Ester, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Ester is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Fairbanks North Star Borough
, Alaska
, United States
. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska
Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,422 at the 2010 census. While the village is often described as a "bedroom community" of Fairbanks
, its inhabitants take exception to this description, and have a strong sense of community.
mining
camp on Ester Creek, with the first claim staked in February 1903 by Latham A. Jones. Jones worked with the Eagle Mining Company, the biggest claimholder on Glen Gulch in the Rampart
mining district, but it was an independent miner, John "Jack" Mihalcik, a Czechoslovakia
n immigrant born in 1866, who was the first person to actually discover gold on Ester Creek. Mihalcik staked his claim in November 1903 but the news of the discovery of gold did not become public until the following February. By 1907, Ester City had a population of around 200 people, with a thriving mining industry. A social hall was completed in 1907, and was well known throughout the mining district for its dance floor. The hall was used for religious services as well as dances, movies, card games, parties, and other entertainment. The town had five saloons and a couple of hotels. In 1908 and 1910, the hall was the site of campaign speeches by candidates for the seat of Territorial Delegate. (Labor won in 1908, but Judge James Wickersham
won the Ester precinct in 1910.) By 1909 Ester City had a baseball field, a doctor, a mine workers' union
local, and a teacher, but gold production was beginning to decline.
The Berry Post Office moved in 1910 from near the Berry brothers' claim about two miles downstream from Ester City into J.C. Kinney's general store in Ester. (The post office retained the name of Berry until 1965, when it was finally changed to that of the town it had been in for 55 years.)http://www.esterrepublic.com/Archives/mreckard6.html In the mid-1920s, the Fairbanks Exploration Company began buying claims on Ester Creek, started operations in 1929, and in 1933 built a mess hall for their camp in Ester (now a historic landmark used until 2008 as a tourist attraction and hotel). The F.E. Company revitalized the town, but they also literally reshaped it, doing large-scale open pit mining using enormous floating dredge
s and draglines, removing in the process much of the original sites of Berry and Ester.
's poetry, held at a sawdust-strewn bar known as the Malemute Saloon, after Service's poem, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", until the resort closed in 2007. In 1974 the Ester Volunteer Fire Department was officially founded (bucket brigades had existed since the 19-aughts). Gold mining continued on a small scale. In 1986, the Ester Community Association, working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough, built the Ester Community Park, which became a local center of social activity. During this period, the community also earned its nickname, the People's Republic of Ester, during a zoning battle with Joe Ryan, a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. Mr. Ryan used this epithet
against the village, as much of the population of Ester opposed his proposed zoning changes, but the village took it on as a badge of pride, and now refer to their community by this name.
In 1987, the gold camp was designated the Ester Camp Historic District
by the National Register of Historic Places
.
In 1988, Mushing magazine began publication in Ester and continued to be produced and published there until it was sold in 2005. The town became the site of a sled dog
stage race between Ester and Nenana
and back again, the Fireplug Sled Dog Race, which was held for ten years, from 1990 to 2001, and in which many famous mushers participated, including Dean Seibold and Jeff King
. In January 1999, the town's first newspaper
, The Ester Republic
, was founded. In August 1999 the John Trigg Ester Library
opened, a membership library
named after a local resident who had started a book exchange in a nearby bar. Today the town features two saloons, five publishers, a library, a fire station, the post office, a silversmith, numerous art studios, and three active gold mines.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 64.7 square miles (167.6 km²), of which, 64.6 square miles (167.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
, maintained and improved by the Ester Community Association's Park Committee and other volunteers from the community. The park has an ice rink
that doubles as a basketball
court in the summer, a children's playground
, a picnic
pavilion, a stage, and a soccer field. The park, situated next to the Ester Volunteer Fire Department, is the site of numerous soccer games, Ester Football
League games, broomball
, the Fourth of July picnic, musical gatherings, and other events throughout the year.
