Bettles, Alaska
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Bettles ( in
Koyukon The Koyukon (russian: Коюконы) are an Alaska Native Athabascan people of the Athabascan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. Their traditional territory is along the Koyukuk and Yukon rivers where they subsisted for thousands of years by ...
; ''Atchiiniq'' in Iñupiaq) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is near Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. The population was 23 at the 2020 census, up from 12 in 2010. It is the second smallest incorporated city in the state.


History

The original village was founded a mile southwest of the junction of the John & Koyukuk Rivers in the late 1890s during the Alaska Gold Rush and was named for Captain James Bettles of Valdez, a printer, prospector, and trader who established the trading post and community in 1898. A post office was established in 1901 and continued intermittently until 1956. Residents began relocating 5 miles east to Evansville, where the
airstrip An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
that serves the community today was built in World War II and is now used for commercial air service. The
Hickel Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
was used to transport equipment and supplies to the North Slope for oil exploration, and to build the
Dalton Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
, which is now used as a truck route to the oilfields. The old village was largely abandoned and the New Bettles was carved out of Evansville and was incorporated in 1985. File:FMIB 41408 Bettles Trading Post on the Koyukuk River.jpeg, Bettles Trading Post on the Koyukuk River at Old Bettles, Alaska File:Bettles and the Koyukuk River.jpg, Bettles and the Koyukuk River at (New) Bettles, Alaska, 2003 File:Bettles community from air photography.jpg, Bettles community from air, (New) Bettles, Alaska, c2013


Demographics

The demographics of Bettles was Native Alaskan, 32.4%, Non-Hispanic White, 45.4%, Black-African American 0.2%, Hispanic of any race, 0.5%, Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islander 0.1%


Old Bettles (1930-1960)

The original village of Bettles first appeared on the 1930 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. At that time, it was located on the west bank of the Koyukuk River, a mile west of its junction with the John River . With the construction of the airfield at Evansville 5 miles east, residents began relocating away by the 1940s and the post office closed in 1956. The original village would later be known as "Old Bettles." It would apparently last appear on the 1960 U.S. Census, although it is not entirely clear if the figures for 1950 and 1960 were for the settlement of the old village or for the new settlement around the airstrip in Evansville. It was reported the last residents left the old village in 1997, though several buildings still remain two decades later.


New Bettles (1990-)

The present day city of "New" Bettles is about 5 miles east of the old settlement surrounding the Bettles Airstrip and was originally known as Evansville. It is located on the south bank of the Koyukuk River and east of where the John River flows into it. . Although the area began to be settled around World War II with the construction of the airfield, it was not entirely clear if the population figures for 1950 and 1960 were for the "New" Bettles or the old village, which still was occupied until 1997. When Bettles ceased to report after the 1960 census, the area around the airfield reported as the unincorporated village of Evansville on the 1970 census and as a census-designated place on the 1980 census. In 1985, a section of unincorporated Evansville was carved out and incorporated as the city of Bettles, and it has appeared on the U.S. Census again beginning in 1990. As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 43 people, 16 households, and 9 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 26.2 people per square mile (10.1 per km2). There were 36 housing units at an average density of 21.9/sq mi (8.5 per km). The racial makeup of the city was 76.74%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 18.60% Native American, and 4.65% from two or more races. There were 16 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.44. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $49,375, and the median income for a family was $65,000. Males had a median income of $47,917 versus $48,750 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $19,585. There were 10.0% of families and 6.4% of the population living below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 11.1% of under eighteens and none of those over 64. The population of Bettles has decreased since 2000. The 2010 census estimated the population at 12 and the latest census estimates remain at 12. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce development estimates the 2017 population at 9. As of the 2020 census, the population has risen to 23.


Geography

Bettles is located on the southeast bank of the Koyukuk River at (66.913419, −151.522374). The city is on the former
Hickel Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
, that now connects to the
Dalton Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
as a winter ice road only and crosses the Jim River. Bettles is north of the Arctic Circle just south of the Brooks Range. The city is also served by a gravel airstrip built by the military. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.


Climate

As is typical of the Alaska Interior, Bettles experiences a
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
( Köppen ''Dfc'') with very long, frigid winters and short, warm summers, and is located in
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
1, indicating the coldest temperature of the year is typically at or below . Temperatures usually remain consistently below freezing from late October to late March, and the bulk of the year's snow occurs from October to April, with generally light accumulations in May and September; the average annual snowfall stands at . In summer, temperatures reach on 37 days and on 6.4, with an average of 1 night not falling below . The threat of frost usually begins in late August, but sometimes it can happen during the first half of that month. A majority of the annual precipitation of occurs during summer as well. Extreme temperatures have ranged from , recorded on January 4, 1975, up to , set on July 6, 1986. ;Notes:


Education

The community was previously served by the Bettles Field School of the
Yukon–Koyukuk School District Yukon–Koyukuk School District (YKSD) is a school district headquartered in College, a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It serves the Yukon–Koyukuk area. Schools * Allakaket School (Allakaket) * Gladys Dart Sch ...
.


Transportation

Bettles Airport's commercial and freight airline service is provided by
Wright Air Service Wright Air Service is an American commuter airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It was established by Al Wright and started operations in 1967. It is located off the east ramp near the Fairbanks International Airport. The preside ...
, with daily service to and from
Fairbanks Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...
and other communities. The Vor Lake Waterlane seaplane base is located south of the city.


Notable people

*
Aliy Zirkle Aliy Zirkle (born 1970 in New Hampshire) is an American champion of sled dog racing. Aliy Zirkle moved to Bettles, Alaska at age twenty and began mushing due to the remote nature of the town. She adopted six sled dogs and began learning how to ...
(born 1970), sled dog racer *
Otto W. Geist Otto William Geist (December 27, 1888 – August 3, 1963), a.k.a. Aghvook, was an archaeologist, explorer and naturalist who worked in the circumpolar north and for the University of Alaska for much of his adult life. Biography Geist was bor ...
(1888–1963),
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, explorer, naturalist


References

{{authority control Cities in Alaska Cities in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska Populated places of the Arctic United States Populated places established in 1896 1896 establishments in Alaska