The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers in Fairbanks, Alaska was a large 54 feet tall, 196 feet long wooden structure. It had a total of 26 coal chutes for dispensing coal into trucks. It was built in 1932 and played an important role in the history of Fairbanks.
 
  

Temporary Photo addition: Click here to see photos of Nordale School and Denali School. There will be a Fairbanks school bond election on October 8. The fate of these 2 schools hangs in the balance. (Update: The October 8, 2002 election has come and gone, but these Nordale and Denali school photos will be kept on this website for a while longer.)

 Now, what follows below has to do with the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers (not schools).
 

                                                    Photo by Michael L. Dorsey   1996
 In 1996, as coal sales diminished, it was decided that the structure would be torn down so as to make room for the expansion of a nearby retail lumber business.
    Some historical preservationists would like to save a piece of it.

 
 
 

Click image to see full size

 

Contents

Click on the picture below to see a full size cutaway view of a section of the Coal Bunkers.

Top of this page  Contents - (you are here right now.) Brief summary  Introductory background note  History (1932....)  Mechanical explanation  Past owners of the Coal Bunkers  Chronology (1996, 1997)  Photos showing disassembly of the Coal Bunkers  Thank you list  1997 activities (after disassembly)  1998 events    1999 events     2001 events  2002 events    2004 events A proposal for preserving a 73 foot long piece of the Coal Bunkers  A proposal for preserving a smaller 37 foot long piece of the Coal Bunkers.   What's new? List <Click here> to see a list of recent additions to this website.  Photos and diagrams  (Fairbanks Coal Bunkers - in addition to the photos on this main page.)  Other coal structures in the U.S.  Links to other websites (list)

 

Brief Summary

Local citizens, interested in historical preservation, tried to save the structure in place.  The lumber company insisted that the structure must be removed, but agreed to donate the structure to the preservationists with the stipulation that it be removed by April 30, 1997.   The historical preservation people, carefully dismantled the structure and moved the pieces across the street. They (The Friends of the Coal Bunkers group) were hoping to rebuild it in that general area.  The coal bunkers group was unable to secure the site where they had wanted to rebuild the bunkers.  They then looked favorably on a proposal to build a 73 feet long piece of the coal bunkers on a different nearby site.  They are hoping to secure the support necessary to accomplish this. They would welcome any ideas for helping to preserve a portion of the coal bunkers on this or any other site. 2005 Update: We no longer have 73 feet of Coal Bunkers. All we have is is a piece that is 14 feet long and 24 feet wide and 29 feet tall. This small section has only 1 chute opening per side (total of 2 coal chute openings). But we still want to set up what we have. We will have to rebuild the corrugated metal house on top. We plan to build a model of the original 196 foot long bunkers and have it displayed upstairs.

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Introductory Background Note

The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers was a unique and architecturally interesting structure. It was an important part of our Fairbanks, history and has provided coal to heat our homes and businesses for many decades. The Coal Bunkers was a symbol of how we and our ancestors lived, and helped us to reflect upon our progress.

 First, Fairbanks was in the wood burning age. In the 1920's, we graduated into the coal burning age. Now, we are in the oil burning age. Possibly, in the future, we may rely on natural gas as our primary source of heat.

The Coal Bunkers should be preserved

At the turn of the century, there were many wooden post and beam type coal handling structures. But over the years, practically all of them have been removed and lost to history. They have been replaced by structures of concrete and steel.

The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers may be the last of its kind. Many tourists appreciate seeing unique structures like this in a frontier type town.

Fairbanks has a dry, cold climate with no termites. The coal bunkers is structurally sound, and with proper care, should be able to last for hundreds of years. Our great great great grandchildren will thank us if we can save it.

The Coal Bunkers, which was built in 1932, was located at 270 Illinois Street. Next door, on the north side of the original bunker site, lumber selling operations have been going on for decades. For many years, Fairbanks Lumber Supply operated their business there at 272 Illinois Street. They went out of business in about 1988. In approximately 1989, OK Lumber Company moved to 272 Illinois Street from their former location at 4 Mile Old Steese Highway.

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History (1932...)

