A century ago, two towns were battling it out to become the dominant settlement in Interior Alaska. One was Fairbanks. The other was Chena.
In its heyday, in the first decade of the 1900s, Chena was larger than Fairbanks. The gold camp at the junction of the Chena and Tanana rivers had hotels, general stores, a bakery, churches, a public school and a fire department. It was the home of the Tanana Valley Railroad and was eight miles and 40 minutes from Fairbanks by train. But within a few years, it withered, and all traces seemingly vanished. You won’t find it on today’s maps.
Is it still there or has it eroded into the Tanana River?
Fairbanks surveyor Martin Gutoski believes he has uncovered clues about the location of the former town. He’ll talk about his research and unveil a map of his finds in his talk “Where the hell is Chena,” Tuesday, May 15, as part of the Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad’s Rail Stories. The talk begins at 7 p.m. at the TVRR Museum at Pioneer Park. For more information, call 479-4535 or email ftvrr.inc@gmail.com.
FAIRBANKS - Big Brothers Big Sisters will be visiting the Dance Theatre Fairbanks studios as part of Global Youth Service Day for some dance fun.
Logan Lockwood, 12, came up with the idea after attending the 2011 Dance Excellence festival at Disneyland. She realized dance could change children’s lives and wanted to host a program that would encourage other local children to dance.
The event is from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Dance Theatre Fairbanks studios in downtown Fairbanks. The Aurora Dance Ensemble will perform a short show and will teach attendees a piece from the coming Dance Theatre Fairbanks production of Peter Pan. Ice cream and simple snacks will be served. All children attending will receive a free ticket to “Peter Pan” in May.
For more information, contact Dance Theatre Fairbanks at 978-1594.
FAIRBANKS - Hutchison High School student Rudy Martinez has spent the last year and a half planning a benefit concert for two non-profit organizations. The project comes to fruition Saturday when the Break the Silence Benefit concert starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at Joel’s Place.
Proceeds from the concert will benefit To Write Love on Her Arms and Random People Who Care. Both organizations are focused on helping those with depression, suicidal thoughts or addictions. To Write Love on Her Arms is a national organization; Random People Who Care is a local faith-based organization.
Bands from across the state are scheduled to perform and include Anchors Alive, Awaken Antagonist, Harlequin State and Nine Day Fall.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, contact Joel’s Place at 452-2621.