Seward, Alaska

Seward is a city on Resurrection Bay in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The town has about 3000 inhabitants, but is visited by many tourists in the summer.

It was named for William H. Seward, who was an early member of the Republican Party and U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. As Secretary of State, he lobbied for the acquisition of the then Russian territories in North America, which was finally consummated on March 30, 1867, for a sum of $7.2 million.

Every year on the 4th of July, the traditional Mount Marathon run is held on the 1257 meter high Mount Marathon overlooking the city. At this time every year there are more tourists than locals in the city.

Seward marks the beginning of the historic Iditarod Trail. The historic route of the Alaska Railroad also begins in Seward. The great earthquake of 1964 destroyed the harbor of Seward significantly. Approximately 100 feet of the shoreline sank into the sea as a result. In October 2006, Seward experienced a major flood. A few weeks later, the city was hit by very heavy snowfall, even for this region.