ALASKA
Alaska was purchased from Russia 30 March 1867. At first it was classified as a district (or unorganized territory. It was changed to become a Territory in 1912. In 1959, Alaska finally achieved statehood. It became our 49th State, with its capital being located in Juneau.
When originally purchased in 1867, many called this area Seward's Folly. Alaska is known for its natural riches of fur, minerals, salmon and timber and of course, oil. It was considered our closest contact to Russia during the Cold War. It has been known to have been a hothouse of political problems. For an example, in 1910, a political problem known as the Ballinger-Pinchot affair, was such a hot issue, it fractured the Republican party and had far-reaching consequences regarding U. S. Discriminatory national legislation. It was delayed from achieving statehood in a bid to maintain the state as a Republican state during the Eisenhower years. I will refer you to the following website, which covers this history in greater detail than I can here. The article is entitled, "A Brief History of Alaska Statehood (1867 - 1959" by author: Eric Gislason. Please use your back arrow to return to this site.
For extensive information on the counties, I refer you to the National Association of Counties. You will find extensive information on their website.