, however, biggest police issue number of drunken brawls , fighting. on pipeline itself, thievery major problem. poor accounting , record keeping allowed large numbers of tools , large amounts of equipment stolen. los angeles times reported in 1975 many 200 of alyeska s 1,200 yellow-painted trucks missing alaska , scattered miami mexico city . alyeska denied problem , said 20–30 trucks missing. theft problem typified pipeliners practice of mailing empty boxes pipeline camps. boxes filled items , shipped out. after alyeska ruled packages had sealed in presence of security guard, number of packages being sent camps dropped 75 percent.