" is actually the parking lot
of the Golden Eagle Saloon, divided in two sections by Main Street, but functions as a focal point and central gathering place during celebrations such as the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve
. Private residences, the library, and the Golden Eagle surround the square.
in Fairbanks." This is true both culturally and economically. Most Ester residents are employed in Fairbanks or at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
, although there are many small Ester-area businesses and self-employed people. The largest Ester employers are seasonal, with Judie Gumm Designs, and the local mines as the businesses with the most employees. Fairbanks provides a market for Ester products and services and thus helps to keep the small Ester economy alive. Because Fairbanks acts as a draw (due to its larger market and resources) for such things as big-box store
s and fast food
chains, Ester has been able to retain its mining village feel. This is important to Ester's tourist economy, which capitalizes on the status of the gold camp buildings as a historic landmark. In fall 2007, the owners of the Ester Gold Camp (Malemute, Inc.) announced that they would not reopen the resort in 2008http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9274515p-9189304c.html but does open the camp bar (the Malemute Saloon) for a 30-day period each summer to retain the liquor license. This has had an effect on Ester's summer economy, and resulted in the closure of at least two shops, in anticipation of the dearth of tourists.
In response to the closure of the Gold Camp, a group of local business owners have formed the EMCE (or Ester Ministry of Community Enterprise), which has been accepted as an ad-hoc committee of the Ester Community Association, to support Ester-area businesses and craftspeople. The EMCE sponsors a local twice-weekly open-air farmers market, and sponsors a Planting Day to beautify the village.
of 2000, there were 1,680 people, 727 households, and 386 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 26.0 people per square mile (10.0/km²). There were 814 housing units at an average density of 12.6/sq mi (4.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.44% White
, 0.89% Black
or African American
, 4.58% Native American
, 0.71% Asian
, 0.30% Pacific Islander
, 0.95% from other races
, and 5.12% from two or more races. 2.50% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 727 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 40.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 119.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,461, and the median income for a family was $73,750. Males had a median income of $41,713 versus $24,850 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $29,155. About 4.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
was a successful miner who lived in the immediate vicinity of Ester, at No. 8 Below Discovery Claim.
Richard A. Fineberg
is an investigative journalist living in Ester who specializes in petroleum development and environment-related issues. He has lived in Alaska since 1969 and works as a freelance writer and consultant.
Painter Magnus Colcord "Rusty" Heurlin
, 1895-1986.
Rusty was born in Christanstad, Sweden
, to American parents and raised in Wakefield, Massachusetts
. He attended art classes at the Fenway School of Illustration in Boston. He first came to Alaska in 1916, to Valdez
, but left the state during World War I. He returned to Alaska in 1924, and moved to Ester, where he remained until his death. Heurlin was known for his pastel palette and luminous skies, and influenced many later Alaska artists.
, hunting
, and food gathering are important aspects of Alaskan living in general, both for sport and for subsistence, and Ester is no exception. The community is zoned as rural, despite its proximity to the state's second-largest city. The great majority of Ester residents fish and/or hunt, and berry- and mushroom-picking are regular seasonal activities. Gardening has long been a part of Ester's culture, and farming has been growing in popularity since 2000, which saw the establishment of Calypso Farm & Ecology Center. Calypso provides community-supported agriculture
shares for over 80 families, with other CSAs starting up in the area.
, Antarctica. Three commercial galleries and several private studios provide sales venues for local and other artists.
An informal mixed-media 'school of assemblage
' may be said to exist in Ester: several local artists rely on dumpster
finds, printed materials, and historically significant items in their artwork, with themes relating to religious iconography, local history, and political satire.
, whose mine at 8 Below Discovery Claim was the largest and most successful in the Ester area during its early history. Ester Dome continues to attract large mining concerns, and several small-scale gold mines provide residents with income.
-leaning area within the Fairbanks North Star Borough. In the 2008 presidential election
, the Ester precinct gave Barack Obama
379 votes (50.9% of the total) compared with 320 votes (43.0%) for John McCain
.. In the 2010 gubernatorial election
, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz
received 419 votes (54.8%) to Republican Sean Parnell
's 321 votes (42.0%). In the 2010 Senate election
, Democrat Scott McAdams
received 335 votes (43.7%) compared with 211 votes each (27.5%) for Republicans Lisa Murkowski
and Joe Miller
. Statewide, McAdams came in third with only 23% of the vote.
