The Last Homesteaders: Resilience and Risk at the Edge of Alaska
The unforgettable true story behind one of Alaska’s most enduring tragedies.
The Last Homesteaders: Resilience and Risk at the Edge of Alaska tells the story of John and Ginger Davidson, who left the wreckage of Sixties idealism to build a life on Alaska’s remote Gulf Coast. Twenty-five sea miles from Seward, they carved out a small farm homestead under conditions many had failed to conquer: a cabin, garden, livestock, barn, workshop, and young family. All they needed was a survey to buy the land. Then August 2, 1977, brought the full force of the edge against them.
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"The Last Homesteaders by Doug Capra is a must read for anyone interested in adventure, frontier living, Alaska or revisiting the turbulent sixties and seventies in America. It is well researched and exceptionally written. A word of advice: do not speed read this book, but rather deep read it, checking out the footnotes and appendices chronologically in order to get maximum enjoyment and enrichment. Great book!"
— Jim Fredrickson
"I read The Last Homesteaders in its entirety and will do it again! I studied the maps, photographs, and history of Alaska’s pioneers, and in doing so, I became hardier, happier, and prouder to be an Alaskan. Doug Capra is one of Alaska’s finest historians, now he must surely be at the top of the list."
— Veteran Reader
About Cirque Author — Doug Capra
Doug Capra is an Alaska historian, writer, naturalist, and former educator who has lived in Alaska since 1971. He taught in the Aleutian Islands and Seward before spending eighteen years as a ranger at Kenai Fjords National Park. He has written extensively about Alaska history, including several books on Seward and the Kenai region, and has served on the board of the Alaska Historical Society. In 2023 they presented him with the Evangeline Atwood award for his work. His writing also includes plays, historical interpretation, photography, and writing on Rockwell Kent and Alaska Nellie. Doug lives in Seward, Alaska, with his wife, Cindy.