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Northway Junction
The community is located on the Alaska
Highway, 5.5 miles northeast of Northway, at the foot of Cheneathda
Hill. It lies in the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. Northway presently
consists of three dispersed settlements: Northway Junction, at milepost
1264, Northway, on the airport spur road, and the Native village. It
lies at approximately 63° 01' N Latitude, 141° 48' W Longitude (Sec. 03,
T014N, R019E, Copper River Meridian). The community is located in the
Fairbanks Recording District. The area encompasses 4 sq. miles of land
and 0 sq. miles of water.
 The
area around Northway was first utilized by semi-nomadic Athabascans who
pursued seasonal subsistence activities in the vicinity of Scottie and
Gardiner Creeks and Chisana, Nabesna, and Tanana Rivers. The Native
settlement of Northway Village is located 2 miles south of Northway. The
Native village was named in 1942 after Chief Walter Northway, who
adopted his name from a Tanana and Nabesna riverboat captain. The
Northway airport was a link in the Northwest Staging Route, a
cooperative project between the U.S. and Canada. A chain of air bases
through Canada to Fairbanks were used to supply an Alaska defense during
World War II, and during the construction of the Alcan Highway. A post
office was first established in 1941. The development and settlement of
Northway Junction was due to the airport and highway access.
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