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| Fairbanks,
Alaska |
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Fairbanks
Directory Cover
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| Location
and Climate
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Fairbanks
is located in the heart of Alaska's Interior,
on the banks of the Chena River in the Tanana
Valley. By air, Fairbanks is 45 minutes from
Anchorage and 3 hours from Seattle. It lies
358 road miles north of Anchorage. It lies at
approximately 64d 50m N Latitude, 147d 43m W
Longitude (Sec. 10, T001S, R001W, Fairbanks
Meridian).
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| Fairbanks
is located in the Fairbanks Recording District.
The area encompasses 31.3 sq. miles of land and
.8 sq. miles of water. Interior Alaska experiences
seasonal temperature extremes. Winter temperatures
average -12; summer temperatures average 61. Temperatures
have been recorded as low as -78 in mid-winter,
and as high as 93 in summer. Average annual precipitation
is 11.3 inches. Ice fog is common during the winter.
Fairbanks experiences 21 hours of daylight between
May 10th and Aug. 2nd each summer, and less than
4 hours of daylight between Nov. 18th and Jan.
24th each winter. |
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| History,
Culture and Demographics |
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Koyukon
Athabascans have lived in this area for thousands of
years. In 1901, Capt. E.T. Barnette established a trading
post on the Chena River. A year later, gold was discovered
16 miles north of the post. The town grew as the Chena
steamboat landing brought many prospectors during the
Pedro Dome gold rush. Fairbanks was named after Indiana
Senator Charles Fairbanks, who later became vice-president.
In 1903, Judge Wikersham moved the seat of the Third
Judicial District from Eagle to Fairbanks. The population
of the area continued to increase with the addition
of the court, government offices, a jail, a post office,
and the Northern Commercial Company. Barnette was elected
as the first Mayor of the City of Fairbanks in 1903,
and established telephone service, fire protection,
sanitation ordinances, electric lights and steam heat.
He also opened and became President of the Washington-Alaska
Bank. By 1910, the official population had grown to
3,541, although more than 6,000 miners lived and worked
their claims on creeks north of town. Ladd Field (now
Fort Wainwright) was constructed in 1938. Construction
of the Alcan Highway in the 1940s and the Trans-Alaska
oil pipeline in the 1970s fueled growth and development.
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| Economy
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As
the regional service and supply center for Interior
Alaska, Fairbanks offers a diverse economy, including
city, borough, state and federal government services,
transportation, communication, manufacturing, financial
and regional medical services. Tourism and mining are
also a significant part of the economy. Including Eielson
Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright personnel, 50% of
the employment is in government services. The University
of Alaska Fairbanks is a major employer. Approximately
325,000 visitors pass through Fairbanks each summer.
The success of Fort Knox, operated by Fairbanks Gold
Mining, has sparked aggressive exploration by a number
of mining companies. Fort Knox poured its first gold
on December 20, 1997, and produces 350,000 ounces of
gold per year with 250 permanent employees. 120 residents
hold commercial fishing permits.
Fairbanks
is at the confluence of the Richardson Hwy., George
Parks Hwy., Steese Hwy., and Elliott Hwy., connecting
the Interior to Anchorage, Canada and the lower 48 states.
The Dalton Highway (formerly the North Slope Haul road)
to Prudhoe Bay begins about 75 miles north of town.
Goods are transported to Fairbanks by truck, air, and
the Alaska Railroad. Regularly-scheduled jet flights
are available at the State-owned Fairbanks International
Airport. An 11,800' asphalt runway, heliport and seaplane
landing strip are available. A public seaplane base
is also located on the Chena River. In addition, there
are several privately-owned airstrips and heliports
in the vicinity.
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Home
Data in this section was provided by
the
Alaska
Department of Community and Economic Development
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