Photo-Courtesy Candy Waugaman

1932

•  The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers were built by the Healy River Coal Corporation, which was headed by Captain Austin E. Lathrop, an Alaskan Pioneer. (Lathrop High School is named after him). The original blueprint was prepared by the LINK-BELT COMPANY -Pacific division. (Blueprint title: RETAIL COAL BUNKER;   HEALY RIVER COAL CORP.   FAIRBANKS, ALASKA;   Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0";   Order No. 9009;   Date: 4-28-32;  Revised: 5-2-32)

Sept. 28, 1932

•  The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers are praised by O.F. Ohlson, General Manager of the Alaska Railroad. They are the best he has seen anywhere, and he has visited and inspected hundreds of coal bunker facilities in the States. (c.f. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Sept. 28, 1932, Page 1)

May 19, 1933

• The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner features an in depth front page story and photo about the Coal Bunkers: "Coal bunkers of the most modern kind, designed to meet all the requirements of Fairbanks and adjacent communities, erected in Fairbanks in 1932 by the Healy River Coal Corporation, proudly dominate the industrial section of Garden Island. These coal bunkers are the largest and  most up to date in Alaska..."

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Courtesy Candy Waugaman

Mechanical Explanation	Photo by Michael L. Dorsey     1996
Originally, there was a long, wooden, inclined railroad ramp, that led up to the upper part of the Coal Bunkers.    A steam locomotive would push coal cars up into the 'house' area of the coal bunkers, where they would dump their load.    In about 1962, the ramp was removed and replaced with an electric powered, steel conveyor system.    The original railroad tracks in the upper part of the coal bunkers were left intact, but were never used again.    In the newer coal delivery system, the railroad coal cars would be parked on ground level track, at about 70 feet from the west end of the coal bunkers. They would then dump their coal into a concrete pit in the ground. A long steel inclined conveyor would then move the coal from the pit, to the upper part of the coal bunkers.
The inclined conveyor would then dump the coal onto another long conveyor. This second conveyor was located inside the upper 'house' area of the coal bunkers. It was horizontal and roughly 150 feet long.	Photo by Michael L. Dorsey    1996
By opening and closing various slide trays, that were built into the conveyor structure, coal could be dropped down into any one of several coal storage compartments.    The photo shows one of the slide tray doors in the pulled out position. This has created an opening in the steel plate "floor" of the upper level of the horizontal conveyor. The conveyor "pusher blades" would push the coal along the steel plate "floor". But when the coal came to the opening, it would fall down into the coal compartment below.	Photo by Randolph S. Griffin     1997

                                                                                                                      *Source: From information obtained by Janine Dorsey

Past Owners of the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers (1932 - 1996)*

1932-1953    Healy River Coal Corporation 1953-1960    Suntrana Mining Company Inc. 1961-1975    Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc. 1975-1981    Mark Ringstad 1981-1995    Alaska Construction & Mining Equipment, Inc. 1995-1996    John Reeves

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  Chronology (1996, 1997)

Co-owner of OK Lumber, Mr. Kruckenberg, buys the Coal Bunkers structure. OK Lumber would also like to lease the strip of ground that the Bunkers sits on, from the Alaska Railroad Corp.

OK Lumber would like the bunkers removed so that they can expand their business.

Since OK Lumber now owns the structure, they have the right to do with the Coal Bunkers as they please.

                OK Lumber starts to dismantle the Coal Bunkers.
                Local citizens interested in historical preservation ask OK Lumber to
                please hold off on tearing down the Coal Bunkers.
         On Nov. 10, 1996, an ad appears in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, expressing concern
                    about the proposed destruction of the Coal Bunkers and other historic sites.  The ad
                    is signed by 315 citizens, and was placed in the newspaper by Patti Skondovitch and others.

OK Lumber agrees to donate the Coal Bunkers, structure to the Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation, with the stipulation that the Foundation must remove the structure by May 30th, 1997.

The Alaska Railroad Corp. agrees to lease the land that the Coal Bunkers sits on, to OK Lumber/ Ace Hardware.

The Coal Bunkers sells its last load of coal to a customer with a pickup truck.

A museum display and art show is put on by the Friends of the Coal Bunkers group, at the Fairbanks Community Museum at 5th & Cushman. Many artists who have been inspired by the aesthetic appeal of the Bunkers, display their paintings during the month long show.

