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Talkeetna
Located at the junction of the Talkeetna
and Susitna Rivers, it lies 120 miles north of Anchorage at mile 226.7
of the Alaska Railroad. The Talkeetna Spur Road runs 14 miles east off
of the George Parks Highway. It lies at approximately 62° 19' N
Latitude, 150° 06' W Longitude (Sec. 24, T026N, R005W, Seward Meridian).
The community is located in the Talkeetna Recording District. The area
encompasses 3 sq. miles of land and 0 sq. miles of water.
 The
Talkeetna and Chulitna Rivers join the Susitna River at Talkeetna, an
Indian word meaning "where the rivers join." Originally the site of a
Tanaina Indian village, Talkeetna was established as a mining town and
trading post in 1896, before either Wasilla or Anchorage existed. A gold
rush to the Susitna River brought prospectors to the area, and by 1910,
Talkeetna became a riverboat steamer station. In 1915, Talkeetna was
chosen as the site for the Alaska Engineering Commission, who would
build the Alaska Railroad, and the community peaked near 1,000. World
War I and completion of the railroad in 1919 dramatically decreased the
population. Several of its old log buildings are historical landmarks,
and Talkeetna was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in
April 1993. During 1998, the community petitioned the Local Boundary
Commission for incorporation as a home rule city.
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