6 Proceedings Fall 2025 I n February 1852, a group of settlers founded a small town on Washington state’s Puget Sound. Nestled in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle originally served as an excellent location for shipping lumber to San Francisco and enjoyed a robust, albeit smaller, local maritime trade. Over time, Seattle became a major industry port and, with its strategic location and well-developed infrastruc- ture, a vital link in Alaska’s supply chain. A major claim to fame, Seattle served as the final stop for prospectors heading to Canada with dreams of strik- ing it rich during the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush. On July 17, 1897, the S.S. Portland steamed toward Seattle from Alaska with what was reported a ton of gold onboard. The news ignited widespread excitement, drawing 5,000 spectators to the docks. With dreams of “striking it rich,” people rapidly flocked to ships headed for Alaska. By early September, 9,000 people and 3,600 tons of freight had departed Seattle for the Klondike, establish- ing Seattle as a major maritime hub. Attracting pros- pectors who saw Seattle as their outfitting center for the journey to Alaska and Canada’s neighboring Klondike region, the city’s population surged from nearly 43,000 to just under 238,000. Slogans like “Gateway to the Gold Fields,” “Gateway to Alaska,” and “Gateway to Alaska and the Orient” when ocean liners added routes to Asia, reinforced Seattle’s prominence. In 1949, the Alaska route became the first to adopt modern cargo practices when Alaska Freight Lines intro- duced van service using tugs and barges to transport containers mounted on trailers that could be uncoupled and recoupled to trucks. This efficient method marked a pioneering move towards modern containerization and by the 1950s, a trade route had been firmly established around Alaska’s needs for a steady supply of goods due to its increase in population brought on by the gold rush frenzy. In 1961, containerization surged, prompting major overhauls at the Port of Seattle. The Alaska Steamship Company and Matson Shipping demolished Piers 44 and 46 making way to create a new Pier 46 to accommo- date new freight facilities, opening a second container terminal in 1964. The now-shuttered Sea-Land freight company leased Terminal 5 and introduced specialized container cranes, bridging onshore and offshore trans- portation modes. Offering 25 acres of container storage, the port firmly established Seattle as a major hub before container shipping became widespread in the Pacific. Seattle: Alaska’s Economic Lifeline A bustling metropolis, renowned for the iconic Space Needle and Pike’s Place Market, as well as a vibrant tech scene, Seattle remains a gateway to the Last Frontier, playing an indispensable role in sustaining Alaska’s food supplies, economy, and connectivity. The Port of Seattle serves as a crucial hub for goods and services flowing from the continental United States to Alaska. Cargo movement via water, air, truck, and rail ensures that Alaska’s commercial activities are seamlessly con- nected with the rest of the United States and beyond. In 2014, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma joined forces to unify the management of marine cargo facilities and business to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo and jobs to the region. The result was the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), operated by the two port authorities and overseen by elected port commission representatives. The fourth largest container gateway in North America, it merges all marine cargo operations while managing 80% of all trade between Alaska and continental America. In 2022, NWSA handled approximately $70 billion waterborne trade with 180 global partners. Marine cargo operations at these facilities support Puget Sound Maritime Operations An Alaskan lifeline by lt Kelly allison Marine Inspector Sector Puget Sound U.S. Coast Guard LT annabelle gagnon Commanding Officer Marine Safety Unit Dutch Harbor U.S. Coast Guard The Last Frontier CdR John downing Chief of Inspections and Investigations Northwest District U.S. Coast Guard
