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Central Slideshow

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One hundred and twenty-eight dusty miles northeast of Fairbanks, deep in the Interior of Alaska, lies a cluster of homes and several businesses. Central was once referred to as the Grand Central Station of the North. It served as a freight transfer point to the numerous mines on the gold bearing creeks in the area.The following pictures were taken in 1997 by Laurel Tyrell unless otherwise noted.

People who have come to live in this location are known as hardy individualists. Stating one reason or another, they have chosen to remove themselves from the mainstream of society and live in the vast wilderness that is Interior Alaska. For the most part they are folks who enjoy the challenge of living, working and playing in this rugged, cold land.

Few harbor feelings of warmth for anything or anyone tainted by "government". There is no town, no mayor, no borough, no local government at all. There is a post office, a school, a museum, and several small service related industries located in the midst of millions of acres of unsettled land. This land has recently been labeled a National Perserve, a National Wildlife Refuge, a National Wild and Scenic River, and a National Recreation Area.

These areas have been and are used by the people of Central and, in part, define the way they view themselves and others. It is an understanding of this view, as well as the attitude of the community toward government and others outside the community, that prompted the creation of Central Reflections Then and Now.

Conceived by local people regarding their own experiences, this program is made accessible to community members and "outsiders" through the CDHS Museum and the local school.


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