Manley Hot Springs (''Too Naaleł Denh '' in

Koyukon The Koyukon, Dinaa, or Denaa ( Denaakk'e: ''Tl’eeyegge Hut’aane'') are an Alaska Native Athabascan people of the Athabascan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. Their traditional territory is along the Koyukuk and Yukon rivers where they sub ...

) is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area,

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. At the 2020 census the population was 169, up from 89 in 2010.

Geography

Manley Hot Springs is located at (65.007773, -150.626732). Manley Hot Springs is located about north of the

Tanana River The Tanana River (Lower Tanana language, Lower Tanana: Tth'eetoo', Upper Tanana language, Upper Tanana: ''Tth’iitu’ Niign'') is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to linguist and anthropologist William Brig ...

on Hot Springs Slough, at the end of the

Elliott Highway The Elliott Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 152 miles (245 km) from Fox, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Fairbanks, to Manley Hot Springs. It was completed in 1959 and is part of Alaska Route 2. Rou ...

, west of Fairbanks. The CDP has a total area of according to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. All of it is land.

History

Traditional lands of the Cosna Band of the Upper Koyukon Dene. In 1902 a

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * ''Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ra ...

, John Karshner, discovered several hot springs in the area. He began a

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...

and vegetable farm. In the same year, the United States Army built a

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

station. The area became a service and supply point for miners in the Tofty and Eureka mining districts. It was known as Baker's Hot Springs, after nearby Baker Creek. Farming and livestock operations in the area produced fresh meat, poultry, and produce for sale. In 1903, Sam's Rooms and Meals, now called the Manley Roadhouse, opened. The Manley Roadhouse was owned by Robert E. Lee, who was also the town's postmaster until his death in 2010. In 1907 a miner named Frank Manley built the Hot Springs Resort Hotel. The resort was a four-story building with 45 guest rooms, steam heat, electric lights, hot baths, a bar, a restaurant, a billiard room, a bowling alley, a barber shop, and an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool which used heated water from the hot springs. During the summer, the hotel's private boat transported guests from steamers on the

. In the winter, an overland stagecoach trip from Fairbanks took two days. The town was renamed ''Hot Springs''. The resort and the mining in the area caused the town to prosper. It had a store, a newspaper, a bakery, clothing stores and other businesses. The population of the area in 1910 was more than 500. In 1913 the resort burned to the ground. Mining activity was also in decline and by 1920 only 29 residents lived in Hot Springs. The town's name was changed to Manley Hot Springs in 1957. In May 1984, a newcomer to the town,

Michael Silka Michael Alan Silka (August 20, 1958 – May 19, 1984) was an American spree killer who is believed to have murdered nine people in Alaska during May 1984, primarily in the small village of Manley Hot Springs. The spree culminated in a shoo ...

, killed nine people in the area. Since 1950, the population of Manley Hot Springs has slowly increased. In the 2020 census, the population of Manley Hot Springs was 169, up 90 percent from 89 in 2010 census. In May 2022, the second worst flood to hit the community caused power outages and the displacement of 60 people. No injuries occurred. The flooding was caused by an ice jam on the Tanana River, approximately 12 miles downriver from the community.

Climate

Manley Hot Springs has a

continental subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

Dfc).

Demographics

Manley Hot Springs first reported on the 1910 U.S. Census as "Hot Springs", an unincorporated village. It was formally changed to Manley Hot Springs in 1957. It became a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980. At the 2000

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, there were 72 people, 36 households and 19 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 105 housing units at an average density of . The racial make-up of the CDP was 73.61%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 23.61% Native American and 2.78% from other races. There were 36 households, of which 19.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 47.2% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.58. 15.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 37.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 125.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $29,000 and the median family income was $59,583. Males had a median income of $36,250 and females $16,250. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $21,751. There were no families and 9.7% 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Education

The

Yukon–Koyukuk School District Yukon–Koyukuk School District (YKSD) is a school district headquartered in College, Alaska, College, a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It serves the Yukon–Koyukuk area. Schools * Allakaket School (Allakaket, ...

operates the Gladys Dart School in Manley Hot Springs.Gladys Dart School, Manley Hot Springs
"

. Retrieved on June 16, 2016.

Transportation

The

(

Alaska Route 2 Alaska Route 2 is a state highway in the central and east-central portions of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Manley Hot Springs to the Canada–United States border, passing through Fairbanks and Delta Junction. Alaska Route 2 incl ...

), completed in 1959, gives Manley Hot Springs road access from Fairbanks year-round. Before 1982 it was not plowed by the state and closed during the winter. The Manley Hot Springs Airport has scheduled flights to

Fairbanks International Airport Fairbanks International Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, a city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of the United States state of Alaska. It i ...

operated by Warbelow's Air Ventures.

References

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska Census-designated places in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska Hot springs of Alaska Bodies of water of Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska Populated places established in the 1900s