Delta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction is a city located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 840. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta. It is about 160 km (99 miles) south of Fairbanks.
Geography
Delta Junction is located at 64°2'52" North, 145°43'7" West (64.047669, -145.718655)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.7 km² (17.3 mi²). 44.7 km² (17.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
"Big Delta" lies at the intersection of the Delta River and the Tanana River. The City of Delta Junction sits on the Delta River at the intersection of the Richardson Highway and the famed Alaska Highway (actually, the end of the Alaska Highway). The city and Delta community lie within the fertile Tanana River valley. Three mountain ranges -- the White Mountains to the north, the Granite Mountains to the southeast, and the Alaska Range to the southwest -- and the Delta River to the west surround the town.
Once overlain by glaciers, the geology is marked by glacial moraines as well as alluvial deposits from the Delta and Tanana Rivers. Numerous mineral deposits are found in the vicinity of Delta Junction ranging from gold to molybdenum to coal. A prominent natural feature on the landscape is Donnelly Dome, located within the Donnelly Training Area of Fort Greely, to the south of Delta Junction. This dome was formed as a glacier coming from the Alaska Range split in two, carving away sides of a former mountain.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 840 people, 312 households, and 208 families residing in the city. The population density was 18.8/km² (48.7/mi²). There were 422 housing units at an average density of 9.4/km² (24.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.43% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 4.05% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 312 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,500, and the median income for a family was $58,250. Males had a median income of $50,469 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,171. 19.4% of the population and 12.3% of families were below the poverty line. 28.8% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
History
From at least 10,000 years ago to the present, Athabascan Indians have inhabited portions of the interior of Alaska. They survived by hunting the abundant game and fishing in the rivers of the interor of Alaska.
The early history of non-native settlement in the area occurred at the river crossing at Big Delta and is found the entry Big Delta, Alaska.
In 1928, a herd of 23 bison were brought from the U.S. state of Montana to an area south of Big Delta, because they were thought to be threatened with extinction in the continental United States. The area where they roam was called Buffalo Center, and coincides with the current Delta Junction. The herd is now kept at about 1,000 animals by the issuance of hunting permits when its number grows too large.
During World War II, the United States aided Russia against Germany and Japan by sending airplanes and supplies authorized by the Lend-lease act to Russia through Alaska into the Russian Far East. A highway, the Alaska Highway, was built to connect an existing road in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada with the Richardson Highway in Alaska, a distance of 2290 km (1423 miles). The Alaska Highway met the Richardson Highway at a point 12 km (8 miles) south along the Delta River from Big Delta. The place where the highways met became known as Delta Junction. An air field, Allen Army Airfield, was also constructed 5 miles south of Delta Junction for use in sending supplies to Russia. Another highway, the Glenn Highway, was built from Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, to what is now Glennallen, where it met the Richardson Highway. This established a motor route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska's second largest city.
After World War II, a U. S. army base, Fort Greely, was built next to the air field. The base and a huge tract of land around it was used for training soldiers for cold weather combat during the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. In 1957, the Richardson Highway was paved. At about this time, portions of the Alaska Highway were also paved. The army base and tourism brought on the highways caused a boom in the area's economy and the commercial center of the area moved from Big Delta to Delta Junction. After World War II, some people also began farming and raising livestock in the Delta Junction area. This required new techinques to accommodate the short growing season and the cold and dark winters of interior Alaska. Delta Junction was incorporated as a municipality in 1960.
Oil was disovered in the North Slope of Alaska in 1968. Construction began on a pipeline to transport the oil from the North Slope to Valdez in 1974. The pipeline construction also aided the economy of the area. Delta Junction experienced a temporary boom similar to the Goldrush that resulted in a wave of new residents and businesses in the community. Cost-of-living during this time period was well above the national average due to transportation costs as well as gouging. Prostitution and bars fluorished -- as did churches and religious communes.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Tanana Valley was designated as a potential agricultural area for Alaska. The state of Alaska then made large tracts of land available to future farmers for purchase. Significant was establishment of the "Barley Project" east of town. Plans were made to grow barley, ship it to Valdez via a future rail terminal, and from there ship it overseas to Asia. Though farms were established and a storage facility constructed in Valdez, the railroad never came, essentially resulting in the failure of the project. Political pressure and growing costs resulted in the project being defunded upon change in governors. Today, these original farms are primarily used as pasture or for hay production though barley, potatoes, carrots, and even wheat are still grown with limited commercial success. With the availability of a nearby meat processing facility (Delta Meat and Sausage Company), many farmers turned to cattle with limited success. In addition, the area is now known for production of exotic meats such as yak, bison and elk.
In the 1980s, the pipeline construction ended. The Cold War also ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. A new highway, the George Parks Highway, was built between Anchorage and Fairbanks. This highway followed the railroad route and was a shorter route for motorists traveling between Anchorage and Fairbanks than the Glenn and Richardson Highway route. Many travelers used the new highway, bypassing Delta Junction. These events caused a decline in the economy of Delta Junction.
During the 1990s and 2000s, immigrants from the former Soviet Union republics came to the area, significantly changing the makeup of the local population.
Fort Greely was included on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list in 1995. From 1995 to 2002, Fort Greely was gradually re-aligned through a gradual drawdown in both military and civilian personnel. Once BRAC was complete in 2002, Fort Greely remained open but was staffed with less than 100 military and civilian personnel. During this time, the remaining workers were either associated with public works functions or the Cold Regions Test Center, which continued testing on the installation. Headquarters for both the Cold Regions Test Center and the Northern Warfare Training Center moved to Fort Wainwright in 2002. Base housing and numerous surplus buildings remained in a vacant status, though the Army continued heating and maintaining them.
Re-alignment of Fort Greely resulted in heated discussion throughout the Delta Junction community over a proposal to site a privately-operated state prison within surplus buildings on Fort Greely. Eventually, the City of Delta Junction entered into a contract with Allvest Corporation to operate this prison. Plans for the prison eventually fell through. Allvest Corporation subsequently sued Delta Junction for $1 Million for breach of contract.
Shortly after BRAC was complete, the United States government announced plans to build a missile defense installation at Ft. Greely. The installation was then divided into two parts operated by two different commands -- US Army Garrison Alaska and Space and Missile Defense Command. The main post retained the name Fort Greely and is operated by the Space and Missile Defense Command. Outlying range, training and impact areas were absorbed by Fort Wainwright and were renamed Donnelly Training Area.
From 2002 to present (2005), Delta Junction experienced an economic boom similar to the pipeline days as Fort Greely became fully operational again and the missile test bed was constructed. National firms such as Boeing, Bechtel, and Brown and Root, as well as regional firms including Chugach opened up offices on the installation, under contract to the government. Construction of the Pogo Gold Mine just north of Delta Junction, near the Goodpaster River, also contributed significantly to the economic fortune of the town. Mineral deposits near Tangle Lakes south of Delta Junction will likely result in additional development of mining in the area.
Economy
Construction and maintenance of the military facilities, mining, agriculture, tourism and their support industries form the backbone of the area economy.
An railroad spur from Fairbanks to Delta Junction has been proposed to transport material to the missile defense site. This should spur other types of industry in Delta Junction, as the railroad could transport agricultural products out of the area as well as promote tourist travel into the area by rail.
Many people in Delta Junction supplement their food supply by hunting the moose, caribou, Dall sheep and bison in the area, as well as fishing. A few operate small gold mines or hunt or trap fur-bearing animals for extra income.
Delta Junction, like most Alaska communities, has a small airstrip where charter flights are available for sightseeing, hunting and fishing.
Due to limited shopping availability, many residents travel to Fairbanks via the Richardson Highway to purchase goods and services. Though Delta has a clinic, primary medical care is also in Fairbanks.
Climate
As it is not near the ocean, this area is drier than coastal Alaska and experiences seasonal extremes typical of subarctic areas. The annual precipitation is only 30.5 cm (12 inches), including 94 cm (37 inches) of snow. The average low temperature in January is -23°C (-11°F). The average high during July is +20°C (+69°F). Temperature extremes have been recorded from -53°C to +33°C (-63°F to +92°F).
Delta Junction is mostly sunny in the summer and split between clear and overcast days in the winter. On clear winter nights, the aurora borealis can often be seen dancing in the sky. Like all subarctic regions, the months from May to July in the summer have no night, only a twilight during the night hours. The months of November to January have 4 to 5 daylight and twilight hours.
Delta Junction was known as the "Windy City" and "Little Chicago" by many soldiers on Fort Greely, a reference to Chicago in the lower 48 United States. In Delta Junction itself, but not in the nearby areas, wind blows many days from the south up the Delta River from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing river silt in the summer and snowdrifts in the winter. There are usually several days in the winter when the temperature is in the range of -40° (C or F) when a wind begins to blow. A few minutes later, the temperature climbs to above 0°C (+32°F). When the wind stops, the temperature returns to its colder value.
