Cantwell
Cantwell
is located on the George Parks Highway at the west end of the Denali
Highway, 211 miles north of Anchorage and 28 miles south of Denali
(Mount McKinley) Park. Part of the community is located on the Alaska
Railroad. The areas known as Kantishna and Carlo Creek are located
nearby. It lies at approximately 63° 23' N Latitude, 148° 56' W
Longitude (Sec. 31, T017S, R007W, Fairbanks Meridian). The community is
located in the Nenana Recording District. The area encompasses 44 sq.
miles of land and 0 sq. miles of water.
The Cantwell River was the former name
of the Nenana River. The earliest inhabitants of the area were nomadic
Indians who trapped, hunted and fished throughout Interior Alaska.
Cantwell began as a flag stop on the Alaska Railroad. Oley Nicklie was
the first Indian to settle here. When fur prices dropped, he and his two
brothers sought work with the railroad.
|