A timely reminder of the 1964 Alaska earthquake
Time stopped at 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, and it hangs on the wall today in an Anchorage bakery
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Time at the Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop in Anchorage ticks by. Customers pop in and out picking up their favorite treats.
A clock on the wall keeps watch. The face no longer tells accurate time. It’s frozen at 5:36 p.m. That’s when it fell off the wall on March 27, 1964.
Frieda Koper is the owner of the Flying Dutchman. Her father, Ben, was a cook at the Hofbrau Restaurant in downtown Anchorage in 1964. The clock hung in the Hofbrau until the Good Friday Earthquake shook Alaska.
When Ben returned to the damaged restaurant to try and retrieve his tools, an aftershock hit. In a panic, he grabbed the clock and left the building.
When Ben Koper started the Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop in 1982, the clock took its place on the wall, marking a jolting day in Alaska history, but also a silent reminder of people’s ability to overcome some of life’s biggest challenges — given time.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
