on local history by local historian David Reamer. Have a question about Anchorage history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story. Part of this history series is the interaction with Alaskans, and I have answered around 800 reader-submitted history questions. The questions have ranged from the personal to the global, family histories to global pandemics. The following are some of the best questions and answers. What’s the early history of the Anchorage dock? Anchorage did not have a dock to which freighters and steamers could tie up directly until September 1919. Before then, ships anchored offshore with passengers and goods transferred to lighters and barges that carried them to shore. The transition was not always smooth.