To the casual explorer, the buildings that define the mines of Alaska's Tanana Valley resemble empty husks - devoid of all life.
Look closer and the scraps of personal letters, treasured photographs, magazines and newspapers tell a story of those that made these places home. These buildings may have served a purpose at a time, but the aging walls and collapsing ceilings that defines them won't speak to the struggles of the people who pioneered to make Alaska's Interior a viable and hospitable place for a home. Nestled within isolated valleys, dozens of miners, some with their families in tow, aspired to make these mines more than just a place to make a dollar - they made it home.
