Oscar S. Gill
Encyclopedia
Oscar S. Gill was an Alaskan Republican politician. He was Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska
from 1932-1933 and 1934-1936.
. He moved with his wife, Emma Dohrman Gill, to Alaska in 1907. In 1909, he ran a sawmill in Susitna
, lived for a time in Knik
, carrying mail by dog sled
from Seward
to Susitna and Iditarod
. In 1915, he moved to Ship Creek
to work on the Alaska Railroad
. As the encampment at Ship Creek grew into the city of Anchorage, Gill put down roots, floating his two-story house down the Knik River
to 918 W. 10th Avenue, where it remained until 1982.
From 1916-1923, Gill ran a lighterage service under contract with the Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1923, he opened Anchorage's first garage at the corner of Fourth Avenue and I Street.
In 1929, Gill was elected to the city council, serving until 1932, when he was elected Mayor of Anchorage for one term. He did not stand for election in 1933, but ran for a second, non-consecutive term in 1934. He was elected without opposition on the ballot and served two more terms as mayor. His son, Victor Gill, made an unsuccessful bid to succeed him as Mayor of Anchorage in 1936.
In 1944, Oscar Gill was elected to the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives
, representing the 3rd District. He was re-elected in 1946, becoming Speaker of the House in 1947. He died while still in office, November 18, 1947, and was buried in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.
The Oscar Gill House, threatened with demolition in 1982, was purchased by the Municipality of Anchorage and moved into storage. In 1994 it was restored to a new location at 1344 W. 10th Avenue. It now houses a bed and breakfast.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
from 1932-1933 and 1934-1936.
Biography
Oscar Stephen Gill was born April 3, 1880 in St. Lawrence, PennsylvaniaSt. Lawrence, Pennsylvania
St. Lawrence is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,812 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. Lawrence is located at ....
. He moved with his wife, Emma Dohrman Gill, to Alaska in 1907. In 1909, he ran a sawmill in Susitna
Susitna, Alaska
Susitna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, lived for a time in Knik
Knik, Alaska
-Alaska:* Knik, Alaska, a ghost town located southwest of Wasilla. The townsite, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, lies within the Knik-Fairview census-designated place boundaries .-Census-designated places:* Knik-Fairview, Alaska...
, carrying mail by dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
from Seward
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
to Susitna and Iditarod
Iditarod, Alaska
Iditarod is an abandoned town in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska.- Geography :It is on a horseshoe lake that was once a bend in the Iditarod River, northwest of Flat, ultimately flowing into the Yukon river.- History :...
. In 1915, he moved to Ship Creek
Ship Creek
Ship Creek is an Alaskan river that flows from the Chugach Mountains into Cook Inlet. The Port of Anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek gave its name to the city of Anchorage that grew up nearby. The river lies entirely within the limits of the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska....
to work on the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
. As the encampment at Ship Creek grew into the city of Anchorage, Gill put down roots, floating his two-story house down the Knik River
Knik River
The Knik River is a 25-mile-long river in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its source is at Knik Glacier, from which it flows northwest and west and empties into the head of Cook Inlet's Knik Arm, near the mouth of the Matanuska River....
to 918 W. 10th Avenue, where it remained until 1982.
From 1916-1923, Gill ran a lighterage service under contract with the Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1923, he opened Anchorage's first garage at the corner of Fourth Avenue and I Street.
In 1929, Gill was elected to the city council, serving until 1932, when he was elected Mayor of Anchorage for one term. He did not stand for election in 1933, but ran for a second, non-consecutive term in 1934. He was elected without opposition on the ballot and served two more terms as mayor. His son, Victor Gill, made an unsuccessful bid to succeed him as Mayor of Anchorage in 1936.
In 1944, Oscar Gill was elected to the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
, representing the 3rd District. He was re-elected in 1946, becoming Speaker of the House in 1947. He died while still in office, November 18, 1947, and was buried in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.
The Oscar Gill House, threatened with demolition in 1982, was purchased by the Municipality of Anchorage and moved into storage. In 1994 it was restored to a new location at 1344 W. 10th Avenue. It now houses a bed and breakfast.