Delta Junction

History

== History == For at least 10,000 years, Athabascan indigenous peoples have inhabited portions of the interior of Alaska. Early inhabitants survived by hunting and fishing. The early history of non-native settlement in the area occurred at the river crossing at Big Delta and is found at the entry, Big Delta, Alaska. In 1904, the location first served as a telegraph station. In 1928, a herd of 23 bison were brought from the National Bison Range in Montana to an area south of Big Delta to provide an additional game species for hunters. Buffalo Center, a small community near the center of present-day Delta Junction, was named because of their presence, especially during the winter months. The huge animals were troublesome, and sometimes made landings dangerous at nearby Allen Field. During World War II, the United States aided the Soviet Union against Germany by sending airplanes and supplies authorized by the Lend-lease Act to the Soviet Union through Alaska into the Russian Far East. The Alaska Highway was built to connect an existing road in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada, with the Richardson Highway in Alaska, a distance of . The Alaska Highway met the Richardson Highway at a point south along the Delta River from Big Delta. The place where the highways met became known as Delta Junction. Allen Field was constructed south of Delta Junction for use in sending supplies to Russia. The Glenn Highway was built from Anchorage to what is now Glennallen, where it met the Richardson Highway. This connection created a motor route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska. After World War II, a U.S. army base, Fort Greely, was built next to the air field. The base, and a huge tract of land around it, was used for training soldiers for cold weather combat during the…

Geography

"Big Delta" lies at the intersection of the Delta River and the Tanana River. The city of Delta Junction sits on the Delta River at the intersection of the Richardson Highway and the terminus of the Alaska Highway. The city and Delta community lie within the fertile Tanana River valley. Three mountain ranges—the White Mountains to the north, the Granite Mountains to the southeast, and the Alaska Range to the southwest—and the Delta River to the west surround the city. Once overlain by glaciers, the geology is marked by glacial moraines as well as alluvial deposits from the Delta and Tanana Rivers. Numerous mineral deposits are found in the vicinity of Delta Junction ranging from gold to molybdenum to coal. A prominent natural feature on the landscape is Donnelly Dome, located within the Donnelly Training Area of Fort Wainwright (formerly a part of nearby Fort Greely until 2001), to the south of Delta Junction. This dome was formed as a glacier coming from the Alaska Range split in two, carving away sides of a former mountain. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. === Climate === As is typical of the Alaska Interior, Delta Junction has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dwc), closely bordering on a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average high temperature is below freezing from mid-October thru late March, and during the height of winter cold, as the town is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 2a, the coldest conditions of the year typically bottom out in the range, with sub- highs a common occurrence. Precipitation averages at only annually, and over half of this total occurs from June to August. Snow, which typically falls from October to April and sometimes May and September, is generally not heavy due to the dry…

Largest nearby schools

• Delta Junction Elementary
  Elementary · Delta Junction · 359 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Alaska Homeschool
  Other · Delta Junction · 218 students · 218:1 ratio
• Delta Junction Junior High School
  Middle · Delta Junction · 166 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Delta Junction Senior High School
  High · Delta Junction · 165 students · 15:1 ratio