The Chena Townsite, a Gold Rush Settlement in Interior Alaska

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The town of Chena (49-FAI-00011) was a bustling gold rush town that rivaled Fairbanks, Alaska in the early 20th century. Settled in 1902 on the north bank of the Tanana River just downriver from the confluence of the Chena River, the Chena Townsite quickly grew to a town of thousands and served as a commercial center for gold mining in the Alaska Interior. Chena was mostly abandoned by 1921 when the Tanana Valley Railroad pulled up the tracks leading to the town. Little was thought to remain of Chena. However, historical, geographic, and archaeological research over the last 20 years revealed intact archaeological features. In 2021, a diverse group of researchers worked to identify, map, and excavate archaeological features, to align historic maps onto the modern landscape, and to gain insight into the lives of those that lived in Chena.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2022 SHA Poster Submissions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology