Greeting Card from Alaska. ca. 1942, Alaska, USA, The Territory of Alaska was purchased from Russia by the United States in 1867, for $7,200,000. The area is about 590,884 square miles, almost twice the size of Texas. Juneau is the capital. Alaska is best known as the land of gold, but fabulous fortunes have been made in fish, furs, timber and other precious metals. A-Auk Lake and Mendenhall Glacier: L-Alaska Steamer at one of the Ports: A-Mt. McKinley, 20,000 feet: S-Eskimo in Skin Omiak: K-An