Downtown in Fairbanks in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Cushman Street
Historic Fairbanks
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
1. Cuchman Street Marker
Instead of row after row of empty houses (Dawson), they are building new stores. The place is alive and busy-a little too crowded when we got there. a tourist in Fairbanks, 1928
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 64° 50.529′ N, 147° 43.226′ W. Marker is in Fairbanks, Alaska, in Fairbanks North Star Borough. It is in Downtown. It is on Cushman Street near 4th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 430 Cushman Street, Fairbanks AK 99701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Alaska Railroad Corridor, in the Athabascan Region, and in Interior Alaska. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "The Line" (here, next to this marker); Fairbanks Public Schools (here, next to this marker); Old City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Federal Building (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chena River Flood (about 400 feet away); Aviation (about 600 feet away); Fairbanks waterfront, c. 1910 (about 600 feet away); Northern Commercial Company (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairbanks.
this page online
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 17, 2024
2. Cushman Street Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 17, 2024
3. Cushman Street Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
4. Detail from the marker
The corner of Cushman and Second Avenue in 1903. Both streets were little more than muddy trails.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
5. Cleary Creek miners arriving in Fairbanks with 1400 lbs. gold dust. May 20th 09
A packtrain crosses the Chena River at Tuner Street in 1909. Crossing the Chena River required a ferry until a wooden bridge was built. Each year the bridge had to be taken down before spring break-up, or the swollen river and ice floes would sweep the bridge away as if it were made of matchsticks. For several years the rebuilt bridge crossing alternated between Cushman Street and Turner Street.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
6. Detail from the marker
By the early 1920s only 1,155 residents made their home in the once-booming gold camp. Cushman Street appeared a tranquil lane with only the steel bridge hinting at new growth.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
7. Detail from the marker
Cushman Street businesses in the 1940s catered to Fairbanks growing population. Shops like The Sportsman sold a wide selection of hunting paraphernalia, while Gordons carried the latest in ladies fashion.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 27, 2010
8. Detail from the marker
Muddy with melting snow and ice, North Cushman Street ended abruptly at the depot of the Alaska Railroad just a few yards behind the camera in the scene below. On nearby Driveway Street, engine number 1 of the Alaska Railroad can be seen. The engine was later moved to a historical park off Airport Road.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,235 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 20, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 2, 3. submitted on September 10, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 20, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
