Anderson was born in
Upper Moonlight,
New Zealand to a Swedish father and an Irish mother. In 1914, he moved to the
United States to work as a surveyor in
Hoquiam, Washington. He passed an engineering examination at
Seattle University before moving to the recently founded city of
Anchorage, Alaska to work for the
Alaskan Engineering Commission. In 1927, he married Alma Menge, with whom he had three daughters: Jean, Patricia and Shelby. In the 1930s, Anderson worked on the Matanuska Colonization Project, building infrastructure to support the settlement of the
Matanuska Valley. During
World War II, he served in the
United States Army Corps of Engineers. He also participated in the construction of the
Eklutna River hydroelectric dam. In 1951, he was elected President of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Anderson served on the Anchorage City Council before being appointed in 1956 to complete the term of Mayor
Ken Hinchey. Anderson was elected the following year, but ill health forced him to resign early. Anderson died in 1960. In 1976, the tunnel from
Whittier to
Portage, which he had overseen, was renamed the
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. == References ==