By 1899, the U.S. Army had started building Fort Egbert, at the edge of town, to keep order in the wild and wooly mining
community.
The town incorporated in 1901, and became the first official city in Interior Alaska.
By 1903, a telegraph line linked
the Yukon River to Washington D.C. via the WAMCATS (Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System.)
The Town of Eagle Today
Eagle is a well-preserved historic town, full of old cabins and major historic buildings, in a convenient cluster.
Fewer than 200 people live here, but this is a remote and wonderful community with lots of personality.
The Yukon River is front-and-center
in the Eagle experience. There are several benches for watching the river roll by.
Take the historic walking tour.
The Yellow Dirt Road: Burning Rubber on the Taylor Highway
The Taylor Highway starts 12 miles from Tok at Tetlin Junction. Paved 64 miles to Chicken, it winds
over hills and valleys 94 miles to Eagle. Watch for buses with pilot cars.
To get to Dawson, turn at Jack Wade Junction 32 miles past Chicken and drive 13 miles to the Canada border on the Top-of-the-World.
Huge fires here blocked the highway two summers ago and led to a 2005
morel-picking bonanza.
A lot of dehydrated eggs, SPAM, and blueberry pancakes have been cooked by Alaskans on Coleman-style stoves
under the light of gasoline lamps, both fueled by “white” gas called “Blazo.”
Blazo
and kerosene came to rural Alaska in squared metal cans.
The cans were reused as stools, roofing material, makeshift ovens and even waterproofing for cabin corners – as
in this photo taken in Eagle.
The Town of Eagle Today 
Blazo
and kerosene came to rural Alaska in squared metal cans.
ALASKA 101
BEARFOOT GUIDES
DENALI 101
