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119-486: Canaan Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. The National Park Service citation indicates that the Valley is "a splendid 'museum' of Pleistocene habitats ... contain[ing] ... an aggregation of these habitats seldom found in the eastern United States. It is unique as a northern boreal relict community at this latitude by virtue of its size, elevation and diversity." The local pronunciation of "Canaan"

238-537: A pumped storage hydroelectric project , formally known as the Davis Power Project . Contentious public hearings ensued and the following year the project was denied a Clean Water Act permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . The Corps' decision cited adverse impacts upon the Valley's wetlands, a relatively new concept at the time. Allegheny appealed the Corps' decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals which ruled that

357-487: A Clean Water Act permit was in fact required for work to commence. The adverse ruling by the appeals court was itself appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which in 1988 declined to hear the case. This represented the final nail in the coffin of the Davis Power Project. In 1994, about 86 acres (350,000 m) of the Valley were purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a National Wildlife Refuge ,

476-408: A Native camp about 3,500 years old, with older remains found at deeper levels. From evidence gathered at the site, archaeologists surmise that Native activities in the area were limited to seasonal hunting and fishing as frigid temperatures precluded berry gathering. In addition, archaeological sites on the grounds of nearby Fort Wainwright date back well over 10,000 years. Arrowheads excavated from

595-466: A bachelor's degree or higher. Compared to communities of similar population, Fairbanks' crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is higher than Alaska's average, which in turn is higher than the U.S. average. Fairbanks is ranked the least safe city in Alaska by neighborhoodscout.com. (only including Fairbanks Police Department) Fairbanks similarly has a rate of rape and sexual assault three times

714-442: A density that is hard to imagine today. Under such a forest the sun never reached to ground level, humus accumulated through the ages, and fire was not a threat. The lumbermen came, ultimately, and if total and permanent destruction of the entire area had been an aim it could scarcely have been more fully realized. An official of the company boasted that in 100,000 acres (400 km) they had not left one stick of timber that would make

833-418: A household between 2007 and 2011 was $ 55,409. Males had a median income of $ 30,539 versus $ 26,577 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,814. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. The percentage of high school graduates or higher is 88%. 20.4% of the population 25 years and up had

952-866: A junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League, play at the Big Dipper Ice Arena. Prior to the formation of the Ice Dogs, the Fairbanks Gold Kings was formed as a league team by the Teamsters Local 959 in 1974. The team took on a life of its own beyond local league play, and played out of the Big Dipper for many years until moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado and becoming the Colorado Gold Kings in 1998. The Alaska Goldpanners

1071-521: A large farm until his death in 1938. Farmers Loop Road and Badger Road, loop roads north and east (respectively) of Fairbanks, were also home to major farming activity. Badger Road is named for Harry Markley Badger, an early resident of Fairbanks who later established a farm along the road and became known as "the Strawberry King". Ballaine and McGrath Roads, side roads of Farmers Loop Road, were also named for prominent local farmers, whose farms were in

1190-548: A larger effort by the federal government during the New Deal and World War II to install major infrastructure in the territory for the first time, fostered an economic and population boom in Fairbanks which extended beyond the end of the war. In the 1940s the Canol pipeline extended north from Whitehorse for a few years. The Haines - Fairbanks 626 mile long 8" petroleum products pipeline

1309-536: A local hotel and visit one or more attractions. Tourism the rest of the year is mostly concentrated around the winter season, centered upon the northern lights , ice carving and winter sports. In addition, other events draw visitors from within Alaska, mostly from the community's trading area throughout Interior Alaska and the North Slope . Attractions include: Fairbanks offers a variety of winter sports, including cross-country skiing and dog mushing. The city hosted

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1428-403: A negative phase to a positive phase from 1976 onward. See or edit raw graph data . Fairbanks first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an incorporated city and as Alaska's largest city. It was incorporated in 1903. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of the city in 2011 was 32,036 people, 11,075 households, and 7,187 families residing in the city. The population density

1547-565: A sedge otherwise found mostly in Alaska and Canada . More than 280 animal species have been recorded in the Valley. Mammals The valley and surrounding highlands provide some of the most southern pockets of snowshoe hare habitat. Other local mammals include beavers , muskrats , raccoons , opossums , and grey and red squirrels . Seen far less frequently are black bears , bobcats , coyotes , and red foxes . Of special note are large groups of white-tailed deer which can often be seen from

1666-701: A site must be one of the best examples of a natural region's characteristic biotic or geologic features. Since the establishment of the NNL program, a multi-step process has been used to designate a site for NNL status. Since 1970, the following steps have constituted the process. Prospective sites for NNL designation are terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; geological features, exposures, and landforms that record active geological processes or portions of earth history; and fossil evidence of biological evolution. Each major natural history "theme" can be further subdivided into various sub-themes. For example, sub-themes suggested in 1972 for

1785-471: A snowfall of 147.3 inches (3.74 m), while the least snowy period recorded was from July 1918 to June 1919 with a snowfall of only 12.0 inches (0.30 m). The average first and last dates with a freezing temperature are September 11 and May 14, respectively, allowing an average growing season of 119 days. However, freezes have occurred in June, July, and August; the last light frost is often in early June; and

1904-573: A trading post. The steamboat on which Barnette was a passenger, the Lavelle Young , ran aground while attempting to negotiate shallow water. Barnette, along with his party and supplies, were deposited along the banks of the Chena River 7 miles (11 km) upstream from its confluence with the Tanana River. The sight of smoke from the steamer's engines caught the attention of gold prospectors working in

