Fairbanks, Alaska was founded back in 1901 when a gentleman built a trading post on the south side of the Chena River but it was when Felix Pedro discovered gold that things took off. Although gold was discovered by an Italian, the owner of the trading post convinced people to name the town after Charles Fairbanks, the senator from Indiana. By 1903, the town had incorporated.
Every year, the city celebrates the discovery of gold. Gold was discovered outside the city but the city actually ended up where it is because the man who built the trading post had had a disagreement with the captain of the boat and the captain dumped him there......LOL.
There is actually a series of monuments to honor and celebrate the founding of the city outside of town, past Fox, on the way to the Missle launching facility.
Felix Pedro was only one of thousands who came north looking for gold. As one field petered out, they moved further north and west, looking for the next big strike. Turns out gold is plentiful in the area and has kept the city going. It is still being mined today.
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| Picture of Felix Pedro |
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| Information on the area gold mining. |
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| Information on Felix Pedro |
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| More on gold mining. |
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Originally, the Tanana Valley Railroad was run by two steam engines. The interesting fact is that both engines are still in service. One is in Fairbanks, owned and run by the local railroad club while the other can be found in Michigan.
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