Fairbanks, Alaska

In 1901, E.T. Barnette established a trading post on the Chena River to sell supplies to miners heading to the goldfields. The discovery of gold near Barnette’s post led to the influx of people and in 1903 Fairbanks was incorporated as a city with Barnette as the first mayor. A depletion of the easy-to-reach placer gold and a major flood resulted in a decline of Fairbank’s population in the 1920s, but an increase in gold prices during the Great Depression brought people back. Fairbanks experienced additional growth as a staging area for military growth during World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.

Modern Fairbanks has developed around the Trans-Alaska Pipeline which opened in 1977 and the University of Alaska which was established here in 1917. Today, Fairbanks has a population of around 32,000 people and is the second largest city in Alaska behind Anchorage. The city has evolved into a significant interior Alaska hub with roles in transportation, military, and oil industries. 

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

The last place you would expect to find a world-class automotive museum would be in Fairbanks. However, hidden in an industrial park in Fairbanks is one of the great automotive museums in the United States, if not the world. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is home to over 95 pre-World War II automobiles that are all beautifully restored and displayed. A world-class collection of vintage clothing from Victorian times through the Art Deco era compliments the stunning collection of antique cars from an 1898 Hay Motor Vehicle to a 1936 Packard 1408.

This expansive collection encompasses horseless carriages, steamers, electric cars, speedsters, cyclecars, midget racers and 30s classics. There are several sole surviving examples of automobiles including a 1906 Compound, a 1920 Argonne and a 1921 Heine-Velox Victoria. All but three of the museum’s cars are operable and many get driven on a regular basis as weather permits. I was blown away with the quality of the restorations and the stunning pieces in the Fountainhead collection: it is a must see when in Fairbanks.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park opened in 1967 as part of the Alaska ‘67 Centennial Exposition, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Alaska’s purchase from Russia. The park featured a zoo and rides in those early days, when it was known as Alaska 67 and then Alaskaland. The name was changed to Pioneer Park in 2001, to reflect a renewed focus on history. One of the historic artifacts at Pioneer Park is the SS Nenana which is one of only three steam-powered passenger sternwheelers of any kind left in the United States. The SS Nenama was built in 1933 for the Alaska Railroad for service on the Yukon, Nenana, and Tanana rivers to provide access to Alaska’s interior long before the construction of roads.

Another piece of Alaskan history at the park is the Pullman railroad passenger car called Denali. This railcar was used by President Warren G. Harding in 1923 when he attended the gold spike ceremony to mark the completion of the railroad between Fairbanks and Seward. There are also a couple of museums at Pioneer Park showcasing the railroad and aviation history of the area. In the park’s reconstructed gold mining town, historic structures from Fairbanks have been moved to Pioneer Park where they now house shops, restaurants, and even a theater which has performances during the summer.

Alaska Goldpanners

Since 1959 (same year as statehood), the Alaska Goldpanners have been playing baseball each summer in Fairbanks. Unaffiliated with a major league team, the Goldpanners provide an opportunity for college athletes to continue to develop their talents and pursue their dream of playing in the big leagues. The organization’s success in player development is evident by the fact that 1,164 former Goldpanners have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams. Over 200 former players have reached Major League Baseball as players including Hall of Famers like Barry Bonds (1983), Tom Seaver (1964), and Dave Winfield (1971).

During the winter of 1905/06, two pubs in Fairbanks challenged each other to a baseball game with bragging rights, and a few adult beverages, at stake. That summer the two faced off on the summer solstice for the first Midnight Summer Game. After that inaugural game, the novelty of the event led to outsiders being imported to take on the Fairbanks team. This year marked the 120^th anniversary of the Midnight Summer Game which is played on the longest day of the year where the sun never sets in Fairbanks. The game typically begins around 10:00pm and at the stroke of midnight there is the customary singing of songs to commemorate this uniquely Alaska sporting event.

Dredge 8

Built by the Fairbanks Exploration Company in 1928, Gold Dredge 8 was designed to extract gold from the permafrost-laden ground of the Fairbanks area. Between 1928 and 1959, this massive machine would scoop up tons of gold-bearing gravel from the frozen Alaska ground and separate the gold using a system of screens and sluices. In its 31 years of operation just outside of Fairbanks, Dredge 8 produced a whopping 7.5 million ounces of gold which would equate to $25 billion in today’s gold prices.

Since 1984, Dredge 8 has been a popular tourist attraction where guests can learn about the gold rush and the role this historical piece of equipment played. As you travel to the dredge site on a narrow-gauge railroad, a retired miner educates you about the operation of the dredge and teaches you how to pan for gold. Once you arrive at the dredge site and disembark the train, everyone has an opportunity to sit down and pan for some gold. I found $10 worth of gold and had it turned into a fridge magnet for my collection. Guests are also allowed to take a self-guided tour of the dredge which I found to be an interesting and impressive piece of equipment.