2023-458: A two-by-four. Log yields were fantastic; some land on the valley floor scaled 80,000 board feet (200 m) to 100,000 board feet (200 m) of lumber ... With all cover removed, organic material at ground level began to dry out; soon it was high-grade fuel, and the inevitable fires got started. There followed such a ground fire as this state has never seen before or since. For months this humus layer smoldered, and neither rains nor snows could stop

2142-411: A very cool, moist environment that was forest-unfriendly. Later, as the ice receded, many cold-adapted plant species remained behind and survived due to the high elevation. Soon, however, this tundra-like vegetation was largely crowded out by the growth of an extraordinarily dense climax red spruce forest, intermixed with balsam fir and hardwoods. The first Europeans to see Canaan Valley were likely

2261-596: Is / k ə ˈ n eɪ n / , rather than the conventional / ˈ k eɪ n ən / for the Biblical region from which the area questionably takes its name. According to legend, this is the result of improper pronunciation by the German settler who named the valley. As the legend goes, he described the valley as being as gorgeous as the Canaan described in the Bible. His mispronunciation of

2380-669: Is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska , United States. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the population of the city proper at 32,515 and the population of the Fairbanks North Star Borough at 95,655, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Alaska after Anchorage . The Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses all of

2499-534: Is a summer collegiate / semi-pro baseball team, playing home games at Growden Memorial Park . The park is home to the annual Midnight Sun Game , an annual tradition since 1906, played without artificial lights starting after ten at night on the summer solstice. The city was briefly represented in the Indoor Football League by the Fairbanks Grizzlies . Fairbanks is the starting and ending point for

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2618-846: Is also a factor in Fairbanks' economy. Fairbanks is in the Tanana Valley , straddling the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana River . The Tanana River marks the city's southern border, and the Tanana Flats, a large area of marsh and bog, is south of the river. Fairbanks is the coldest city in the United States with a population of at least 10,000 people. Monthly mean temperatures range from −8.3 °F (−22.4 °C) in January to 62.9 °F (17.2 °C) in July. In winter, Fairbanks' location in

2737-633: Is crossed by many low streams and rivers that flow into the Tanana River. In Fairbanks, the Chena River flows southwest until it empties into the Tanana. Noyes Slough, which heads and foots off the Chena River, creates Garden Island, a district connected to the rest of Fairbanks by bridges and culverted roads. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 32.7 square miles (85 km ); 31.9 square miles (83 km ) of it

2856-535: Is defined by Canaan Mountain to the west and Cabin Mountain to the east. The northern half of Cabin Mountain is part of the Eastern Continental Divide. The Valley floor is very flat, encompasses approximately 25,000 acres (although the greater Valley ecosystem is sometimes considered to consist of about 36,000 acres). The average valley floor elevation is 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level, making it

2975-512: Is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km ) of it (2.48%) is water. The city is extremely far north, close to 16 degrees north of the Pacific border between the U.S. and Canada . It is on roughly the same parallel as the northern Swedish city of Skellefteå and Finnish city of Oulu , just south of the Arctic Circle . Because of this, the white night or "Midnight Sun" phenomenon occurs here around

3094-573: Is politically conservative, with three distinct geographical areas representing different political perspectives. The western part of the city, centered on the University of Alaska Fairbanks , leans toward the Democratic Party. The downtown area and the eastern parts near Fort Wainwright lean slightly toward the Republican Party. The North Pole area farther east is heavily Republican and one of

3213-437: Is −58 °F (−50 °C) on January 18, 1906, and the record warm daily minimum is 76 °F (24 °C) on June 26, 1915; the only other occurrence of a 70 °F (21 °C) daily minimum was June 25, 2013, in the midst of a particularly warm summer. These widely varying temperature extremes are due to three main factors: temperature inversions , daylight, and wind direction. In winter, Fairbanks' low-lying location at

3332-599: The 2014 Arctic Winter Games from March 15–22, 2014. Fairbanks has also held skiing events that include the 2003 Junior Olympic Cross Country Ski Championship and the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Cross Country Distance Nationals. A 50k race called the Sonot Kkaazoot is held annually in Fairbanks, as are the Fairbanks Town Series races and the Chest Medicine Distance Series races. Fairbanks is also home to

3451-517: The American bittern . Notable migratory songbirds finding seasonal homes in the valley include the golden-winged warbler , scarlet tanager , indigo bunting , and Canada warbler . Raptors include red-tailed hawks , goshawks and the occasional peregrine falcon and bald eagle . Fish Smallmouth bass and various other sunfish are found in the upper Blackwater River . Native brook trout and introduced rainbow trout are also found in some of

3570-637: The Blackwater River with consequent flooding of about 8,000 acres (32 km), including all of the wetland — roughly 25% of the Valley floor. Public objections were raised and, in the midst of the furor, the Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in December 1974. In 1977, the Federal Power Commission issued a license to Allegheny for construction of

3689-600: The Cold War . Fort Wainwright , previously named Ladd Field , was built east of the city beginning in 1938 and is operated by the U.S. Army . After the discovery of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field in 1968, the city became a supply point for the oil field, as well as for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System . With the establishment of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 1964, the city became borough seat. Tourism

