Minto

Quick Facts

  • Pronounced (MIN-toe)
  • Current Population 223 (2012 Alaska Department of Labor Estimate)
  • Legislative Districts (link to State Legislature page):
    • Senate District S
    • House District 38
    • Judicial District 4
  • Latitude: 65.1533
  • Longitude: -149.3369


Location

Minto is located on the west bank of the Tolovana River, 130 miles northwest of Fairbanks. It lies on an 11-mile spur road off of the Elliott Highway.

Climate

The climate is cold and continental with extreme temperature differences. The average daily maximum during July is in the low 70s; the average daily minimum during January is well below 0 °F. Extended periods of -40 °F and very strong wind chill factors are common during the winter. Average annual precipitation is 12 inches, with 50 inches of snowfall.

History

Minto is in the western-most portion of traditional Tanana Athabascan territory. During the late 1800s, some members of the Minto band traveled to Tanana, Rampart, and Fort Yukon to trade furs for manufactured goods, tea, and flour. With the discovery of gold north of Fairbanks in 1902, steamboats began to navigate the Tanana River, bringing goods and new residents into the area.

Old Minto became a permanent settlement when some members of the Minto band built log cabins there, on the bank of the Tanana River. Other families lived in tents on a seasonal basis. A BIA school was established in 1937, but most families still did not live in Minto year-round until the 1950s. The Minto band was eventually joined by families from Nenana, Toklat, Crossjacket, and Chena.

The village was relocated to its present location, 40 miles north of the old site, in 1969 due to repeated flooding and erosion. The present site had been used as a fall and winter camp since the early 1900s. New housing and a new school were completed by 1971.

Culture

Minto residents are mainly Tanana Athabascans. Several families have seasonal fishing/hunting camps and trapping areas on the Tanana River and Goldstream Creek.