Alaska's cities
Petersville, Alaska
Gold mining gave start to community south of Denali National Park
Alaska.com
Petersville, Alaska, is located on Petersville Road about 20 miles west of its intersection with the Parks Highway at Trapper Creek.
The Petersville area, with a population of about 15, is being considered for an access point into Denali National Park, which sprawls across the northern horizon. Denali State Park is just to the northeast of Petersville. Peters Creek flows through the community, which features a roadhouse.
January temperatures range from minus 30 to 33; July can vary from 42 to 83. Rainfall ranges from 16 to 27 inches, with 48 to 150 inches of snowfall.
Dena'ina Athbascans have used the area historically for hunting.
In 1905, gold was discovered on Cache Creek and upper Peters Creek. In 1917, a freighting trail was built by the Alaska Road Commission from Talkeetna. The crossing of the Susitna Rvier was by ferry during summer and over ice in the winter.
Petersville became home to a district post office as a result of the road construction. By 1921, there were 24 mining operations in the Yentna Mining District, most with large-scale hydraulic plants. World War II caused a shut down of nearly all mining operations.
Federal homesteading began here in 1948 and continued through the 1960s. In the late 1970s, many of the idle mining sites were brought back into production.
Subsistence and sporting activities are an integral part of the lifestyle. Those who are employed work in a variety of industries such as education, transportation and construction. A lodge and several bed and breakfast businesses are in the area.
About one in 14 residents is Alaska Native or part Native. Less than 10 percent of the 190 homes in Petersville are occupied year-round.
Most year-round residents have individual wells, septic tanks and complete plumbing. Seasonal homes haul water and use outhouses. There is no electric system. A Matanuska-Susitna Borough refuse transfer facility is available in Trapper Creek. Electricity is provided by individual generators.
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