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3808-556: The Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666, 16 U.S.C. 641); the program is governed by federal regulations. The NNL Program does not have the protection features of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Thus, the designation of a National Natural Landmark presently constitutes only an agreement with the owner to preserve, as far as possible, the significant natural values of

3927-554: The Matanuska Valley Colonization Project and the town of Palmer in 1935. Agricultural activity still occurs today in the Tanana Valley , but mostly to the southeast of Fairbanks in the communities of Salcha and Delta Junction . During the early days of Fairbanks, its vicinity was a major producer of agricultural goods. What is now the northern reaches of South Fairbanks was originally the farm of Paul J. Rickert, who came from nearby Chena in 1904 and operated

4046-813: The National Park Service , U.S. Forest Service , Bureau of Land Management , Bureau of Reclamation , Fish and Wildlife Service , Air Force , Marine Corps , Army Corps of Engineers , Navy , and others. Some NNLs has been designated on lands held by Native Americans or tribes. NNLs also have been designated on state lands that cover a variety of types and management, such as forest , park , game refuge , recreation area , and preserve. Private lands with NNLs include those owned by universities, museums , scientific societies, conservation organizations, land trusts , commercial interests, and private individuals. Approximately 52% of NNLs are administered by public agencies, more than 30% are entirely privately owned, and

4165-524: The Ski Club of Washington, DC was developing ski slopes on the Valley side of Bald Knob of Cabin Mountain Within the decade, a 3,600-foot (1,100 m) slope on Cabin Mountain and a 3,900 feet (1,200 m) slope on Weiss Knob had been developed. Because of its protection from the sun, snow on that side of the mountain often remains until April or later. In the early 1970s, Canaan Valley Resort State Park

4284-474: The Valdez-Eagle Trail was diverted to build a branch trail, giving Fairbanks its first overland connection to the outside world. The resulting Richardson Highway was created in 1910 after Gen. Wilds P. Richardson upgraded it to a wagon road. In the 1920s, it was improved further and made navigable by automobiles, but it was not paved until 1957. Fairbanks' road connections were improved in 1927, when

4403-663: The Yukon Quest , an international 1,000 mile sled dog race that is considered one of the toughest in the world. The race alternates its starting and finishing points each year between Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon. Hockey is also present in Fairbanks. Two teams include the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks men's team ice hockey, which plays at the Carlson Center , and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs ,

4522-616: The geological and ecological history of the United States. It also hopes to strengthen the public's appreciation of the country's natural heritage. As of July 2024, 605 sites have been added to the National Registry of Natural Landmarks. The registry includes nationally significant geological and ecological features in 48 states, American Samoa , Guam , Puerto Rico , and the U.S. Virgin Islands . The National Park Service administers

4641-626: The 161-mile (259 km) Steese Highway connected the city to the Yukon River at the gold-mining community of Circle . In 1942, the Alaska Highway connected the Richardson Highway to the Canadian road system, allowing road travel from the rest of the United States to Fairbanks, which is considered the unofficial end of the highway. Because of World War II, civilian traffic was not permitted on

4760-466: The 50-foot-high (15 m) Moose Creek Dam in the Chena River and accompanying 8-mile-long (13 km) spillway. The project was designed to prevent a repetition of the 1967 flood by being able to divert water in the Chena upstream from Fairbanks into the Tanana River, thus bypassing the city. After large-scale gold mining began north of Fairbanks, miners wanted to build a railroad from the steamboat docks on

4879-613: The Canaan Valley region, the Blackwater River began carving into the underlying sedimentary rock layers of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian age (345–270 million years ago) about one million years ago. The hard, erosion-resistant Pottsville Formation of sandstones is the higher layer supporting the mountains surrounding Canaan Valley and also constitutes the sharp rim of the nearby Blackwater Gorge. Tombstone-like outcroppings of Greenbrier Limestone are also exposed at places along

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4998-700: The Chena River to the mine sites in the hills north of the city. The result was the Tanana Mines Railroad, which started operations in September 1905, using what had been the first steam locomotive in the Yukon Territory. In 1907, the railroad was reorganized and named the Tanana Valley Railroad . The railroad continued expanding until 1910, when the first gold boom began to falter and the introduction of automobiles into Fairbanks took business away from

5117-477: The Fairbanks North Star Borough and is the northernmost Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States, located 196 miles (315 kilometers) by road (140 mi or 230 km by air) south of the Arctic Circle . In August 1901, E. T. Barnette founded a trading post on the south bank of the Chena River . A gold discovery near the trading post sparked the Fairbanks Gold Rush , and many miners moved to

5236-623: The Fairbanks North Star Borough was 95,655. The racial makeup of the North Star Borough was 68.9% White, 4.1% Black, 7.9% Alaska Native or Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander; 7.6% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 12.7% identified as two or more races. Of the 11,075 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18, 47.2% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who

5355-562: The NNL Program and, if requested, assists NNL owners and managers with the conservation of these important sites. Land acquisition by the federal government is not a goal of this program. National Natural Landmarks are nationally significant sites owned by a variety of land stewards, and their participation in this federal program is voluntary. The legislative authority for the National Natural Landmarks Program stems from

5474-569: The Pittsburgh company responsible for this has been proud of its job, and if it has enjoyed the resultant wealth. By the 1920s, the Babcock Lumber and Boom Company had virtually exhausted its commercial prospects in the Valley. In 1923, the West Virginia Power and Transmission Company (WVPTC, later called Allegheny Power Systems ), bought 13,230 acres (53.5 km) in the northern half of

