PRESIDENTS CORNER
I recently returned from the annual meeting of the National
Trust for Historic Preservation.
This year the Trust met in Chicago, a city with delightly
architectural treasures and traditions. The trend I noticed
there, as well as in Minneapolis/St. Paul was the
transformation wrought by ISTEA on our travelled ways.
This Fall, road construction was in full swing.
Instead of speed bumps, many previously widened roads are
often narrowed by islands planted with trees to slow traffic.
It clearly is the old, and now once again the new, way
to make our cities once again places for people to live.
I liked the care and attention given roadways to make them
more people-friendly and to enhance adjoining neighborhoods.
A good example of what ISTEA enhancement funds can accomplish is an old stone arch bridge in Minneapolis. The bridge was reopened for bicycles and pedestrians, and is also served by a short-line trolley offering a practical connection between the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis.
The conference was good, with many excellent workshops and
an inspiring plenary session.
I returned to Fairbanks recharged and inspired by the positive
trends that I saw in the lower states.
Americans are becoming more conscious of their heritage and the
need to preserve their communities.
Enter stage center left.
A structural engineer and member of the Fairbanks Historical
Preservation Foundation signs an October 31 agreement with
the owners granting the FHPF until May 30, 1997 to arrange
for the removal of the coal bunkers to another location.
The agreement is contingent on ratification of the lease
agreement between the Alaska Railroad and O.K. Lumber no
later than November 8, 1996.
Over the last few days, Fairbanksans have noted the removal
of roofing from the structure, indicating that disassembly
is under way. As the curtain comes down at the end
of Act II, the fate of the Coal Bunkers is still undecided.
Society members: this is your newsletter, and if you
have information you would like to see printed, email
it to kestrels@alaska.net or snail mail
to P.O. Box 82349, Fairbanks, Alaska 99708.
Another Illinois Street property in the news was the F.E.
Company Machine Shop owned by John Reeves and dedicated
to Dan Eagan, a long-time F.E. Company employee.
A group of about 100 Fairbanksans gathered on a cold
Saturday afternoon to attend the dedication ceremony, with
Renee Blahuta representing the Tanana-Yukon Historical
Society.
Another good column by Dermot Cole appeared in the September
9 issue of the News-Miner and was mentioned in the PresidentUs column in our last issue.
It dealt with the historic CANOL Tank Farm on Birch Hill.
The title of the column is "Vintage Pipeline. "
Jim Cook
Paul McCarthy
Renee Blahuta,
Janet Matheson
Mary Mangusso
Oliver Backlund
Pete Bowers
Gretchen Lake
Geraldine Collins
Donna Krier
"Rocky" Rhoads
Adele Virgin
Act II of the Coal Bunkers, the tale of an endangered property
The play takes on a life of its own with the script being
improvised by a coalition of Fairbanks citizens.
The Alaska Railroad postpones a decision on the lease agreement
to be issued to O.K. Lumber, Inc. This is followed by
negotiations between the coalition and the owners of O.K.
Lumber.
The coalition requests a 3 month delay in exchange for
which the owners of O.K. Lumber are to receive planning
assistance for the bunkers and the store expansion.
The negotiations fall apart when the owners indicate that
they have other plans for the bunkers.
Society News
A new book is in the marketplace.
It is An Alaskan Anthology: Interpreting the Past.
2nd Edition, edited by Stephen Haycox and Mary Mangusso.
It is published by The University of Washington Press
in time for Christmas giving and will make a nice gift.
Ask for it in your local bookstore.
News Notes
One of the nicest recent news items was Dermot ColeUs
October 8 column in the News-Miner where he tells about the four
F.E. Company houses being rehabilitated and converted to an
Inn for tourists.
A group of investors led by Fairbanks architect
C.B. Bettisworth is doing the work.
The planned community of four one-story buildings is being
refurbished for future use as historic Bed and Breakfast
cottages.
The owners have applied for National Historic Register
designation of the property.
TYHS Welcomes New Members
Otis G. Berry
P.O. Box 81121
Fairbanks, AK 99708
3043 Maule Ln.
North Pole, AK 99705
2611 Capitol Way, S.
Olympia, WA 98501
TYHS Board Members
TYHS BOARD