Eagle, Alaska

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eagle is a city located along the United States-Canada border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 129.

The Yukon River at Eagle, AK, July 23, 2006

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Eagle is located at 64°47′10″N, 141°11′60″W (64.786022, -141.199917)^GR1.

Eagle is located 13 km (8 miles) west of the border between Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada on the Taylor Highway.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.

[edit] History

The Eagle area has been the historical home to Han Gwichʼin people since before the arrival of Europeans in Alaska.

The first structure in present-day Eagle was a log-trading post called "Belle Isle," built around 1874.

In the late 1800s, Eagle became a supply and trading center for miners working the upper Yukon River and its tributaries. By 1898, its population had exceeded 1,700. In 1901 Eagle was the first incorporated city in the Alaska Interior. It was named after the eagles that nested on nearby Eagle Bluff. A United States Army camp, Fort Egbert, was built at Eagle in 1900. A telegraph line between Eagle and Valdez was completed in 1903.

The gold rushes in Nome and Fairbanks lured people away from Eagle. Judge Wickersham moved his court from Eagle to Fairbanks in 1903. By 1910, Eagle's population had declined to its present-day level (below 200 people). Fort Egbert was abandoned in 1911.

Present-day Eagle is home to mostly people of European descent, but Eagle Village has a small population that is about 50 percent Gwichʼin.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 129 people, 58 households, and 37 families residing in the city. The population density was 49.3/km² (127.9/mi²). There were 137 housing units at an average density of 52.4/km² (135.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.02% White, 6.20% Native American, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 58 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 44.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,042, and the median income for a family was $44,375. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,221. There were 2.6% of families and 16.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including 40.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.