5593-565: The Tanana River. To improve logistics in Fairbanks during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline , the George Parks Highway was built between Fairbanks and Palmer in 1971. Until 1940, none of Fairbanks' surface streets were paved. The outbreak of World War II interrupted plans to pave most of the city's roads, and a movement toward large-scale paving did not begin until 1953, when the city paved 30 blocks of streets. During

5712-467: The Tanana Valley causes cold air to accumulate in the city and warm air to rise up the hills to the north, and the city experiences one of the biggest temperature inversions on Earth. Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks , the founding campus of the University of Alaska system , established in 1917. Fairbanks International Airport is located three miles (4.8 km) southwest of

5831-662: The University of Alaska Fairbanks site matched similar items found in Asia, providing some of the first evidence that humans arrived in North America via the Bering Strait land bridge in deep antiquity. Captain E. T. Barnette founded Fairbanks in August 1901 while headed to Tanacross (or Tanana Crossing, where the Valdez–Eagle trail crossed the Tanana River ), where he intended to set up

5950-431: The Valley (as discussed in the previous paragraph above) describe it as being just the opposite, a nightmarish landscape..."gloomy, foreboding", with extremely difficult access in the 1700s. In fact, the first documented description of the Valley only 2 years prior to Harness's supposed 1748 proclamation stated that it was so wild and forbidding that it was "sufficient to strike terror into any human or creature". Furthermore,

6069-454: The Valley and is still permitted, even in the NWR, within season. In addition to the two state parks and one wildlife refuge, the valley is home to two Alpine ski resorts ( Canaan Valley Ski Resort and Timberline Mountain ) and one Nordic ski area ( White Grass Ski Touring Center ). National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks ( NNL ) Program recognizes and encourages

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6188-407: The Valley and organized the "Canaan Valley Blue Grass & Improvement Company", but his scheme to create a vast and profitable cattle ranch came to nothing. Logging of the surrounding mountains was extensive in the 1880s and '90s, but impenetrable understories of rhododendron made passage through the Valley floor almost impossible until the advent of a logging railroad in 1915. The productivity of

6307-510: The Valley continuously bringing dark muck soil to the mountaintop. Spruce seedlings were packed in, each requiring a bushel or two of soil, and by the 1940s a new spruce forest had been established on the slopes overlooking the Valley. In 1943–44, as part of the West Virginia Maneuver Area , the U.S. Army used the Canaan Valley area as a practice artillery and mortar range and maneuver area before troops were sent to European Theater of Operations to fight in World War II . Beginning in 1950,

6426-437: The Valley floor. A relatively high area within the Valley – the Central Pocono Ridge – is composed of the erosion-resistant Pocono Group sandstone. Because of its relatively high elevation of 3,200 feet, Canaan Valley has a cooler, moister climate than surrounding areas at lower altitudes. Summers are cool and humid with afternoon maximum temperatures averaging in the mid 70s °F. Summer morning minimum temperatures average in

6545-446: The Valley from Babcock with a long-range plan to construct a hydroelectric power plant that would flood much of the Valley The WVPTC was not, of course, motivated by any preservationist or environmentalist impulses, but this land purchase was decisive for the fate of the Valley and the power company proved an unwitting guardian of the natural wetlands from development. According to Michael—a wildlife biologist with 30 years experience in

6664-435: The Valley, connecting Davis to Harman . This is the only north–south highway in the Valley and it was along this route that the later development of the 20th century occurred. Electrification came to this part of the Valley in 1938. In the late 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook as one of its projects the reforestation of Canaan Mountain. In areas where there was no soil at all to work with, trucks were run from

6783-483: The Valley, was bypassed by development for many decades. As large-scale settlement occurred to its north, south and west the region remained relatively wild. In the 19th Century, the Valley was a last refuge for many of the large mammal species that were being exterminated from the eastern United States. In about 1843, for example, three elk were killed in Canaan Valley by members of the Flanagan and Carr families, local settlers who habitually hunted there. These were likely

6902-589: The Valley—had this purchase not occurred by a public utility at a time when the scientific and environmental value of wetland was not yet recognized, the northern Valley would undoubtedly have been drained and developed by commercial and private interests in the 1950s and '60s, as happened in the southern Valley. Serious accidents, even fatal ones, were not uncommon in the logging industry in West Virginia in its heyday. A particularly noteworthy one occurred on 5 February 1924 in Canaan Valley when Babcock's Engine #4 wrecked and killed superintendent Fred V. Viering. In 1920,

7021-417: The Yukon 800 speedboat race, held annually in June. Alaska State Parks operates the Chena River State Recreation Site , a 29-acre (0.12 km ) park in the middle of Fairbanks with a campground, trails, and a boat launch. Fairbanks is a regional center for most departments of the state of Alaska, though the vast majority of state jobs are based in either Anchorage or Juneau. The majority of Fairbanks

7140-457: The area. There was a boom in construction, and in November 1903, the area's residents voted to incorporate Fairbanks as a city. Barnette became the first mayor, and the city flourished during the gold rush. By World War I , the population had plunged, but rose again during the Great Depression as the price of gold increased. During the 1940s and 1950s, the city became a staging area for the construction of military depots during World War II and

7259-402: The bottom of the Tanana Valley causes cold air to accumulate in and around the city. Warmer air rises to the tops of the hills north of Fairbanks, while the city itself experiences one of the biggest temperature inversions on Earth. Heating through sunlight is limited because of Fairbanks's high-latitude location. At the winter solstice , the center of the sun's disk is less than two degrees over

