One of the iconic buildings along the Fairbanks riverfront is the old Masonic Temple at 809 First Ave. Fraternal organizations were extremely popular in Alaska’s fledgling towns. The Arctic Brotherhood, Eagles, Elks, Freemasons, Moose,...
SS Nenana along the Lower Yukon River during the 1940s (originally posted on 9-11-2012 – revised on 4-30-2018) The SS Nenana has been one of the premier attractions at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks....
Up until last summer this building stood at 270 Illinois Street. It was one of the buildings occupied by OK Lumber, which went out of business several years ago. The Alaska Railroad Corporation,...
The S.S. Lavelle Young at Fairbanks in 1904 Two riverboats are represented at Pioneer Park: the S.S. Lavelle Young (first commercial steamboat to navigate the Chena River in 1901), and the S.S. Nenana (last...
The Illinois Street project is bittersweet for me. While it will improve traffic flow through downtown Fairbanks and eliminate some awkward and dangerous traffic situations, it also took out several historic buildings. One of...
The Wickersham House in Fairbanks as it looks today Judge James Wickersham was not favorably impressed when he arrived in Fairbanks on April 9, 1903. The judge was traveling to Fairbanks from Circle City...
The white picket fence in this photograph, located on the lower slope of Birch Hill Cemetery just north of Fairbanks, encloses the grave of Minnie Starr Slater. She was married to Charles Slater,...
This drawing shows the Presbyterian church in Fairbanks as it looked in 1910. The Presbyterians were one of the first denominations to establish churches in the fledgling town, building a small wood-frame sanctuary at...
It seems that every year one of two old houses, silent testaments to the early years of Fairbanks, burn down, or are torn down to make way for a four-plex or office, or (shudder)...
Some people say there are two seasons in Fairbanks–Winter and Construction. We are now entering construction season, and work is commencing on improvements to Illinois Avenue and the approach to the new Barnette Street...
