Guide to the Ruth Moulton and Town Square Park papers
1965, 1980-2019
Collection number: HMC-1345.
Creator:
Friends of Town Square.
Moulton, Ruth E.
Title: Ruth Moulton and Town Square Park papers.
Dates: 1965, 1980-2019.
Volume of collection: 1.1 cubic feet and 211 MB.
Language of materials: Materials in the collection are in English.
Collection summary: Papers of an activist in Anchorage Alaska, primarily relating to the creation of Town Square Park.
Biographical note:
Ruth Moulton was born in 1931 in Portland, Maine. In 1960, she moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where she held a number of jobs, including teaching high school, working for the Department of Fish and Game, driving a taxi, and working as an independent tax preparer. Moulton was active in a number of causes, particularly the creation of Town Square Park in Downtown Anchorage.
In 1965 voters approved a ballot initiative to create a park where the Egan Convention Center now stands, however no action was taken. In 1981, when the Anchorage Assembly voted to build the convention center on that site, Moulton argued that doing so went against the will of the people. A lawsuit was brought to halt the convention center but failed. Moulton led several petition drives that resulted in Block 51 in Downtown Anchorage being set aside for a park, and the subsequent construction of the park following a series of delays.
Ruth Moulton passed away in 2006. In 2010, Ruth Moulton Plaza was dedicated at Town Square Park. Moulton a 1994 recipient of Anchorage YWCA’s Women of Achievement award was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
Collection description:
The collection consists primarily of materials related to the development of Town Square Park and other causes that Ruth Moulton was involved in, as well as some of Moulton’s personal papers. The personal papers include Ruth Moulton’s emails, articles, and poems. Materials pertaining to Town Square Park include timelines of park development, correspondence, legal documents, meeting minutes, notes, promotional materials, clippings, objects, park plans, photographs, and a video of the park dedication. The collection includes some materials related to Town Square Park created and collected by Friends of Town Square after Moulton’s death.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the order in which it arrived at the Archives.
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Digital materials: The digital contents of this collection are not available online. Access may only be provided on-site in the Archives research room. For more information about potential distance access to digital records, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Access restrictions: Original petition signature sheets are restricted due to the presence of personally identifiable information. Redacted copies are available for access.
Rights note: Archives and Special Collections does not own copyright to the collection.
Preferred citation: Ruth Moulton and Town Square Park papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
“Ruth E. Moulton.” Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame. Accessed November 13, 2019. http://alaskawomenshalloffame.org/alumnae/name/ruth-moulton/
Custodial history: The materials were transferred to Dianne Holmes prior to them coming to the Archives.
Acquisition note: The collection was donated to the Archives by Dianne Holmes, John Blaine, and, Elaine Hammes in 2019, and a deed of gift was signed, by Dianne Holmes.
Processing information: This collection was described by Gwen Higgins in 2019.
Container list:
| Box/
Folder |
Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Town Square chronology and commentary | 1981-1988 |
| 1/2 | Ruth Moulton personal emails, articles, memorial tributes and poems | 1985-2007 |
| 1/3 | Ruth Moulton activism and honors for non-Town Square causes | 1996-2013 |
| 1/4 | Ruth Moulton Town Square fliers, correspondence, and notes | 1981-1990 |
| 1/5 | Friends of Town Square certificate, minutes and newsletters | 1986-1987 |
| 1/6-7 | Municipality of Anchorage Assembly, Planning & Zoning Commission, Urban Design Commission, and PRC Actions on Town Square Park | 1965, 1980-2008 |
| 1/8 | Legal documents and correspondence | 1984-1988, 2008 |
| 1/9-11 | Town Square Park newspaper articles and political cartoons | 1980-2008 |
| 1/12 | Municipality of Anchorage Charter amendment | 1984 |
| 1/13 | Town Square Park advisory committees, task force, and design committee agendas, correspondence, and meeting minutes | 1982-1988 |
| 1/14 | Town Square original designs and Anchorage Police Department Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design report | undated, 1985 |
| 1/15 | Sun rights and building height limits ordinance | 1985 |
| 1/16 | Town Center Committee report, Performing Arts Center, F Street, and F Street Mall meeting minutes and correspondence | 1982-2008 |
| 1/17 | Town Square, F Street, and F Street Mall financial summaries | 1982-1986 |
| 1/18 | Ruth Moulton handwritten notes | undated |
| Oversize folder | Artifacts and posters | undated |
| 1/19-23 | Photographs: Downtown Anchorage | undated, 1985 |
| Digital storage | Digital photographs | undated, 1965-2006 |
| Oversize folder | Ruth Moulton portrait | undated |
| Digital storage | Ruth Moulton Plaza Town Square park dedication video | 2010 October |
| 1/24 | Town Square naming effort: assembly actions, correspondence, citizens’ initiative donations, bronze plaque dedication, petition signature sheets (redacted) | 2007-2011 |
| 1/25 | Downtown Comprehensive Plan relating to Town Square | 2007 |
| 1/26 | E Street redesign and Town Square | 2007 |
| 1/27 | Town Square Park redesign, Master Plan, and process with Citizens’ Advisory Group | 2007-2019 |
| 1/28 | New convention center and garage, connectivity of F Street to Town Square | 2004-2007 |