Seward

Seward, city (1990 pop. 2,699), Kenai Peninsula borough, S Alaska, on Kenai Peninsula, at the head of Resurrection Bay; inc. 1912. It was founded in 1902 as the ocean terminus of the Alaska RR (built 1915–23). Its airfield and ice-free harbor make it an important shipping and supply center for the Alaskan interior. It is a coal terminal and cargo port, and there is fishing, lumbering, and seafood canning and freezing. Tourism also bolsters the city's economy. Seward was almost completely devastated by an earthquake in 1964 but has since been rebuilt. In the city are a Univ. of Alaska maritime research station and a ranger office for Chugach National Forest. An annual salmon derby is held, and a race up nearby Mt. Marathon every July 4th attracts athletes from a wide area.