Town of the Week

Fairbanks, Alaska
October 9, 1999

At the turn of this century, gold-seeker Felix Pedro triggered a stampede when he discovered gold in Alaska's interior. A trading post on the Chena River, which supplied the miners, eventually became the site of Alaska's second largest city, Fairbanks. As a favor, the trading post owner named his location for Indiana Senator Charles Fairbanks. Today, the area's Fort Knox Gold Mine, produces more than 1,000 ounces of gold every day.

But if mining birthed Fairbanks, the military has kept it going through operations of Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. Of Fairbanks' 33 thousand people, one in two either works for the military or other government unit. About 7 thousand students attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which is described as the ultimate adventure school, and has the largest supercomputer in the world at the Poker Flat rocket range.

Fairbanks is the hub of a 40 thousand square mile region, reaching from the Arctic Circle 200 miles north across the Brooks Mountain Range, to Denali National Park across the Alaska Range to the south. The water in Fairbanks is thought to be the purest in the world, and the town is host to the World Ice Art Championships each March. Ice from Fairbanks was shipped this month to Jerusalem where Seattle artist Dale Chihuly created his 64 ton wall of ice.

At Fairbanks, you can explore traditional Indian and Eskimo culture, abundant wildlife, the aurora borealis or northern lights, and dog mushing yearround. Its known as the Golden Heart City, our Town of the Week, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Take a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska; just listen in.

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