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Fairbanks is a city located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 30,224 and the population of the entire Borough numbers approximatley 83,000.
Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the oldest college in Alaska.
Geography
Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior region of Alaska.
Fairbanks is located at 64°50'17" North, 147°43'35" West (64.838092, -147.726378)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 84.6 km² (32.7 mi²). 82.5 km² (31.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.48% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 30,224 people, 11,075 households, and 7,187 families residing in the city. The population density is 366.3/km² (948.7/mi²). There are 12,357 housing units at an average density of 149.8/km² (387.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 66.67% White, 11.15% Black or African American, 9.91% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.54% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other races, and 6.57% from two or more races. 6.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
First monument to the first settlers in Fairbanks, Alaska
There are 11,075 households out of which 39.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% are married couples living together, 12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% are non-families. 27.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.56 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 108.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $40,577, and the median income for a family is $46,785. Males have a median income of $30,539 versus $26,577 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,814. 10.5% of the population and 7.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.6% are under the age of 18 and 7.0% are 65 or older.
History
Before Fairbanks was founded, Koyukon Athabascans, lived, fished and hunted along the shores of the Tanana River. The Tanana and other rivers were also source of trade with other Athabascans and Eskimos.
In the early 1900s, as gold prospectors headed into the Klondike, in Canada, a few decided to make their way into Alaska. One of these was Felix Pedro (born Felix Pedrone), an Italian immigrant who was searching for gold in the hills of the Tanana Valley.
In the spring of 1902, a trader named E. T. Barnette was left on banks of the Chena River at what is now Fairbanks by the skipper of the riverboat Lavelle Young. Barnette had paid the captain to take him up the Tanana River to the present day site of Tanacross. Unfortunately, the Tanana could not be passed and the Chena also proved too shallow. According to their agreement, the captain put Barnette and his large stock of trade goods ashore near the present site of First Avenue and Cushman Street.
E. T. Barnette was not pleased with the prospect of establishing his trading post so far from the existing gold fields. However, when Felix Pedro arrived in camp to trade, Barnette changed his mind. If there were prospectors in the area, money could be made there. That summer, Pedro discovered gold 25 km (16 miles) north of Fairbanks and the town began to grow around Barnette's trading post. Within a few years, Fairbanks became the largest city in Alaska (Anchorage is larger now), and an important commercial center. In 1903, Alaska Territorial Judge Wickersham moved his offices from Eagle to Fairbanks. In November of that year, Fairbanks was incorporated as a city and Barnette was elected its first mayor. He established telephone service, fire protection, sanitation ordinances, electric lights and steam heat.
The construction of the Richardson Highway in 1900, the Alaska Railroad, completed in 1923 and the use of riverboats along the Tanana River increased the importance of Fairbanks as a commercial center for interior Alaska.
The Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines opened its doors in College, near Fairbanks, in 1922. The school grew quickly, and in 1935 became the University of Alaska. The University of Alaska system has since expanded to include other campuses and the original campus is now called University of Alaska - Fairbanks.
In World War II two United States military bases, Ladd Field and Eielson Air Force Base, were constructed in the Fairbanks area, in support of the effort to send aircraft and supplies to Russia through Alaska and the Russian Far East. During the Cold War, Ladd Field became a U. S. Army base, Fort Wainwright. These bases brought additional jobs to the Fairbanks area and brought military personnel, some of whom stayed and became residents of the area after finishing their military service.
Since its beginning, Fairbanks has been the commercial center for the interior of Alaska. Fairbanks is now at the confluence of the Richardson Highway, the Alaska Railroad, the Steese Highway, the Elliott Highway and the George Parks Highway, completed in 1975. These connect it to Anchorage, Canada and the lower 48 United States. The Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay begins about 75 miles north of Fairbanks. The Fairbanks area has an international airport, two military airports and many private airstrips. Goods are transported to and from Fairbanks by truck, air, and rail.
Fairbanks was the hub for the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1975-1977.
There is a park in Fairbanks built originally for the Alaska Purchase Centennial celebration in 1967. The park is now called Alaskaland and contains museums, an old riverboat and many old buildings moved there from around the Fairbanks area. There is a delightful musical presentation of the history of Fairbanks given in one of the buildings there during the summer.
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