See how it looked in 1959

Alaska Accepts Challenge

By The Associated Press

Washington

From the southernmost town of Tongass to the Bering Strait settlement of Wales, a stone’s throw from Soviet Siberia, Alaskans observed their territory’s admission to the Union quietly and in dignity.
The actual celebrating, the wild and demonstrative rejoining at the end of a 42-year battle, had taken place when Congress voted July 7, 1958, to admit the vast region as a state.

At Nome, where the first request for statehood was initiated in 1907, the admission ceremony was the first public gathering in the Bering Sea city’s new courtroom.
“We accept the proud challenge of statehood and will seek to enhance the radiance of America’s 49th star,” said Gov. William A. Egan.

These ceremonies followed President Eisenhower’s official act in proclaiming statehood for Alaska Jan. 3. Immediately thereafter the President unfurled the new United States flag of 13 stripes and 49 stars.
The new flag, which does not become official until July 4, has seven staggered rows of seven stars each. The present flag has six rows of eight stars each.

Mr. Eisenhower said he was highly privileged in welcome Alaska as the 49th state.
Welcoming the new state and its people, the President extended “best wishes and hope for prosperity and success.”

Key sentence in the formal proclamation signed by the President read:
“Now, therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby declare and proclaim that the procedural requirements imposed by the Congress on the State of Alaska to entitle that state to admission into the Union have been complied with in all respects and that admission of the State of Alaska into the Union on an equal footing with other states of the Union is now accomplished.”