he Alaska Railroad attracted another immigrant to Anchorage in May, 1920, when Carl Rivers arrived from Brainerd, Minnesota to work on the railroad as an air-brake repairman. He had been hired away from the Northern Pacific Railroad in Minnesota. Born in Oulu, Finland in 1882, he immigrated to the United States in 1900. He spent most of his younger life in Minnesota, and in 1915 was married to Hilma Lauren, who also was a Finnish immigrant born in 1882.

In July, 1920, Hilma and the Rivers’ two daughters arrived in Anchorage to join Carl. The family moved into their four-room log home at 8th Avenue and F Street. Carl had paid three hundred seventy-five dollars for the property.

Hilma operated a small restaurant in Anchorage for a short period of time; however, most of their interest was in their membership in the Suomi Club, a local organization for Finnish immigrants. They also were active members of the Pioneers of Alaska. Carl retired from the Alaska Railroad in 1946, and he and Hilma moved to the warmer climate in Auburn, Washington.

Carl died in 1957, and Hilma passed away in 1970. They are both buried in the Pioneer section of Anchorage Memorial Park. Daughter Rose married Ralph Holdiman, a member of another Anchorage pioneer family, whose history is reported under that name. Ralph died in 1958, and Rose died in 1966. Lilian married William Stolt, also a descendant of a local pioneer family, whose history is reported under the name of Fred Howe.