Alaska vs. Texas: A (mostly) friendly feud of the late 1950s

A part of a seamless weekly sequence on Alaska historical past by native historian David Reamer. Have a query about Anchorage or Alaska historical past or an thought for a future article? Go to the shape on the backside of this story

A Texan sauntered into an Anchorage bar, possibly searching for a little bit of hassle. It was the summer time of 1958, and he was surrounded by crowds of Alaskans celebrating the information of impending statehood. On June 30, 1958, Congress handed the Alaska Statehood Act, adopted by President Dwight Eisenhower’s signature on July 8. As each good Alaskan is aware of, Alaska formally grew to become a state on Jan. 3, 1959, and whereas there have been events aplenty that wintry week, the most important festivities got here half a 12 months earlier.

Texas’s standing as the most important state was a longstanding level of satisfaction for its residents, a truth even referenced within the official state tune. Nonetheless, Alaska statehood bumped Texas to a distant second place. That evening in Anchorage, one thing small snapped contained in the Texan and, all of the sudden, he needed nothing greater than to mute the nice cheer round him. So, he made his manner over to the jukebox and performed the unofficial Texas anthem, “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” As Anchorage Every day Instances editor Robert Atwood subsequently wrote on behalf of all Alaskans, “We’re sorry {that a} Texan received a black eye when he performed ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’ on a juke field the evening of the statehood celebrations. We’re additionally sorry he noticed match to play it.”

As soon as statehood was assured, a dormant rivalry erupted between the 2 generously sized states. Abruptly, there have been loud however empty political gestures, insults, recommendation, songs, books, and each different kind of doable ephemera. It was a veritable cottage trade of Alaska versus Texas jokes and anecdotes, primarily good-natured exchanges other than the occasional idiot quickly parted from his jukebox.

“Pleasant Feudin’: Alaska vs. Texas” by Texan humorist Boyce Home was the preeminent doc of the brand new rivalry. Revealed in 1959, the e book performed each side, with compliments and insults for everybody. “Alaska,” wrote Home, “has the fartherest north college in the USA. Additionally the fartherest north airfield. Additionally the fartherest north plate of mashed potatoes.” He imagined confrontations the place an Alaskan may inform a Texan, “Should you Texas of us give us any hassle, we’ll simply divide Alaska in two — after which Texas would be the third largest state!”

However, “Alaska has avalanches, frostbite, snow-blindness, and demise by freezing,” uncommon outcomes in Texas. As well as, “Alaska has the most important volcano chain on this planet — though the benefit of this isn’t readily obvious to a non-Alaskan.” In Home’s most slicing commentary, he wrote, “Probably the most well-known occasion within the historical past of Alaska was the Klondike gold rush. And the Klondike isn’t even in Alaska; it’s in Canada!”

As for Texas, it “has many pure points of interest, resembling Johnson grass, which can’t be eradicated; loco weed; mirages; tumbling tumbleweeds; duststorms; javelinas, that are wild hogs, and in case you wound, however don’t kill, one, you higher have a tree picked out; horned frogs and all of the sorts of cactus there’s. Actually, we’ve got a saying: If it don’t chew you, it’ll sting you. Nice nation, Texas!”

Nothing is allowed to be small in Texas. “Why our legal guidelines don’t even acknowledge such a factor as petty theft; nope, if anyone steals in Texas, It must be grand larceny.” The wealth was larger too. Based on one legend, oil magnate Clint Murchison Sr., father of Dallas Cowboys founder Clint Jr., wrote a verify to finish a big deal. “However the verify got here again from the financial institution marked ‘Inadequate funds.’ He indignantly phoned, and the financial institution president replied, ‘Sure, inadequate funds; not you — us!’ ”

Home maintained a constructive perspective, however others felt the lack of stature extra deeply. Disparities of geography and financial system in Texas left some communities politically disconnected and comparatively forgotten by the legislators in Austin. For some, the standing of Texas as the most important state had been a unifying level. Cities like El Paso and Corpus Christi share little else in addition to a state.

In July 1958, Houston columnist Ed Kilman wrote, “Now that the ‘greatest’ place is not concerned, some are for whacking the 5 factors of the Lone Star into as many smaller states because the Structure permits. This can be performed simply as quickly as some means is devised for letting every of the 5 preserve inside its borders the Alamo, the historic capitol constructing, the San Jacinto monument, and the opposite priceless possessions which not one of the 5 would hand over.”

The identical month as Kilman’s editorial, town council of Alpine, a southwest Texas city, declared they and three surrounding counties had seceded from Texas. On account of “the best way issues are getting into the remainder of Texas,” they’d as an alternative kind “the solemn and separate state of Huge Bend,” which was “able to be placed on the roll of the checklist of states receiving federal assist.” Alpine Mayor W. E. Lockhart assured reporters the secession was each a “gag decision” and an correct reflection of native attitudes in the direction of Texas.

Nobody seceded from Texas, and most comparisons between the 2 states had been extra lighthearted. For instance, the 1958 nation tune “Alaska vs. Texas” by Lawton Williams is consultant of the musical makes an attempt exploiting the pattern. Williams sings, “Oh, the Texan takes his Lincoln to spherical up his cattle herd, and youngsters drive to highschool every day in a brand-new Thunderbird, however Texas satisfaction is hurting now for they’ve simply been advised, that Alaska is the most important state, and the place is stuffed with gold.”

