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Big Delta
| Current Population: |
845
(2008 Estimated Population (not Certified))
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| Incorporation Type: |
Unincorporated |
| Borough Located In: |
Unorganized |
| Taxes: |
No taxing authority
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| Location
and Climate |
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Big Delta is located at the junction of the Delta and Tanana Rivers, 73 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway. The community
lies at approximately 64.152500° North Latitude
and -145.842220° West Longitude.
(Sec. 08, T009S, R010E, Fairbanks Meridian.)
Big Delta is located in the
Fairbanks Recording District.
This area of Interior Alaska experiences seasonal extremes. The average low temperature in January is -11 degrees Fahrenheit. The average high temperature during July is 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature extremes have been recorded, ranging from a low of -63 to a high of 92 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual liquid equivalent precipitation is 11 inches, which includes an average annual snowfall of 37 inches. |
Topographic
map of
Big Delta
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| Oral history and a substantial inventory of native place names suggest that Tanana Athabascan Indians occupied the site throughout most of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Big Delta Indians began leaving their ancestral homeland shortly after the peak of the Alaska gold rush between 1898 and 1903. In 1899 the Army sent parties to investigate the Susitna, Matanuska, and Copper River valleys to find the best route for a trail north from Valdez, through the Copper River valley. By 1901, the Army had completed the Trans-Alaska Military Road, which extended from Valdez to Eagle City. In 1902, gold was discovered in the Tanana Valley and, shortly after, a spur trail was created from Gulkana on the Valdez-Eagle route to the new mining camp in Fairbanks. This trail became the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail. During 1903, Lt. Billy Mitchell of the U.S. Army Signal Corps supervised the construction of a telegraph line from Eagle to the mouth of the Goodpaster River. The Goodpaster telegraph station was part of the Washington/Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System (WAMCATS). During the winter of 1904-05, the Goodpaster station was destroyed by fire and relocated to Big Delta. In April 1904, a prospector named Ben Bennett staked out 80 acres and built a trading post at Big Delta on the left bank of the Tanana River. In April 1905, Bennett sold his trading post to Daniel G. McCarty. Although Bennett owned the trading post and surrounding acreage, he was grubstaked for all of the merchandise by his partner, E.T. Barnette, the wealthy founder of the city of Fairbanks. Thus, when Bennett decided to sell out to McCarty, all of the goods at the trading post still belonged to Barnette. However, in the early 1900s, the trading post and roadhouse built by Bennett was commonly known as McCarty's or McCarty Station. Another prospector named Alonzo Maxey, along with a friend, set up Bradley's Roadhouse in the hope of diverting travelers from McCarty's. By 1907, McCarty's passed into the hands of Maxey and then to John Hajdukovich sometime after 1912. Hajdukovich built a new and bigger roadhouse, but he continued to use the old trading post to store his gear. In 1917 Hajdukovich hired a Swedish immigrant named Rika Wallen to operate the roadhouse. In 1923, Wallen acquired the roadhouse from Hajdukovich presumably in lieu of wages. Today, Rika's Roadhouse is part of Big Delta's State Historical Park. A work camp was established at Big Delta in 1919 during construction of the Richardson Highway, which connected Valdez with Fairbanks. The Big Delta Post Office operated from 1925 to 1959, from which the community received its present name. Construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942-43, homesteading, construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline from 1974 to 1977, and state-funded agricultural projects have each brought development to the area.
The population of the community consists of 2.1%
Alaska Native or part Native.
Many residents are members of "Whitestone Farms" (Church of the Living Word, Inc.), who collectively pool individual assets and income for the good of the community. A school, YMCA, and visitor center are among the available facilities.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 232, and vacant housing units numbered 67.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 53.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 204 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
24.72 percent,
although
61.14 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $49,000, per capita income was $14,803, and
30.03 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| The majority of residences have individual water wells, septic tanks and plumbing. Refuse is disposed of at the Delta Junction landfill.
Electricity is provided by Golden Valley Electric Association.
There are no state operated schools located in the community.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Delta Junction Family Medical Center (907-895-5100) in Delta or Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (907-452-8181).
Big Delta is classified as an isolated town/Sub Regional Center, and is found in EMS Region 1C in the Interior Region. Emergency Services have highway and air access, and are within 30 minutes of a higher-level satellite health care facility. Emergency medical service is provided by volunteers.
Auxiliary health care is provided by Delta Junction Rescue Squad (907-895-4356), Rural Deltana Volunteer Fire (907-895-5036), and Delta Junction Health Clinic/Family Medical Center.
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| Economy
and Transportation |
Big Delta's location along the Richardson Highway provides the opportunity to serve summer tourist traffic. Whitestone Farms, Inc. operates Rika's Roadhouse in the Big Delta State Historical Park. Agriculture, small business, and state and federal highway maintenance jobs have provided sources of employment. It is anticipated that new jobs will be created with the development of the Pogo mine. Pogo is expected to be operational by mid-2006. It is a world-class gold deposit located in the upper Goodpaster River valley 85 miles east-southeast of Fairbanks and 38 miles northeast of Delta Junction. Pogo is expected to produce an average of 400,000 ounces of gold per annum over a 10-year mine life. The mine will operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Teck-Pogo Inc. will construct and operate Pogo. During construction of the mine and access road, scheduled to take 25 to 33 months, the work force will number about 700. During operation, Pogo will employ about 300 workers.
An airstrip is available nearby at Delta Junction for chartered or private aircraft. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
Community Non-Profit -
Deltana Community Corporation (also see Deltana)
P.O. Box 1024
Delta Junction, AK 99737
Phone 907-895-4150
Fax 907-895-5190
E-mail kathyjp@wildak.net
Regional
Organizations
Regional Native Health Corporation - Tanana Chiefs Conference
P.O. Box 129
Tok, AK 99780
Phone 907-883-5181
Fax 907-883-1114
E-mail rose.isaac@tananachiefs.org
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