Desjardin-Stroecker farm as it looked in 1995 The Desjardin-Stroecker Farm, located at 2.5 mile on Farmer’s Loop Road, is one of the few remaining signs of Fairbanks, Alaska’s agricultural past (besides Creamer’s Dairy, which...
Delivering newspapers at 40 degrees below zero (part 3) When I was delivering newspapers on foot in the middle of the night I had to deal with loose dogs on several occasions. Most of...
Historic cabins at Chena Hot Springs in 2009 Most Westerners exploring the Chena River drainage in the early 1900s had gold fever and were looking to get rich. Robert Swan had rheumatism and was...
View of the Tok River Valley from trail’s end I should have taken more photos, but it was only going to be a short walk before breakfast—just a 2.5 mile stroll to a...
I was taken by surprise the other day. A friend called a month or so ago and asked me why I wasn’t at the recent Alaska Historical Society’s annual meeting held in Valdez,...
Stage operated by Ed S. Orr between Fairbanks and Valdez The Ed S. Orr Stage Co., also called the Fairbanks-Valdez Stage Co., was the most successful of several stage lines that operated along the...
Clear and 20 degrees below zero. Life is good. I hiked up to Birch Hill Cemetery a couple of days ago to watch the sunrise. (Sunrise was at 10:15 am.) Birch hill is a...
or maybe it should be “Raven’s Crew tops Starbucks.” Item – Ravens in Fairbanks, after a busy day of dumpster diving and food recycling, used to fly home to their roosts, which were...
Black Rapids Roadhouse in Fall 2011 Roadhouses were essential in Alaska during the early historical period. Situated a day’s travel apart (about 25 miles) along main trails they provided shelter and food for travelers,...
This is a photo (actually three stitched together) of 55-gallon barrels stacked behind a welding shop in my neighborhood. To me, the strong verticals of the fence posts and trees, circles of the...