The Ester voting precinct also boasts relatively high voter turnout (~30% or more) in municipal elections (precinct 130 in District 08). The fire station serves as the precinct's polling place; in years past polling took place in the community center, Hartung Hall. Party affiliation tends strongly toward the Democrats
, followed by the Republicans
, with Greens
and Alaska Independence Party voters in a rough tie for third. Most Esteroids are unaffiliated or not declared, however.
Ester Volunteer Fire Department
Other community organizations:
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, 82,840 people, 29,777 households, and 20,516 families were residing in the borough. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 33,291 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in 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 second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,422 at the 2010 census. While the village is often described as a "bedroom community" of Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in 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 second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, its inhabitants take exception to this description, and have a strong sense of community.
Early history and founding
Ester was originally a goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
camp on Ester Creek, with the first claim staked in February 1903 by Latham A. Jones. Jones worked with the Eagle Mining Company, the biggest claimholder on Glen Gulch in the Rampart
Rampart, Alaska
Rampart is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 45 at the 2000 census. In the 1950s, a large hydroelectric project called the Rampart Dam was considered for the Yukon River near the village. Had the project been completed, it would have...
mining district, but it was an independent miner, John "Jack" Mihalcik, a Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n immigrant born in 1866, who was the first person to actually discover gold on Ester Creek. Mihalcik staked his claim in November 1903 but the news of the discovery of gold did not become public until the following February. By 1907, Ester City had a population of around 200 people, with a thriving mining industry. A social hall was completed in 1907, and was well known throughout the mining district for its dance floor. The hall was used for religious services as well as dances, movies, card games, parties, and other entertainment. The town had five saloons and a couple of hotels. In 1908 and 1910, the hall was the site of campaign speeches by candidates for the seat of Territorial Delegate. (Labor won in 1908, but Judge James Wickersham
James Wickersham
James Wickersham was a district judge for Alaska, appointed by U.S. President William McKinley to the Third Judicial District in 1900. He resigned his post in 1908 and was subsequently elected as Alaska's delegate to Congress, serving until 1917 and then being re-elected in 1930...
won the Ester precinct in 1910.) By 1909 Ester City had a baseball field, a doctor, a mine workers' union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
local, and a teacher, but gold production was beginning to decline.
The Berry Post Office moved in 1910 from near the Berry brothers' claim about two miles downstream from Ester City into J.C. Kinney's general store in Ester. (The post office retained the name of Berry until 1965, when it was finally changed to that of the town it had been in for 55 years.)http://www.esterrepublic.com/Archives/mreckard6.html In the mid-1920s, the Fairbanks Exploration Company began buying claims on Ester Creek, started operations in 1929, and in 1933 built a mess hall for their camp in Ester (now a historic landmark used until 2008 as a tourist attraction and hotel). The F.E. Company revitalized the town, but they also literally reshaped it, doing large-scale open pit mining using enormous floating dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
s and draglines, removing in the process much of the original sites of Berry and Ester.
Modern era
In 1941, the Ester Community Association was founded. In 1958 The F.E. Company sold their Ester camp, and it reopened under new management as a historic resort. The Cripple Creek Resort, which later became the Ester Gold Camp, featured a musical variety show including Robert W. ServiceRobert W. Service
Robert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...
's poetry, held at a sawdust-strewn bar known as the Malemute Saloon, after Service's poem, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", until the resort closed in 2007. In 1974 the Ester Volunteer Fire Department was officially founded (bucket brigades had existed since the 19-aughts). Gold mining continued on a small scale. In 1986, the Ester Community Association, working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough, built the Ester Community Park, which became a local center of social activity. During this period, the community also earned its nickname, the People's Republic of Ester, during a zoning battle with Joe Ryan, a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. Mr. Ryan used this epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
against the village, as much of the population of Ester opposed his proposed zoning changes, but the village took it on as a badge of pride, and now refer to their community by this name.
