Nenana, transportation town still has old-time feel

Frontiersman staff

Located at the confluence of the Tanana and Nenana rivers, the community of Nenana holds a special importance in Alaska history.

While not very big, the community at one time was the gateway to the north. Because of its location just south of Fairbanks, and the geography -- which includes the two rivers -- the community became a transportation town early in Alaska history.

When people started moving north, Nenana was a waterway town. Most goods and building supplies were shipped north on boats and barges, and by picking up goods in Nenana, it significantly reduced travel time to Fairbanks and other towns in Interior Alaska.

As the Alaska Railroad construction began, Nenana again found itself as an important town. In 1923, when construction finished, U.S. President Warren G. Harding drove a golden spike in the railroad track in Nenana, officially opening the Alaska Railroad for business.

Once rail transportation became a reality, Nenana became one of the major stops.

Today, Nenana is still a transportation-based city, with boats still using the Tanana and Nenana rivers and the Alaska Railroad still going through the community on its way to Fairbanks.

The town holds a special place in Alaskans' hearts every spring, however. The Nenana Ice Classic is a statewide lottery of sorts in which people guess the exact time, down to the second, when the ice will go out of the Nenana River. A large metal tripod is connected to a clock via cable, and when the cable breaks, the clock is tripped, and a winner is declared.