The Friends of the Coal Bunkers Group would like to see the Coal Bunkers preserved on their original site. But since it doesn't appear that OK Lumber is going to change its mind, they struggle to find a new location to move the Bunkers to prior to the May 30th, 1997 deadline.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly passes a resolution supporting the historic preservation and relocation of the Coal Bunkers. The resolution respectfully requests that the Alaska Railroad grant a special use permit, so that the Coal Bunkers can be moved onto their land on the south side of Phillips Field Road.
(The resolution was introduced by assembly member Nancy Webb.)

The Alaska Railroad Corporation approves a one year permit allowing the Coal Bunkers to be temporarily stored on railroad property behind the Garden Island Party Store. The location is on the south side of Phillips Field Road and is across the street from where the Bunkers have stood since 1932.

May 4, 1997

The Fairbanks Fire Department does a good job of washing the coal dust out of the Bunkers with their water hoses.

Volunteers begin the painstaking process of documenting the various parts of the Bunkers so that they can be numbered as they are removed. This is necessary if the Bunkers are ever going to be put back together again.

Volunteers start removing a few pieces from the Bunkers, in an effort to save the structure before the May 30, 1997 deadline.

The volunteers have made progress, but are unable to meet the deadline. OK Lumber grants them a 30 day extension. The new deadline is June 30, 1997.

 The chutes and corrugated galvanized metal awning is removed. Then the upper "house" sections are lowered down by crane. The 181 feet long bottom half section is cut into 5 parts, each about 36 feet long.

The last remaining piece (38 feet long) from the lower section is removed. This is the eastern most piece and contains the stairway.

The very last piece of the Coal Bunkers is taken down. This is the vertical wooden pole structure that had supported the balcony at the west end of the bunkers.

• Sandstrom and Sons Inc.   (provided big crane),  Jack Oman
• Airport Equipment Rentals   (provided 55 ton crane)
• DCT House Moving & General Contractors   (moved giant sections)
• Alaska Railroad Corporation   (provided giant fork lift, smaller fork lift, and storage across the street),  Mike Olson
• Alcan Builders Inc. (removed chutes and awning)
• Craig Taylor Equipment   (loaned fork lift)
• Lawson Roofing and Remodeling  (labor and material)
• Fairbanks Fire Department   (cleaned structure with fire hoses)
• Carlile Enterprises Inc. (provided giant fork lift),  John Bivens
• Denali Fenceworks (provided fencing),  Joe Vargas
• Patricia Peirsol Architects
• Joseph Notkin & Associates   (Architects)

During the next few months, The Friends of the Coal Bunkers worked on a site plan which incorporated the Coal bunkers into a larger overall concept involving a "multimodal transportation center" with an "Old Town Fairbanks" historical theme. Their site plan specified that the bunkers should be reerected next to where the pieces are stored, and about 200 feet to the north of the Alaska Railroad passenger depot. However, The Alaska Railroad had offered the site only as a temporary, 1 year storage area for the pieces.

In an effort to persuade the railroad on the merits of the concept, the Friends group negotiated with the Railroad for a period of time.

Early on, however, the Railroad has indicated a willingness to consider the possibility of leasing another nearby piece of railroad property to the coal bunker group. This property is on the west side of Driveway Street and south of Phillips Field road and is about 500 feet from where the Coal Bunkers originally stood.
The Railroad extended the deadline for removing the Coal Bunker pieces from their land, to July 22, 1998.
    The Friends of the Coal Bunkers group (chairperson: Patricia Peirsol), was a separate ad hoc organization that operated under the nonprofit designation of the Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation.  It was the FHP Foundation that actually owned the coal bunker pieces.
  

Ultimately, in mid July of 1998, the FHP Foundation accepted the bid from DCT House Moving and General Contractors. The FHP Foundation transferred ownership of the Bunker pieces to DCT. It was felt that DCT was best equipped to accomplish the task of removing the bunkers. (c.f. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, July 17, 1998, A-7)

 Most of the Coal Bunkers will be fully disassembled so that its' valuable timbers can be used for other purposes.
However DCT has expressed a willingness to consider donating a 73 feet long portion of the Coal Bunkers (the east end) to the Alaska Historic Properties Inc. non-profit group. Alaska Historic properties would like to reerect the 73 feet long section of the bunkers, as a coal bunker monument to the history of coal in Fairbanks. They would like to erect it on the west side of Driveway Street and South of Phillips Field Rd and about 500 feet from where the original 196 feet long Coal Bunkers once stood.
    In December 1998, DCT moved the pieces that make up the 73 feet long portion, from behind the Garden Island Party Store, to a new location further west on Phillips Field Road.
 

• May 1999 - OK Lumber moves their big 140 feet long warehouse about 515 feet to the west, so as to make room for their new parking lot, which is now on the south side of their retail hardware store. The 140 feet long warehouse used to sit 40 feet to the north of where the Coal Bunkers used to stand. (There is a map elsewhere in this web site, showing how it used to be.  Map )  The coal bunker scale house building is still standing at the corner of Illinois street and Phillips Field Road. The business there is: Fairbanks Fasteners/Senco Alaska.

• August 1999 - A chain link fence was installed around the coal bunker sections (located on the south side of Phillips Field Rd.).   (Fence material donated by Denali Fenceworks)

• October 7, 2001 - The old Heat Inc. building at 1115 Phillips Field Road was removed with a practice burn by the Fairbanks Fire dept. Within a few days, all traces of it were removed, and the ground was smoothed over. In more recent years, the building had been occupied by a motorcycle repair business. The smoothed over lot has now been offered for lease. The land is owned by the Alaska Railroad. The remaining portion of the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers is stored next to this lot (at the corner of Phillips Field Road and Driveway Street).

• Coal Bunkers to be demolished?  In the Fairbanks Daily News Miner (Feb. 4, 2002, page B-1), in the Dermot Cole column, the following article appeared:  "A LEGAL AD PUBLISHED last week suggests that the remnants of the Coal Bunkers, stored on Pioneer Road, have been claimed by an individual and that the city has approved plans to demolish them. City officials weren't sure of the details when I asked about them Friday."
• Additional information about the legal ad mentioned above, indicates that plans have been changed, and that, demolition, by the individual named in the legal ad, is not imminent. The individual named in the legal ad is not the owner of the Coal Bunkers. (March 12, 02 update)
• The Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad operates "Engine No. 1" at Alaskaland. It is a restored steam locomotive that first came to Fairbanks in 1905. It burns coal and pulls passengers around the park. (There is also another train at Alaskaland ["No. 67"], that is powered by a gasoline engine.) There has been some talk, that there is a possibility, that at least some portion of the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers could be used at Alaskaland (now named "Pioneer Park"), as a coaling tower for the steam locomotive. (July 9, 02) Update: The Tanana Valley Railroad has decided not to use the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers for their coaling needs. However, moving a small 37 foot long piece of the Coal Bunkers to Pioneer Park is an idea that ought to be considered.

• The Alaska Railroad has indicated (Feb 04) that they will soon takes steps to remove the Coal Bunker pieces from their land (corner of Driveway Street and Phillips Field Road). So it is urgent that the group of people interested in the Coal Bunkers, find some place to move them to. The Alaska Railroad certainly has been patient for these last several years in allowing storage on their land for the Bunker pieces.
• The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers are slated to be disassembled and removed from its present location within a short time. The Alaska Railroad conducted a bid sale on Tuesday March 30, 2004 and sold the Coal Bunker pieces to an individual who is said to be a heavy timber framer.
• The new owner certainly has the right to do as he pleases with the Coal Bunkers. But perhaps an offer could be made to the new owner, to purchase the Coal Bunkers, so as to preserve them intact as a historical tourist attraction.
• The Historical Bunker people have been short of money and without a definite spot of land (that they could afford) where they could reassemble the 73 feet long existing section of the Coal Bunkers. Also, their plans have been in limbo because they were waiting to see what might happen with the land where the existing railroad depot is located (on the east side of Driveway street). There are plans to build a new railroad depot near the Johannson Expressway and Danby Street. When this happens, the existing depot will be taken out of service. The Bunker people thought that this might possibly open up a spot for the placement of the Coal Bunkers.
• One thought is to not build the 73 foot long section, but rather only half of that amount. This would be a 37 foot long section. The advantage of that possible idea is that the Bunkers would have a smaller footprint, and finding a place for it would be easier. Also a small 37 foot long section could be erected at a "temporary" location, and then wheels or rollers could be used to move it several hundred feet to another location if that became necessary. Since it would be fairly small and compact, it could be moved intact and in the upright position. However, the corrogated metal upper "house" section might have to be temporarily removed from the lower timber base structure, so that the base could be moved under overhead wires.  A 37 foot section would be more managable than the 73 foot long section.
• On April 8, 2004, several citizens testified at the Fairbanks North Star Borough assembly meeting in support of saving the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers. It was requested that the Borough consider making an offer to purchase the Coal Bunkers from the new owner who is contracted to clear them off of the Railroad's land within a short time.
• "Bunker backers scramble" is the title of a newspaper article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, April 15, 2004, page B-1.
• April 24, 04 - The corrogated metal "house" section of the coal bunkers has been disassembled by the new owner (Randy Bryner) and his crew. The Alaska Railroad has placed a deadline on Randy Bryner to remove the coal bunker sections off their land. In order to meet the deadline, Randy Bryner must disassemble the coal bunkers. Randy Bryner is a heavy timber framer and plans to use the valuable individual timbers for other construction projects. Randy Bryner is also a superintendent on another major building project that is faced with a completion deadline.
• Patricia Peirsol (of Friends of the Coal Bunkers / Alaska Historic Properties Inc.) and some of the officials from the Tanana Valley Railroad Group (little steam engine) have been talking to the City and Borough about the possibility of storing a piece of the coal bunkers in the City's Cable Storage Yard on 2nd Ave. (Next to the City's snow dump, to the east of the Carlson Center.)
• Apr 30, 04 - R. Griffin (of Friends of the Coal Bunkers / AHP Inc.) sends an email to Randy Bryner (owner of the Coal Bunker sections and a heavy timber framer). Griffin's email tells of the possibility of storing a piece of the Coal Bunkers in the City's Cable Storage Yard if Randy Bryner were to sell a section of the Bunkers to the Bunker historical group. The email goes on to suggest some sale / lease scenerio proposals.
• May 11, 12, 2004 - Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker and City Mayor Steve Thompson give their OK (letters of non objection) to the storage of a possible Coal Bunker section in the City's Cable Storage Yard. (The Borough owns the land, but the City operates the storage yard). The storage granted is for one year for a small rental fee. We of the Bunker historical group are grateful to the two mayors and other city and borough officials who helped make this storage site available to us.
• Randy Bryner is working under a deadline imposed by the Alaska Railroad to remove the Bunker pieces off of Railroad land. So now that the Bunker historical group has a 1year storage site, thanks to the City and Borough, it is now more likely that Randy Bryner might consent to sell a piece of the Bunkers to the historical group. However, the historical group is still hampered by a shortage of up front cash with which to purchase a part of the valuable Coal Bunkers.
• Randy Bryner offers to donate a portion of the Coal Bunkers to the historical group (during a May 14, 04 telephone call with R. Griffin). Randy B. offers the easternmost 1 chute section. This is the part that had some of the stairs in it. It is 14 feet thick, 24 feet wide and 29 feet tall. It has a total 2 chute openings (1 on each side). Randy B. does not want any money from us. He is donating it. He does ask that we remove the piece in a timely manner so as to satisfy the Alaska Railroad's requirements. Randy Bryner also donates some of the galvanized corrugated metal siding to the historical group. We of the Bunker historical group are very grateful for Randy Bryner's generous donation. Over the last few years we were unable to do anything with the coal bunker sections at that Phillips Field Road site, and it looked like we were going to lose it all. So we are relieved and happy that we were able to obtain a piece. Though it is small compared to what once was the Coal Bunkers of 1997, It is the biggest possible single piece that can be transported down the road.
• Randy Bryner and his crew work on taking apart the coal bunkers and by May 29, 04, it is all down and apart exept for the section that he is donating to the historical group.
• July 8, 04 -  R. Griffin returns chain link fencing back to Denali Fenceworks (2950 Van Horn Rd.) (218 feet and 1gate). We had borrowed the fencing on July 19, 1999 to enclose the Coal Bunkers. Thanks again to Denali Fenceworks.
• On July 17, 04, the Coal Bunker is rolled 2 feet to the north with steel rollers and a hand crank come-a-long winch so as to get it into a better position to be tipped over. It needs to be tipped over so that it will be shorter when transported on a lowboy trailer (so as to get under overhead telephone wires). The bunker is jacked down off the dunnage timbers and onto the ground
• Leonard Taylor of Taylor's Crane Service helps us greatly by tipping over the Coal Bunker on July 30, 04. He did not charge us anything for this valuable service.
• Chris Haigh and R. Griffin roll the Coal Bunker another 2 feet to the north with steel rollers (Aug. 7, 04).
• Grifford Steel loans steel beam to help with the transport of the Coal Bunker - 8/15/04.
• OK Lumber / Ace Hardware (Rich Kruckenberg, Kyle, Norman and Dean) help us tremendously by loading the Coal Bunker onto their lowboy trailer and transporting it from Phillips Field Road to the City's cable storage yard on 2nd Avenue, just east of the Curling Club and the Carlson Center. OK lumber charged a very reasonable fee for this great service. The pilot cars did a good job too.
• This moving of the Coal Bunker occurred on Monday night / Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, 2004.
• Clark Milne did the work in getting the travel permits.
• Clark Milne, Tim Sharp and Abe Milne removed, and later replaced the gate and some fencing at the City's cable storage yard. This is so the lowboy and bunker (24 feet wide) could get into the storage yard.

