April 2, 1960 letter from Dad to Land Office
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Anchorage, Alaska
April 2, 1960
Mr. Irving W. Anderson
Manager, Anchorage Land Office,
Cordova Bldg, 6th & Cordova,
Anchorage, Alaska
Ref.: Anch. Ser. No. o43132
Dear Sir:
The purpose of this letter is to explain the reasons for the breaks in our periods of residence on our homestead.
In February of 1959 we purchased a house trailer and a Jamesway hut and commenced arrangements to move them to our homestead. Due to severe ice conditions and the steepness of grade on the road we were able to get them no closer than a point about three-fourths of a mile from our boundary. During the month of April we lived in the trailer at this point while continuing efforts to get the Jamesway onto our land and erect it. This was accomplished about the first of May, and we moved into it on May 3rd. During the next several weeks we had to walk the last mile to our homestead due to the mud during the spring breakup. It was not until about July first, and after much expense for tractor work, that we were able to drive all the way with a Jeep. In July we succeeded in improving the road enough to bring the house trailer the remaining distance. During the summer we cleared and cultivated ten acres of ground and planted it in oats.
We have three children of school age, plus one pre-schooler, and our homestead is about six miles from the end of the school bus line. So in September we rented a house near the highway in the Eagle River Heights subdivision for the purpose of conducting a Nursery School for pre-school age children. After the beginning of the school year Mrs. Lloyd and the children accompanied me as far as the Nursery each morning, returning to the homestead each night. On October 7th our Jeep broke down and we were forced to leave the homestead for a time, returning on December first. During this period we resided at the Nursery.
In December the road was again too icy to be traveled by Jeep, and we traveled the last mile to our homestead by means of a tractor. Because of this we took the children out of school and Mrs. Lloyd taught them at home. On January 10th, 1060, our tractor broke down and two days later I was obliged by my employer to leave town on a road location job, so we again had to leave the homestead. Mrs. Lloyd and the children returned to the nursery while I was away.
After returning to Anchorage I repaired the tractor, and we moved back to the homestead on march 12th. Within a few days the breakup commenced and the road became too icy even for the tractor to climb, so again we walked a mile each way to and from the point where we had to leave the Jeep. On March 31st we had completed the seven months of residence required by law and the road had become so icy as to be dangerous even to walk over, so we again left the homestead. As soon after the breakup as possible we will return to it to complete the twenty acres of clearing and cultivation required. We have every intention of making the homestead our permanent home, and with the assistance promised by later entrymen beyond us in developing the road we will be able to remain there throughout the winter.
During the periods listed when we were residing on the homestead the house which we rented in the Eagle River Heights subdivision was used only as a site for Mrs. Lloyd’s business (the “Happy Time Nursery”), and was not used as a home.
Sincerely yours,
William D. Lloyd
Mile 14, Star Route,
Anchorage, Alaska
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