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7378-410: The central business district of the city; Fairbanks is the smallest city in the United States with regularly scheduled non-stop international flights . Athabascan peoples have used the area for thousands of years , although there is no known permanent Alaska Native settlement at the site of Fairbanks. An archaeological site excavated on the grounds of the University of Alaska Fairbanks uncovered

7497-442: The chinook wind, Fairbanks experiences a handful of other unusual meteorological conditions. In summer, dense wildfire smoke accumulates in the Tanana Valley, affecting the weather and causing health concerns. When temperature inversions arise in winter, heavy ice fog often results. Ice fog occurs when air is too cold to absorb additional moisture, such as that released by automobile engines or human breath. Instead of dissipating,

7616-499: The city is a chain of hills that rises gradually until it reaches the White Mountains and the Yukon River . The city's southern border is the Tanana River. South of the river is the Tanana Flats, an area of marsh and bog that stretches for more than 100 miles (160 km) until it rises into the Alaska Range , which is visible from Fairbanks on clear days. To the east and west are low valleys separated by ridges of hills up to 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. The Tanana Valley

7735-433: The city, bending trees still laden with fall leaves. That September was also one of the snowiest on record, as 24 inches (61 cm) fell, compared to the 1991-2020 median of only a trace during the month. November and December are the snowiest months, while in contrast, March and April are not very snowy and are typically very dry months in central Alaska. The snowiest season on record lasted from July 1990 to June 1991 with

7854-400: The cold, clean streams of the area. The Valley's unique climatic and natural features attract a steady flow of outdoor recreationalists. Camping, hiking, fishing ( trout , bass ), cross-country and downhill skiing, leaf-peeping, and wildlife viewing are popular outdoor activities. Upland game bird hunting ( woodcock , ruffed grouse , common snipe , wild turkey ) has long been popular in

7973-488: The coldest months. This characteristic of the climate normally holds snow depth on the ground to below what it would be without mild periods and rainfall occurring. Canaan Valley's elevation and geographic location allow it to receive significant upslope snow ( Orographic lift ) regularly during the winter, particularly during prolonged periods of northwesterly winds coming off of the Great Lakes . Such synoptic situations can generate prolonged blizzard conditions. Located along

8092-464: The conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States . It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in both public and private ownership. The program was established on May 18, 1962, by United States Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall . The program aims to encourage and support voluntary preservation of sites that illustrate

8211-426: The designation. It is conceivable that state or local governments of their own volition could initiate regulations or zoning that might apply to an NNL. However, as of 2005 no examples of such a situation have been identified. Some states require planners to ascertain the location of NNLs. Listed by state or territory in alphabetical order. As of July 2024, there were 605 listings. Fairbanks Fairbanks

8330-431: The fire's slow advance. The village of Davis was saved by a series of deep trenches around it, these kept filled with water carried from the Blackwater River. When the destruction was complete, all vegetable matter that wasn't soaked had burned ... Bare rocks remained, and thin mineral soil, this often several feet lower than ground level in the original forest. Canaan and environs had become a desert. I have often wondered if

8449-514: The first light fall frost is often in late August or early September. The plant hardiness zone is 2 with annual mean minimums below -40. Fairbanks is the coldest city in the United States among cities with a population of at least 10,000 people. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from −8.3 °F (−22.4 °C) in January to 62.9 °F (17.2 °C) in July. On average, temperatures reach −40 °F (−40 °C) and 80 °F (27 °C) on 7.0 and 13 days annually, respectively, and

8568-460: The harsh winters and poor farming potential forced them to move to the mouth of the Blackwater a few miles away. Fansler was the first Canaan settler whose name is known, although there is known to have been an earlier abortive homesteader in the 1770s or '80s who left descendants elsewhere in the county. The rugged and remote "High Allegheny" region (what is now east-central West Virginia), including

8687-584: The hearts of men, not being fit for man or beast, and as harboring the dark River of Styx (River of the Dead), now called less frighteningly, the Blackwater River. Furthermore, the name "Canaan" is strikingly similar to "Canadian", with Canaan only missing only two letters (d & i) to spell "Canadian". The Valley, nestled among the higher backbone ranges of the Allegheny Mountains , is about 13 miles (21 km) long and 3 to 5 miles (4.8 to 8.0 km) wide. It

8806-463: The highest sizable valley east of the Mississippi River. The surrounding mountains extend upward an additional 1,250 to 4,450 ft (380 to 1,360 m) at the summit of Weiss Knob on the southeastern rim of the valley. The Blackwater River originates in the southern end of the Valley among numerous bogs and beaver ponds. The Falls of the Blackwater represent part of a water gap through which

8925-669: The highway until 1948. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of roads were built to connect Fairbanks to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. The Elliott Highway was built in 1957 to connect Fairbanks to Livengood , southern terminus of the Dalton Highway , which ends in Deadhorse on the North Slope. West of the Dalton intersection, the Elliott Highway extends to Manley Hot Springs on

9044-559: The hills to the north, most notably an Italian immigrant named Felice Pedroni (better known as Felix Pedro ) and his partner Tom Gilmore. The two met Barnette where he disembarked and convinced him of the potential of the area. Barnette set up his trading post at the site, still intending to eventually make it to Tanacross. Teams of gold prospectors soon congregated in and around the newly founded Fairbanks; they built drift mines, dredges, and lode mines in addition to panning and sluicing. After some urging by James Wickersham , who later moved