In 1987, the gold camp was designated the Ester Camp Historic District
Ester Camp Historic District
The Ester Camp Historic District consists of 11 buildings and three structures located in or near Ester, Alaska. The camp was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and is significant for its importance in Alaska mining history. The periods of significance are 1900-1924 and...
by the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
In 1988, Mushing magazine began publication in Ester and continued to be produced and published there until it was sold in 2005. The town became the site of a sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
stage race between Ester and Nenana
Nenana, Alaska
Nenana is a Home Rule City in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Nenana lies at the juncture of the Nenana River and the Tanana River. The population was 402 at the 2000 census. "Nenana" means 'a good place to camp between two rivers.'-History...
and back again, the Fireplug Sled Dog Race, which was held for ten years, from 1990 to 2001, and in which many famous mushers participated, including Dean Seibold and Jeff King
Jeff King (mushing)
Jeff King is an American long distance musher who is well known for winning both the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S. state of Alaska and the 1,100 mi Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race across the U.S. and Canada .King moved to Alaska in 1975 and began racing in 1976...
. In January 1999, the town's first newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Ester Republic
The Ester Republic
The Ester Republic is a small, independent monthly newspaper published in Ester, Alaska, and established January 1999. The paper serves as an alternative media publication for the Tanana Valley. It is the only newspaper that has been published in Ester; the village has been served historically by...
, was founded. In August 1999 the John Trigg Ester Library
John Trigg Ester Library
The John Trigg Ester Library is a small membership library, located in Ester in the U.S. state of Alaska. The library has approximately 5,000 volumes in its collections, and is constructing a new ....
opened, a membership library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
named after a local resident who had started a book exchange in a nearby bar. Today the town features two saloons, five publishers, a library, a fire station, the post office, a silversmith, numerous art studios, and three active gold mines.
Geography
Ester is located at 64°51′21"N 147°58′42"W (64.855700, -147.978434).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 64.7 square miles (167.6 km²), of which, 64.6 square miles (167.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
Ester Community Park
Ester has one well-used parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
, maintained and improved by the Ester Community Association's Park Committee and other volunteers from the community. The park has an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
that doubles as a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court in the summer, a children's playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, a picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
pavilion, a stage, and a soccer field. The park, situated next to the Ester Volunteer Fire Department, is the site of numerous soccer games, Ester Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
League games, broomball
Broomball
Broomball is a recreational ice game originating in Canada and played around the world. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where Glenella is the Broomball Capital of the World...
, the Fourth of July picnic, musical gatherings, and other events throughout the year.
The village square
Ester village wraps around a square at the foot of Ester Lump. This "town squareTown square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
" is actually the parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
of the Golden Eagle Saloon, divided in two sections by Main Street, but functions as a focal point and central gathering place during celebrations such as the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
. Private residences, the library, and the Golden Eagle surround the square.
Economy
The local saw has it that "Ester is still around because there is a McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
in Fairbanks." This is true both culturally and economically. Most Ester residents are employed in Fairbanks or at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
, although there are many small Ester-area businesses and self-employed people. The largest Ester employers are seasonal, with Judie Gumm Designs, and the local mines as the businesses with the most employees. Fairbanks provides a market for Ester products and services and thus helps to keep the small Ester economy alive. Because Fairbanks acts as a draw (due to its larger market and resources) for such things as big-box store
Big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
s and fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chains, Ester has been able to retain its mining village feel. This is important to Ester's tourist economy, which capitalizes on the status of the gold camp buildings as a historic landmark. In fall 2007, the owners of the Ester Gold Camp (Malemute, Inc.) announced that they would not reopen the resort in 2008http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9274515p-9189304c.html but does open the camp bar (the Malemute Saloon) for a 30-day period each summer to retain the liquor license. This has had an effect on Ester's summer economy, and resulted in the closure of at least two shops, in anticipation of the dearth of tourists.
