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...
I enjoy tramping through the hills or along back roads, looking for hidden gems — out-of-the-way or forgotten buildings with lots of character. One of those hidden gems is the old Chatanika schoolhouse...
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...
Olnes is pretty much just a spot on the map these days. It is about 20 miles north of Fairbanks along the Elliott Highway. A sign there (dating back to at least 1990)...
The accompanying drawing shows two warehouses on the north bank of the Chena River that were once owned by the Northern Commercial Company. N.C. Company was a powerhouse of Alaska commerce during the late...
Livengood garage buildings as they looked in about 2000 In the spring of 1914, two Ester miners, Jay Livengood and Nathaniel “Teddy” Hudson, tramped off to the headwaters of the Tolovana River (about 60...
Spring (before the leaves appear) is a great time to take photos of old buildings. I walked around some of the older sections of Fairbanks today taking pictures. This building, near the Chena River...
Ester Assay Office in 1993 Many people are familiar with the hotel and Malemute Saloon at Ester Gold Camp. But how many have paid any attention to the small frame-building on the northeast corner...