9163-408: The horizon (1.7 degrees) at the local noon (not the time zone noon). Fairbanks experiences 3 hours and 41 minutes of sunlight on December 21 and 22. At the summer solstice, about 182 days later, on June 20 and 21, Fairbanks receives 21 hours and 49 minutes of sunlight. After sunset, twilight is bright enough to allow daytime activities without any electric lights, since the center of

9282-660: The immediate vicinity of their respective namesake roads. Despite early efforts by the Alaska Loyal League , the Tanana Valley Agriculture Association and William Fentress Thompson, the editor-publisher of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner , to encourage food production, agriculture in the area was never able to fully support the population, although it came close in the 1920s. The construction of Ladd Army Airfield starting in 1939, part of

9401-410: The last elk found wild in the region that later became West Virginia. The earliest settler to make a successful and permanent livelihood in the Valley came more than 60 years after Fansler when Solomon W. Cosner began living at Fansler's old homestead in 1864. The country was described at that time as one of "...   original forests [which   ...] is swampy, but, as soon as the timber is removed,

9520-452: The last winter that failed to reach the former mark was that of 2022–23. Between 1995 and 2008, inclusive, Fairbanks failed to record a temperature of 90 °F or 32 °C. The highest recorded temperature in Fairbanks was 99 °F (37 °C) on July 28, 1919, just a degree cooler than Alaska-wide record high temperature of 100 °F (38 °C), recorded in Fort Yukon . The lowest

9639-403: The late 1950s and the 1960s, the remainder of the city's streets were converted from gravel roads to asphalt surfaces. Few have been repaved since that time; a 2008 survey of city streets indicated the average age of a street in Fairbanks was 31 years. Fairbanks is in the central Tanana Valley , straddling the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana River . Immediately north of

9758-460: The low to mid 50s °F. The average growing season of about 95 days is shorter than in Fairbanks in interior central Alaska . Sub-freezing temperatures in the 20's F (-3 C or lower) have been recorded in all three summer months (Jun, Jul, Aug.). Winters are typically cold and snowy with an average winter producing 170.2 inches (432 cm) of snowfall. The largest snowfall of 257 inches (650 cm)

9877-422: The main roads. The deer have become so conditioned to human presence that they are no longer frightened; feeding and interacting with the deer is strongly discouraged. Birds Birdlife is prolific, especially those species attracted by the valley's wetlands. These include ducks ( wood ducks , mallards , black ducks ), Canada geese and the great blue heron . These wetlands are the southernmost nesting site for

9996-466: The nation's 500th. In 2002, Allegheny – having kept development of most of the Valley at bay since its 1923 land purchase – finally sold its 12,000 acres (49 km) to the government to be added to the Refuge. With additional acquisitions, the present Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge is almost 17,000 acres (69 km) in extent. Canaan Valley shares much of the plant and animal life characteristic of

10115-547: The national average, and in 2010 was ranked the third most dangerous U.S. city for women with 70 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants. Doyon, Limited , an oil services company, is based in Fairbanks. The city of Fairbanks and the greater Fairbanks area is home to a number of attractions and events, which draw visitors from outside of Alaska throughout the year. Summer tourist traffic primarily consists of cruise ship passengers who purchase package tours which include travel to Fairbanks. Many of these tourists spend one or more nights at

10234-647: The overall theme "Lakes and ponds" included large deep lakes, large shallow lakes, lakes of complex shape, crater lakes , kettle lake and potholes, oxbow lakes , dune lakes, sphagnum-bog lakes, lakes fed by thermal streams, tundra lakes and ponds, swamps and marshy areas , sinkhole lakes, unusually productive lakes, and lakes of high productivity and high clarity. The NNL program does not require designated properties to be owned by public entities. Lands under almost all forms of ownership or administration have been designated—federal, state, local, municipal, and private. Federal lands with NNLs include those administered by

10353-532: The property nor induce any encumbrances on the property. NNL status does not transfer with changes in ownership. Participation in the NNL Program involves a voluntary commitment on the part of the landowner(s) to retain the integrity of their NNL property as it was when designated. If "major" habitat or landscape destruction is planned, participation in the NNL Program by a landowner would be disingenuous and meaningless. The federal action of designation imposes no new land use restrictions that were not in effect before

10472-410: The rail line from Fairbanks to connect the city via rail with Delta Junction , about 100 miles (160 km) southeast. As the transportation hub for Interior Alaska, Fairbanks features extensive road, rail, and air connections to the rest of Alaska and outside of Alaska. At Fairbanks' founding, the only way to reach the new city was via steamboat on the Chena River. In 1904, money intended to improve

10591-673: The railroad. Despite these problems, railroad backers envisioned a rail line extending from Fairbanks to Seward on the Gulf of Alaska, home to the Alaska Central Railway . In 1914, the U.S. Congress appropriated $ 35 million for construction of the Alaska Railroad system, but work was delayed by the outbreak of World War I. Three years later, the Alaska Railroad purchased the Tanana Valley Railroad, which had suffered from

10710-459: The record warm January 1981, Fairbanks' average maximum temperature was 28.7 °F (−1.8 °C) and 15 days that month had high temperatures above freezing. Meanwhile, during a spell of sustained chinook winds from December 4 to 8, 1934, the temperature topped 50 °F (10 °C) for five consecutive days. Unusual for such a cold place, Fairbanks has experienced temperatures of 50 °F (10 °C) or higher in all 12 months. In addition to

