Iditarod pioneer., 1916-10-28
GROWTH OF NENANA
 IS MOST REMARKABLE
 IN HISTORY OF ALASKA
(Nenana News

From wilderness, a moose pasture with not&ing but a lone trading post within sixty miles of it, to town of l200 people, and all within three months. Is the record of Nen9na, Alaska. Where parked six maamute dogs and rushed madly back and forth along the river bank in front of the trading post on June l5, 1915, as the ral- road engineers dsembarked from Tanana river steamer, today, September 24, are ! found POO busy people, engaged ill con structing railroad founding town and developing the great Interior of Alaska. ! Thus has "Nenana, the fuel depot of the ! Interior" outstripped in rapid development any town in Interior Alaska, and in the whole territory, with the possible exception of Anchorage. And year from now, the business people of the town confidently expect, there will be a population of 5000 people, of which a large portion will re main at least until the completion of rail road construction.
 History of the Town
 Many years ago James Duke established a trading post Cn the south bank of the Tanana river at the point that is now the town of Nenana. Here, for years, he con dIcted trading business among the In dians, and kept open roadhouSe which was visited but seldom, except by stray traveller over the winter trail from FaiI- 1 banks to lower river points, or by pros pector bound for the hills.
 After the passage of the railroad bill au- thonzing the construction of a railroad from the southern coast to Interior Alaska, and after the Alaskan engineering com lnission had been formed, with W C. Fdes as chairman and Thomas Riggs, Jr., and Lieutenant Frederick Mears as the only other members, a party of surveyors came to Interior Alaska to make preliminary survey of several proposed routes. This party was headed by Thomas Riggs, Jr.. the member of the commission to whom was sllotted charge of the work in the in terior.
 The first party was divided up into two sections. both landing at Nenana on June l5, 1914. One of these parties went to Broad pass and worked toward Nenana, while the other went to the coal fields and tried to locate feasible route, direct from there to Fairbanks. These parties
 
 spring
 After other surveys during the summer of 1915 the commission decided upon the route over which the railroad is being built now.
 Work Starts
 On June 15 of this year, just two years from the arrival of the first party, an other crew of men, headed by F. H. Bailey uh0 inciCpntally was in thp first Dartv tO arrive in 1914, arrived and that day started the work. The actual construc- ton, however, and the day which will be celebrated annually by the people of Nenana as anniversary day, is July z the day on which the commission started to drive pilng for the water front. That day marks the commencement of the real town of Ne nana and it will be remembered as such.
 Coal Next Fall
 According to estimates made by Mir Riggs and Mir Bailey, coal will be landed in Nenana about a year from now, pro vided the commission is able to get its freight and supplies next summer and is able to secure the men necessary to do the work. To representative of the News Mir Riggs said that the commission could use 5000 tons of coal this winter if it were available, and will want a much larger supply next year
 The coal mines, of course, will be oper ated by private parties or companies, and it will depend upon them as to whether or not the fuel will be ready for shipment as soon as the railroad is ready to receive it.
 At the present time there is 2 water