In response to the closure of the Gold Camp, a group of local business owners have formed the EMCE (or Ester Ministry of Community Enterprise), which has been accepted as an ad-hoc committee of the Ester Community Association, to support Ester-area businesses and craftspeople. The EMCE sponsors a local twice-weekly open-air farmers market, and sponsors a Planting Day to beautify the village.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,680 people, 727 households, and 386 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 26.0 people per square mile (10.0/km²). There were 814 housing units at an average density of 12.6/sq mi (4.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.44% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.89% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 4.58% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.71% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.30% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.12% from two or more races. 2.50% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 727 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 40.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 119.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,461, and the median income for a family was $73,750. Males had a median income of $41,713 versus $24,850 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $29,155. About 4.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
People of Ester
Ester residents are referred to either as Esterites or Esteroids. The latter term is more commonly applied to those living in the vicinity, rather than the village proper, or to newly arrived residents. An affectionate term for the village itself is The People's Republic of Ester, reflecting the generally liberal politics of the local citizens.Notable Esterites
Clarence BerryClarence Berry
Clarence Jesse Berry , known as C.J., was a businessman and successful gold miner in the Klondike Gold Rush. He and his wife, Ethel Bush Berry, made a further fortune in Ester, Alaska in 1902, and founded several oil companies over the years, which eventually became Berry Petroleum Company.In...
was a successful miner who lived in the immediate vicinity of Ester, at No. 8 Below Discovery Claim.
Richard A. Fineberg
Richard A. Fineberg
Richard A. Fineberg is a freelance investigative journalist specializing in issues related to petroleum development. He lives in Ester, Alaska and writes articles for such journals as Petroleum News, reports for the U.S...
is an investigative journalist living in Ester who specializes in petroleum development and environment-related issues. He has lived in Alaska since 1969 and works as a freelance writer and consultant.
Painter Magnus Colcord "Rusty" Heurlin
Magnus Colcord Heurlin
Magnus Colcord "Rusty" Heurlin Magnus Colcord "Rusty" Heurlin Magnus Colcord "Rusty" Heurlin (July 5, 1895 – March 10, 1986 was a Swedish-American artist.-Background:Magnus Colcord Heurlin was born in Christanstad, Skåne County, Sweden. He was the son of Berndt Felix Heurlin and Sophie Bjorklund....
, 1895-1986.
Rusty was born in Christanstad, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, to American parents and raised in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
. He attended art classes at the Fenway School of Illustration in Boston. He first came to Alaska in 1916, to Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, but left the state during World War I. He returned to Alaska in 1924, and moved to Ester, where he remained until his death. Heurlin was known for his pastel palette and luminous skies, and influenced many later Alaska artists.
Agriculture & Subsistence
FishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, and food gathering are important aspects of Alaskan living in general, both for sport and for subsistence, and Ester is no exception. The community is zoned as rural, despite its proximity to the state's second-largest city. The great majority of Ester residents fish and/or hunt, and berry- and mushroom-picking are regular seasonal activities. Gardening has long been a part of Ester's culture, and farming has been growing in popularity since 2000, which saw the establishment of Calypso Farm & Ecology Center. Calypso provides community-supported agriculture
Community-supported agriculture
Community-supported agriculture, a form of an alternative food network, is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food...
shares for over 80 families, with other CSAs starting up in the area.
Art
Ester has a strong art community, including painters, photographers, collagistes, sculptors, metals smiths, and woodworkers. It has hosted an annual intercontinental simultaneous art exhibit since 2000, the BiPolar Art Show, with the MAAG (the Mechanical Equipment Center Alternative Art Gallery) in McMurdoMcMurdo Station
McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National...
, Antarctica. Three commercial galleries and several private studios provide sales venues for local and other artists.
An informal mixed-media 'school of assemblage
Assemblage (art)
Assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consists of making three-dimensional or two-dimensional artistic compositions by putting together found objects...
' may be said to exist in Ester: several local artists rely on dumpster
Dumpster (term)
A dumpster is a large steel waste receptacle designed to be emptied into garbage trucks. The word is a genericized trademark of Dumpster, a American brand name for a type of mobile garbage bin...
finds, printed materials, and historically significant items in their artwork, with themes relating to religious iconography, local history, and political satire.