10829-483: The remaining 18% are owned or administered by a mixture of public agencies and private owners. Participation in the NNL Program carries no requirements regarding public access. The NNL registry includes many sites of national significance that are open for public tours, but others are not. Since many NNLs are located on federal and state property, permission to visit is often unnecessary. Some private properties may be open to public visitation or just require permission from

10948-439: The rest of the state, but its 40 botanical communities also include species otherwise found only in sub-arctic bogs and conifer forests much further north. It has been described by ecologists and conservationists as "a bit of Canada gone astray". The Valley includes several habitat types, but particularly noteworthy are its extensive wetlands, which are the largest in the entire central and southern Appalachian region; they form

11067-618: The river emptying the Valley (now called the Blackwater) was called the River of Styx, meaning River of the Dead. This dark history, along with the Valley's cold, snowy climate and eastern Canadian-like forest and landscapes, have led some to theorize that the original name was actually " the Canadian Valley ". Fansler and his family hacked out a living on Freeman Creek in the Valley for three years before

11186-578: The river exits the Valley between Brown and Canaan Mountains before cascading through Blackwater Canyon . Canaan Valley — like the very similar Burke's Garden in Virginia — is a southern " muskeg " occupying an anticline valley. The Valley itself is carved into the low dome of sedimentary rock known as the Blackwater Anticline , exposing the soft shales of the Mauch Chunk Formation . In

11305-468: The season with the highest increase, at 8.1 °F (4.5 °C), while autumn had the smallest, at only 1.5 °F (0.83 °C). However, the mean annual temperature increase from 1976 to 2018 in Fairbanks stood at a more moderate 0.7 °F (0.39 °C); this stepwise temperature change, also observed elsewhere in Alaska, is explained by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation shifting from

11424-490: The season's first accumulating snowfall and first inch of snow fall on October 1 and 11, respectively; the average last inch and last accumulating snowfall are respectively on March 29 and April 15, though there can be snow flurries in May. The snowpack is established by October 18, on average, and remains until April 23. Snow occasionally arrives early and in large amounts. On September 13, 1992, 8 inches (20 cm) of snow fell in

11543-469: The seat of the Third Division court from Eagle to Fairbanks, the settlement was named after Charles W. Fairbanks , a Republican senator from Indiana and later the twenty-sixth vice president of the United States, serving under Theodore Roosevelt during his second term. In these early years of settlement, the Tanana Valley was an important agricultural center for Alaska until the establishment of

11662-588: The second largest inland wetland area in the United States . These 8,400 or so acres of shrub swamp and bog represent approximately 40% of the wetland found in the state of West Virginia. Over 580 plant species have been documented in the Valley, notably various mosses , sedges and heathers , the large cranberry and the Canadian blueberry . Also present are the sundew , marsh marigold , jack-in-the-pulpit , starflower and Canadian lily-of-the-valley . Late August experiences impressive blooms of cotton grass ,

11781-420: The site manager. On the other hand, some NNL private landowners desire no visitors whatsoever and might even prosecute trespassers . The reasons for this viewpoint vary: potential property damage or liability , fragile or dangerous resources, and desire for solitude or no publicity. NNL designation is an agreement between the property owner and the federal government. NNL designation does not change ownership of

11900-477: The site or area. Administration and preservation of National Natural Landmarks is solely the owner's responsibility. Either party may terminate the agreement after they notify the other. The NNL designation is made by the Secretary of the Interior after an in-depth scientific study of a potential site. All new designations must have owner concurrence. The selection process is rigorous: to be considered for NNL status,

12019-401: The southern third of the Valley was included in the newly established Monongahela National Forest , the first attempt to restore the forests that the previous generation had cut down. The logging railroads in the Valley were abandoned, then the rails were pulled up in 1925. The outside world intruded again in 1932, however, in the form of West Virginia Route 32 which bisects the southern end of

12138-499: The spine of the Central Appalachian Mountains , the Valley is often near the western edge of Nor'easters , occasionally getting blizzards from strong, Atlantic moisture-laiden, easterly winds. Canaan Valley and surrounding areas were strongly impacted by the southward advance of glaciers some 15,000 years ago. Although the glaciers themselves did not extend this far south into the area, this climatic change resulted in

12257-447: The summer solstice. Due to its warm summers, Fairbanks is south of the arctic tree line . Fairbanks's climate is classified as a humid continental climate bordering on a subarctic climate ( Köppen Dfb bordering on Dfc , Trewartha Dclc bordering on Eclc ), with long, very cold winters and short, warm summers. October through February are the snowiest months, and there is usually additional snow from March to May. On average,

12376-422: The sun's disk is just 1.7 degrees below horizon. During winter, the direction of the wind also causes large temperature swings in Fairbanks. When the wind blows from any direction but the south, average weather ensues. Wind from the south can carry warm, moist air from the Gulf of Alaska, greatly warming temperatures. When coupled with a chinook wind , temperatures well above freezing often result. For example, in

12495-615: The surveyors of the famous Fairfax Line who crossed Canaan Mountain in 1746 under conditions of extreme difficulty. The origins of Canaan Valley's name are controversial. According to local legend, a German settler named Henry Fansler, who was migrating from the Shenandoah Valley , viewed the valley from Cabin Mountain in April, 1748 and exclaimed "Besiehe das Land Canaan" ["Behold the Land of Canaan"] However, numerous early documented accounts of

12614-439: The timber stands extracted from the Valley floor between 1888 and 1922 (when the last virgin timber was removed) was twice that of similar stands within the state. Maurice Brooks described the ensuing environmental damage in his classic book on Appalachian natural history: Canaan Valley had a tragic history, and its comeback has been a slow one. A hundred years ago valley and surrounding ridges were covered by red spruce forest of

12733-570: The wagon roads leading to the gold mining camps, often washed out before a permanent bridge was constructed at Cushman Street in 1917 by the Alaska Road Commission . On August 14, 1967, after record rainfall upstream, the Chena began to surge over its banks, flooding almost the entire town of Fairbanks overnight. This disaster led to the creation of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project, which built and operates

12852-437: The wartime economic problems. Rail workers built a line extending northwest from Fairbanks, then south to Nenana , where President Warren G. Harding hammered in the ceremonial final spike in 1923. The rail yards of the Tanana Valley Railroad were converted for use by the Alaska Railroad, and Fairbanks became the northern end of the line and its second-largest depot. From 1923 to 2004, the Alaska Railroad's Fairbanks terminal

12971-485: The water dries up ... Water stands in horse tracks in the woods." Cosner, a Civil War veteran known as the "Pioneer of Canaan", was a noted bear hunter. He and his sons were said to have killed more than 500 bears in Canaan Valley (as well as countless deer, two panthers and a wolf). Other families arrived to settle in the Valley in the 1870s. In 1883, a Virginia adventurer, former Texas cowboy and land speculator named Charles R. Ruffin bought 5,000 acres (20 km) of

13090-463: The water freezes into microscopic crystals that are suspended in the air, forming fog. Another one of Fairbanks' unusual occurrences is the prevalence of the aurora borealis , commonly called the northern lights, which are visible on average more than 200 days per year in the vicinity of Fairbanks. The northern lights are not visible in the summer months due to the 24 hour daylight of the midnight sun. Fairbanks also has extremely low seasonal lag ;

13209-414: The word stuck. However, it has also been speculated for decades now that Canaan Valley early on was called the "Canadian Valley", little resembling the biblical Canaan's land of "milk and honey". That speculation is based on arguments that the valley looks very similar to Canada and was first described by early expeditions into its wild, nearly impenetrable wilderness as a place suffix to strike terror into

13328-455: The year's warmest month is July, which averages only 1.9 °F (1.1 °C) warmer than June. Average daily temperatures begin to fall by late July and more markedly in August, which on average is 4.0 °F (2.2 °C) cooler than June. From 1949 to 2018, Fairbanks's mean annual temperature has risen by 3.9 °F (2.2 °C), a change comparable to the Alaska-wide average; winter was

13447-465: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age of the population was 28 years, with 9.6% under the age of 5, 26.0% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males. The median income for

13566-468: Was 995 inhabitants per square mile (384/km ). There were 12,357 housing units at an average density of 387.9 units per square mile (149.8 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 57.5% White , 7.42% Black or African American , 8.63% Native American or Alaska Native , 4.21% Asian , 0.7% Pacific Islander . In addition, 11% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino , and 9.48% identified as two or more races . The population estimate for

13685-474: Was constructed during the period 1953–55. The presence of the U.S. military has remained strong in Fairbanks. Ladd became Fort Wainwright in 1960; the post was annexed into Fairbanks city limits during the 1980s. Fairbanks suffered from several floods in its first seven decades, whether from ice jams during spring breakup or heavy rainfall. The first bridge crossing the Chena River, a wooden structure built in 1904 to extend Turner Street northward to connect with

13804-421: Was created at the southern end of the Valley in an attempt to further develop a ski industry in the state. An 18-hole golf course was also constructed there at this time. In 1970, Allegheny Power requested permits for the long-anticipated hydroelectric facility in the Valley. This power plant would have supplied electricity to major metropolitan areas of the northeastern United States. The proposal involved damming

13923-414: Was in downtown Fairbanks, just north of the Chena River. In May 2005, the Alaska Railroad opened a new terminal northwest of downtown, and that terminal is in operation today. In summer, the railroad operates tourist trains to and from Fairbanks, and it operates occasional passenger trains throughout the year. The majority of its business through Fairbanks is freight. The railroad is planning an expansion of

14042-526: Was recorded in the 1995–96 winter. Even in the mildest of winters, over 5 feet (150 cm) of snow falls. Snow pack usually reaches a maximum depth of about 2 feet (0.61 m) or more in late February. In exceptionally cold snowy winters, packs can exceed 4 feet (1.2 m) in depth in the woods. Due to its proximity to both the warm Gulf of Mexico and frigid interior northern Canada, periods of warm above freezing conditions alternate with frigid temperatures. This results in periods of rain and snow even during

14161-568: Was −66 °F (−54 °C) on January 14, 1934 . The warmest calendar year in Fairbanks was 2019, when the average annual temperature was 32.5 °F (0.3 °C), while the coldest was 1956 with an annual mean temperature of 21.3 °F (−5.9 °C). The warmest month has been July 1975 with a monthly mean of 68.4 °F (20.2 °C) and the coldest January 1906 which averaged −36.4 °F (−38.0 °C). Low temperatures below 0 °F or −18 °C have been recorded in every month outside June through September. The record cold daily maximum

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