The concept of the creation of a public, non-profit foundation to apply for Federal, State and private sector funding for historic restoration and preservation in Interior Alaska was first discussed by the City of Fairbanks Alaskaland Commission in 1986. Alaskaland is a municipally owned historic theme park which commemorates Alaska's pioneer heritage. Take a look at our Historic Pictorial of the Nenana River and River Boat Discovery.
In the spring of 1987, John D. Williams, Vice Chairman of the Commission, with it's approval but independently of official business, called a meeting of several carefully selected Fairbanksans interested in such an organization and who had agreed to serve as directors. They were all longtime, well known residents with dedicated, unselfish interest in Fairbanks and Alaska who had a clear understanding of historic restoration as a means of recovering important existing assets for substantial cultural and economic benefit to the community. These ten individuals, with collectively over 356 years of Alaskan experience, represented diversified areas of professional expertise which, understood before the fact, would be available when necessary to the organization with little or no compensation.
With Williams, who had volunteered a year of full-time pro bono service, elected as the first chairman, the Board immediately set as it's primary long-term goal the historic restoration of the Steamer Nenana; and to that end put in simultaneous motion the processes necessary to accomplish four immediate priorities:
When work on each began in 1987 it had to be under an interim permit, because ownership of Alaskaland was in the process of being transferred from the City of Fairbanks to the North Star Borough.
On July 18, 1988, the Foundation leased these artifacts from the Fairbanks North Star Borough for a period of 25 years.
With the cooperation of the Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo #4, and the City of Fairbanks, the Foundation was given access to an existing State grant, redesignated for the purpose, and in May 1987, began the Phase I restoration of the Denali. This project was successfully completed and rededicated to the people of Alaska and the United States on Memorial Day, 1988.
With no money available for a retainer, this was a very large order indeed! Nevertheless, in August 1987, Jack Williams presented the Foundation's proposal to Jack Kutz, a Seattle based Marine Designer and Historic Restoration Consultant who had recently completed a 3-year Nenana study for the City of Fairbanks. Mr. Kutz, motivated entirely by a deep regard for the historic ship and the certain knowledge that without immediate attention she would be irretrievably lost readily agreed to join the effort.
He came to Fairbanks without delay to update his survey data on the ship and by mid September had produced for the Foundation the first S.S. Nenana Survey Report, Restoration Guidance Specifications and Cost Estimate. This highly detailed, 56 page document formed the basis for the proposed five year project and, as was expected by Kutz and Williams (who had collaborated on the cost estimate), changes were necessary. By October 1991, five revisions had added 20 pages and the original direct cost estimate of $1,690,666 had become $1,966,465.
By September of 1987, within 6 months of it's formation and without any precommitted funding, the Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation conceived, planned and was ready to begin the most important historic project in Alaska -- the complete and authentic restoration of the last wooden hull, steam powered, overnight packet sternwheeler remaining in the United States. She is the largest sternwheel steamer ever built west of the Mississippi, the second largest wooden vessel in existence and, as of May 1989, an officially designated National Historic Landmark.
On October 1, work began on the single most crucial Project/Priority in the Guidance Specifications; that of recovering and stabilizing the original configuration of the bow and forebody before it separated longitudinally and caused the collapse of the superstructure.
Project A, Priority 1A was successfully completed on December 1, 1987. With the bow stabilized and supported against snow load, the Foundation, as planned, shut the project down for the winter and immediately began expanding it's existing community support base, developing public and private funding sources and planning the logistics and time line for the restoration.
And so this enormous undertaking began. With the relentless dedication and leadership of the Foundation, it continued without abatement for five years and resulted in not just one, but two major accomplishments. In addition to the restoration itself, and to the FUTF Board an accomplishment as equally gratifying and significant, was the extraordinarily balanced participation in the $1.85 million restoration cost by the funding alliance which had evolved between State government (40%), local government (15%), federal government (7%), and the Fairbanks community private sector (37%). A rarely seen posting of what can be accomplished by government and the community working together.
By the early summer of 1992, after five long years of uncompromising, meticulous effort, the structural restoration of the ship was, with the exception of a few relatively minor items, complete. In terms of critical factors, the project was exemplary:
On July 12, 1992, a day of festivities hosted by "Mark Twain", this beautiful, stately "Last Lady of the River" was officially dedicated as a National Historic Landmark.
All of the goals of the Foundation had been achieved. All, that is, except one, and that last goal is beautifully expressed in the dedicatory text incorporated in the monument on the port side of the ship - "....the Nenana will now begin her final voyage through scores of future generations, providing cultural, economic, and educational benefits to her community, her state and her country."
In order for the Nenana to be able to fulfill her last and greatest mission, she must be developed as a truly unique, compelling and self-supporting museum and interpretive exhibit. She has over 11,930 square feet of interior exhibit areas as well as 10,000 square feet of exterior decks.
The Foundation has developed plans for several interpretive exhibits aboard the Nenana. Among these the major projects are:
*The complete restoration of the engine room and subsequent operation of the Nenana engines and her paddlewheel and *The construction of a 300' cross-cultural historic diorama with a 2371 oil background mural which will depict in incredible detail, life in 22 villages along the Tanana and Yukon Rivers between 1847 and 1932. This astonishing exhibit will be further enhanced by a wilderness soundscape which will include an educational narrative; audiovisual displays; signage; brochures of each village prepared by the villagers and many other fascinating features.
In 1993, Five thousand visitors toured the Nenana during the summer months, in addition to over 800 students (grades 3-6) who visited the ship on class field trips.
In 1994 these numbers increased to over 8,000 visitors and 1,200 grammar school students.
The Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation fully expects that when the Nenana is completed with all her exhibits in place, she will, in the very near future, have become an extremely popular destination to as many as 150,000 visitors each year.
The completion of this last and most crucial phase of the Nenana project is
underway and in sight .......
Historical Pictures of Alaska