Ester Judy Stauffer, owner of Ester Hatworks, works and lives in Ester. She sells her hats behind the Ester Gold Camp and by appointment in case of a hat emergency.
Kids play soccer in the park, and neighbors chat in the post office after work.
But anyone who has taken a closer look at the funky dwellings or attended Ester's outrageous Fourth of July parade knows there is much more to this historic hamlet. These are folks who adamantly do not live in Fairbanks and are not happy when the telephone book lists them with Fairbanks street addresses. The phone book's publisher will be hearing from residents about that affront, said Ester Community Association President Jeff Rogers. The former gold mining camp, a major tourist attraction in the summertime, lies just 5 miles southwest of Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway. Just where the boundaries of Ester are, though, is unclear.