Mining
Mines, having been the central reason for the village's existence for most of its history, are still important in Ester culture. Old dredge parts and mining equipment can be found in the forest that has grown up around the village since major dredging ended in the 1960s, some of which have been incorporated into artistic works. The Malemute Saloon's variety show capitalizes on the town's mining history, particularly the influence of Clarence BerryClarence Berry
Clarence Jesse Berry , known as C.J., was a businessman and successful gold miner in the Klondike Gold Rush. He and his wife, Ethel Bush Berry, made a further fortune in Ester, Alaska in 1902, and founded several oil companies over the years, which eventually became Berry Petroleum Company.In...
, whose mine at 8 Below Discovery Claim was the largest and most successful in the Ester area during its early history. Ester Dome continues to attract large mining concerns, and several small-scale gold mines provide residents with income.
Music
Ester has a vibrant local music culture, and is the site of two annual music festivals, Angry Young & Poor, a free all-day concert oriented toward area youth, and the LiBerry Music Festival & Pie Throwdown, a fundraiser for the John Trigg Ester Library. A string instrument music gathering, the Ester Jelly Jam,https://sites.google.com/site/esterjellyjam/ has an open jam every Sunday afternoon at Hartung Hall. A local group, the Lost Dog Old-Time String Band, hosts a monthly square/contra dance there. Impromptu music jams occur nightly on the saloon porches in the summer, and almost every week in the winter (inside, of course). Area venues and events regularly feature local, live music.Politics
Ester has a reputation as a liberal and DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-leaning area within the Fairbanks North Star Borough. In the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election in Alaska, 2008
The 2008 United States presidential election in Alaska took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 3 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice...
, the Ester precinct gave Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
379 votes (50.9% of the total) compared with 320 votes (43.0%) for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.. In the 2010 gubernatorial election
Alaska gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Former Governor Sarah Palin did not run, having resigned in July 2009. Incumbent Governor Sean Parnell, who as lieutenant governor succeeded Palin following her resignation, announced that he would seek a full term.Following the...
, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz
Ethan Berkowitz
Ethan A. Berkowitz is an American politician who was the Alaska State Representative for District 26 from 1997 through 2006, serving as Democratic Party Minority Leader from 1999 to 2006.-Early life and education:...
received 419 votes (54.8%) to Republican Sean Parnell
Sean Parnell
Sean R. Parnell is an American Republican politician who is the tenth and current Governor of Alaska. He succeeded Sarah Palin following her resignation, and was sworn in at the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks on July 26, 2009...
's 321 votes (42.0%). In the 2010 Senate election
United States Senate election in Alaska, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 2, 2010, alongside 33 other U.S. Senate elections in other states, as well as elections in all states for Representatives to the U.S. House, and various state and local offices....
, Democrat Scott McAdams
Scott McAdams
Scott T. McAdams is an Alaskan politician. He has served as a school board member and mayor of Sitka, Alaska and came in third against Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski in the 2010 US senator's race after running for and winning the Democratic Party's nomination for the United States Senate seat held...
received 335 votes (43.7%) compared with 211 votes each (27.5%) for Republicans Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
and Joe Miller
Joe Miller
Joe Miller was an English actor, who first appeared in the cast of Sir Robert Howard's Committee at Drury Lane in 1709 as Teague....
. Statewide, McAdams came in third with only 23% of the vote.
The Ester voting precinct also boasts relatively high voter turnout (~30% or more) in municipal elections (precinct 130 in District 08). The fire station serves as the precinct's polling place; in years past polling took place in the community center, Hartung Hall. Party affiliation tends strongly toward the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, followed by the Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, with Greens
Green Party of Alaska
The Green Party of Alaska is the state party organization for Alaska of the Green Party of the United States. Alaska was the first state to gain Green Party ballot access, in 1990, when Jim Sykes ran for governor. Sykes had previously filed a ballot access lawsuit, citing an earlier case, Vogler v...
and Alaska Independence Party voters in a rough tie for third. Most Esteroids are unaffiliated or not declared, however.
External links
Ester's newspaper and community association provide more information on the village:Ester Volunteer Fire Department
Other community organizations: