This photograph and text represent an official U.S. Army photo titled “Alaskan soldiers have unique Post Exchange.” The text is as follows: “The PX, like its American soldier customers, is to be found all over the world these days, but this Alaskan railway PX is unique. PX is the fighting man’s abbreviation for Post Exchange, Army-operated store where he buys such personal necessities as ... candy and magazines. Most often it’s a store in a fixed location, but that wasn’t practical for the soldiers of this railroad unit, assigned to duty along 500 miles of track on the Alaska Railroad, where they lay ties, repair bridges, and keep the road in good shape for shipments of supplies to Uncle Sam’s forces in Alaska. They are visited about every two weeks by the railroad PX pictured here. It is a motor truck, mounted on rails, drawing a trailer which contains the counter for the retail business ... on this occasion, a stop at a gravel pit, approximately 70 men bought over $300 worth of supplies in less than an hour.” — Candy Waugaman

Today’s Fairbanks City Hall was originally the site of a wooden, two-story school for all 12 grades, and this photograph was taken on its steps. The school was destroyed by fire in December of 1932. While I could probably guess the year of this photograph, you might then know these children’s ages, so I’ll just say it was taken at least 80 years ago. In the front row, from left, are Helen Junes, Ellen Clausen, unknown, Cora Rust, Bill Hunter (with mitten ropes) and Gordon Hunter. In the middle row, from left, are Pat Hering, Nancy Foley, Raymer Brown, Bill Lavery, Louis Gillette and Frank McGarvey. In the back, from left, are Charlotte Wehner, Virginia Wier, Charlotte Lynn, Jim Morgan, Josephine King and Joe Visca. The photograph and names are courtesy of Jim Moody, who is not quite old enough to be in this picture! — Candy Waugaman