Thank you List (2004)
In 2004 we accomplished the moving of a small section of the coal bunkers from Phillips Field Road to the City's cable storage yard. A number of people helped in this endeavor and we are grateful to them:

2005 Update: The proposals below are out of date. The amount of Coal Bunkers shown below no longer exists. All we have now is a small section with only 1 chute opening per side (total of 2 chute openings).

Length (at Base)    73 feet
Width (at base)    23'-10"
Height:    54'

Click on picture to see full size. (130 KB) Extra windows are shown in this drawing.  This design is just one possibility.  There are and will be other ideas.  The original Coal Bunkers had no windows, except  for one set,  high up on the east end wall. Click here for a different view (a look at the  opposite side)

Constructed from a piece (the east end) of the original 196 feet long Coal Bunkers structure.  The original structure was built in 1932 by Cap Lathrop of the Healy River Coal Corporation. It was the one building in Fairbanks that had railroad tracks upstairs.    Proposed location: South of Phillips Field road and west of Driveway street, and about 500 feet from the original Coal Bunkers location. {Update (July 9. 2002): This "Proposal" was written during the last millenium (1999), and it looks like the Bunkers may not be able to be set up at this Phillips Field Road location. See "2002 events" for some updated possibilities.}    Future Uses: If the 1600 square feet upstairs area was insulated and heated, there could be many year round uses. Part of the upstairs could be reserved for photographs and a model showing how the original Coal Bunkers looked.   There should also be information on the history of the Railroad and the history of the Healy coal fields. [Before the introduction of coal and rail to Fairbanks, much of the surrounding area had become deforested due to wood fuel requirements.]

Click on picture to see  full size.

Another Possible Proposal is to erect only a 37 foot long piece of the Coal Bunkers. The part containing the original Coal Bunker stairs (see drawing of 73 foot piece above)would not be used. Instead, a new set of stairs, that adhere to the current building codes would be built. The new stairs could be situated at one end of the Coal Bunkers. Or if it was desired to maintain the smallest footprint, the new stairs could be made to go up through the inner part of the coal bunker structure.    The advantage of the smaller section is that it could be erected more easily and could be of interest to tourists sooner. It is small enough, so that if it ever had to be moved, it could be put on rollers or wheels and moved in its erected and upright state. However, the upper corrogated metal "house" section would probably have to be taken off if it had to slip under any overhead powerlines.

The unique massive timber architecture will be of interest to many tourists. Windows upstairs would afford a good view of that part of town.

 Timing: This monument should be erected prior to the upcoming Fairbanks Centennial, during which time we will be celebrating and recognizing our heritage. (Update: It is now 2004, and the Fairbanks Centennial was in 2003)

Should we save a piece of the Coal Bunkers for posterity? If such a timber structure is to be preserved, Fairbanks is a good place to do it. Fairbanks has a dry, cold climate with no termites. With proper care, this section of the Coal Bunkers could last for hundreds of years.

 The coal bunkers once located in Anchorage, Nenana, Cordova, and Skagway are now gone. The Fairbanks Coal Bunkers remains as the last structure of its type in Alaska.

Randy Griffin
PO Box 73653
Fairbanks, Alaska 99707
email:  webmaster@coalbunkers.com