Earlier than oil, and as Home famous in his “Pleasant Feudin’” e book, Alaska was finest recognized for snow and gold. And as regards gold, Oklahoman columnist Lucia Ferguson had some recommendation for Texas girls. Wrote Ferguson, “Excellent news, women — about that new state! For thar’s greater than gold in them thar Alaskan hills. Thar’s males.” On the time, Alaska had the next proportion of males than any state. Ferguson continued, “That is our latest frontier. And like all frontiers, it presents good looking floor for females stalking mates.”

Concerning potential spinsters, she mentioned, “It could be good for a few of our clever, enticing younger girls nearing the purpose of no return towards perpetual single blessedness to pack up for Alaska. There are jobs accessible for them and higher nonetheless, husbands.” Concerning youthful girls simply graduated from highschool, she instructed they “may do worse for herself than to discover the job and matrimonial prospects in Alaska.”

For Ferguson, nothing was extra essential for a girl than a person. Males, she mentioned, “seek for new lands and new wealth. They enterprise into unknown territories. So what’s extra logical than that girls ought to path them?” Her now antiquated attitudes mirrored her context, together with that her column was printed underneath “Mrs. Walter Ferguson” as an alternative of her personal title.

In response to Ferguson, one Texan, Richard Veevers, wrote to the Every day Instances, warning Alaskans of the upcoming stampede. He wrote, “These domineering feminine leechers will likely be flocking out your manner in herds, not solely to invade your sanctuary and seize your gold, however to tie an apron string round your midriff and provide you with a boot in the direction of the kitchen, as second in command.” “Preserve your territory as a male retreat from these demanding creatures,” he mentioned. Shockingly, the charming Veevers died a married man.

Probably the most colourful examples of the Texas-Alaska rivalry are the various postcards. Postcards had been the quickest technique to money in on the phenomenon, low cost to provide, inexpensive to purchase, and accessible in all places. As soon as upon a time, if one thing mattered in any respect, there was a postcard for it.

A few of the postcards had been aimed on the Texas viewers, comprehensible given the bigger inhabitants. In a single, a Texas chamber of commerce meets to debate the Alaska downside. Amidst the smoke, there is just one doable resolution. “Alaska is larger than we’re, so there’s just one factor to do . . . BUY IT!” In one other, a cowboy cries upon studying, “We ain’t the most important anymore.” Then he laughs, “That’s, till the ice melts!”

But, whereas there are extra Texans than Alaskans, there have all the time been much more non-Texans, lots of whom are very open to any excuse to poke enjoyable at a state lengthy recognized for its braggarts. In a single such postcard, two huge Alaskans giggle at “one other of these dwarfs from Texas!” One other card declares Alaska as “Texas’ Huge Brother!” with the now acquainted picture of Alaska superimposed over the contiguous United States.

One such postcard was apparently inspiring. It options pictures of an iceberg within the Pacific Ocean above an ice-filled Portage Lake. The textual content on the entrance says, “Howdy from Alaska, verify the loopy ice cubes (typically known as Texas hailstones).” On the again of my copy is a message, “We’d like a buying methodology survey right here in Alaskan icebergs. They’re not shopping for ice on the proper worth. Schedule it for January as a result of that’s the coldest month.” The postcard was addressed to a Protection Contract Company workplace in St. Louis.

Other than geographical trivia, one enduring change was compelled onto Texas by Alaska’s admittance into the union. “Texas, Our Texas,” the official state tune, initially started:

“Texas, our Texas! All hail the mighty State!

Texas, our Texas! So great so nice!

Largest and grandest, Withstanding ev’ry take a look at;

O Empire broad and wonderful, You stand supremely blest.”

As of 1959, Texas was not “largest.” Although the tune proclaimed a lie, Alaskans had been gracious in victory. In July 1958, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted to request the road stay unchanged. Nonetheless, in 1959, coauthor William J. Marsh modified the third line to “boldest and grandest,” a much less testable declare.

Although these insults, jokes, songs and postcards signify a bigger wave of fabric, the frequency slowed down after 1959. Ultimately, Home concluded that there was nothing for Texans to be involved about with Alaska. Texas had already turn out to be “synonymous with dimension.” Because the normally cantankerous Veevers wrote in a distinct letter to the Every day Instances, “We Texans DON’T really feel unhealthy over this transfer in any respect, we’re very a lot elated over the very fact regardless that Alaska HAS pushed us into second place as regards dimension. Take Californians, as an example, their state must accept THIRD PLACE now as an alternative of second.”

The addition of Alaska finally eliminated not one of the options or charms from the older state. The considerably compelled rivalry fizzled into nothing, that’s, till the Seventies. Through the building of the Alaska Pipeline, waves of laborers from Texas — and Oklahoma — surged into Alaska, prompting a backlash in opposition to the newcomers. As a preferred bumper sticker of the time declared, “Happiness is a Texan headed south with an Okie underneath every arm.”

Key sources:

“Huge A part of Texas ‘Secedes’ from Union.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 7, 1958, 1.

“Metropolis Chamber Holds Out Hand to Texas.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 8, 1958, 1.

Ferguson, Lucia. “Completely happy Searching, Women!” El Paso Herald-Submit, July 3, 1958, 7.

Home, Boyce. Pleasant Feudin’: Alaska vs. Texas. San Antonio: Naylor Firm, 1959.

Kederick, Bob. “All Round Alaska.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 31, 1958, 8.

Veevers, Richard A. “Letter to Alaska Males.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 14, 1958, 8.

Veevers, Richard A. “Texans’ Combating Spirit Stays.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 31, 1958, 8.

“We Gotta Maintain Texas Collectively.” Anchorage Every day Instances, July 8, 1958, 4.