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Nenana is located in Interior Alaska, 55 road miles southwest of
Fairbanks. Nenana is located at mile 412 of the Alaska Railroad,
on the south bank of the Tanana River, just east of the mouth of
the Nenana River. At 64° 34' N Latitude, 149° 05' W Longitude
(Sec. 14, T004S, R008W, Fairbanks Meridian). In the Nenana Recording
District.
The discovery of gold in Fairbanks in 1902 brought intense activity
to the region. A trading post/roadhouse was constructed by Jim Duke
in 1903, to supply river travelers and trade with Indians. St. Mark's
Episcopal mission and school was built upriver in 1905. Native children
from other communities, such as Minto, attended school in Nenana.
A post office opened in 1908. By 1909, there were about 12,000 residents
in the Fairbanks area, most drawn by gold mining activities. Nenana
was the site of a telegraph stations in 1909. In 1915, construction
of the Alaska Railroad doubled Nenana's population.
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