Talkeetna was founded as a trading post for the Alaska Commercial Company in 1910; it was accessible by steamboat up the Susitna River from Knik. In 1912, however, the company moved its post and the young town faded until the Alaska Railroad established a construction camp at the site in 1915. The Alaska Engineering Commission sold lots here in 1918, and Talkeetna continued to be a supply point for the surrounding mining region. The community is still a prominent stop on the Alaska Railroad, serving as the main point of embarkation for climbers of Mount McKinley. Although located on a 14-mile spur off the Parks Highway, the town advertises its arts and crafts and attracts a fair number of tourists.
Writing Credits
If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.
SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.