January-February 2020
Group portrait at the first Tanana Chiefs Conference, 1915. Seated front, L to R: Chief Alexander of Tolovana, Chief Thomas of Nenana, Chief Evan of Koschakat, Chief Alexander William of Tanana. Standing at rear, L to R: Chief William of Tanana, Paul Williams of Tanana, and Chief Charlie of Minto. [Albert Johnson Photograph Collection, University of Alaska Fairbanks.]
The 1915 Tanana Chiefs Conference On the corner of First and Cowles Streets, near downtown Fairbanks, sits an unusual square log building, with a hip roof extending over a wide porch along two sides. The main entrance is located at the corner of the building, giving the entire structure an air of being something special, which, in fact, it is. Built in the summer of 1909 with money donated by a philanthropist who never set foot in Alaska, the structure was the site of a landmark gathering in Alaska’s history, when Native chiefs and government representatives met to discuss the future. The George C. Thomas Memorial Library was named for a Philadelphia banker who, after learning of efforts to supply reading materials for Alaskan pioneer settlers, donated $4,000 for its construction. The 40 by 40 foot log building was dedicated on August 5, 1909, with the Honorable James V. Wickersham, Territorial Delegate to Congress, attending, along with Archdeacon of the Yukon Hudson Stuck and other local notables. Unfortunately, the philanthropist, George C. Thomas, died before the opening of the library, but he left $1,000 per year for maintenance of the library for three years.
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