Tanana-Yukon Historical Society
Sharing the history and continuing story of Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
The TYHS has an active schedule of speakers at our free monthly public lectures. The lectures start at 7 PM, unless otherwise noted, on the third Wednesday of the month. Information about our 2025-2026 lecture is will be posted here when available. News of our upcoming lecture series will be posted soon.
All TYHS events are free and open to the public.
Our second program of the 2025-2026 season is on Wednesday, 19 November, 2025 at 7:00 pm at the Noel Wien Library. The topic is “Fairbanks Before Felix” presented by Russ Vander Lugt.
The history of Fairbanks usually starts with the serendipitous meeting of itinerant prospector Felix Pedro and trader-entrepreneur E.T. Barnette on the banks of the Chena River in August 1901, in the shadow of the heavily laden steamboat Lavelle Young.
However, recent synthesis of primary documents, interdisciplinary research and field work reveals the presence of outsiders in the area and their interactions with Indigenous residents prior to this historic turning point.
From 1898 to 1900, government officials and traders arrived by foot, raft, and canoe, and groups of prospectors plied the waters of the upper Chena aboard a fleet of small steamboats, overwintering in camps named “Fort Chena” and “Fort Independence” – leaving their spirit of adventure and mark upon the land before the arrival of the Lavelle Young.
Col. Russ Vander Lugt currently serves as Commander, Arctic Aviation Command, 11th Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Wainwright. He earned his Ph.D. in Arctic and Northern History from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
For more information about our past lectures and events, or to obtain the zoom link to the lecture series please contact us.
Click here to to view Wickersham House.
Click here to view Eagle Courthouse.
Click here to view TYHS Juneau.
Mary F. Ehrlander with Hild M. Peters have now published their new book “Hospital and Haven. The Life and Work of Grafton and Clara Burke in Northern Alaska”. For more information about the book, click here. The book is available at Bison Books, University of Nebraska Press. For 40% off while ordering, use code 6AF23.
We wish to thank our donors, some of whom have been extremely generous this past year. The Tanana Yukon Historical Society depends upon this kind of support and every donation is welcome, no matter its size. With these contributions, we have been able to carry out some projects and acknowledge vital members of our community who have passed on. BUT we need some ideas of how to spend your money. If you have a history-related project in mind please contact us! tyhs@alaska.net.