Eagle: The Last American Town Before Everything Became Canada

Situated on the banks of the Yukon River, just 12 miles from the Canadian border, sits a town that was once the "Gateway to the Interior." Today, it is a quiet sentinel of history at the end of the Taylor Highway.

In this episode of Drive-Thru Towns, host Andrew Wilcox explores Eagle, Alaska—the first incorporated city in the Interior and the last American stop for fortune-seekers heading to the Klondike. We trace Eagle’s journey from a bustling hub of 1,700 residents to a peaceful community of 87, where the median age is 70 and the log cabins settle slowly into the permafrost.

We also recount the incredible 1905 detour of legendary explorer Roald Amundsen, who mushed 800 miles across the frozen wilderness just to reach Eagle’s telegraph station and tell the world he had finally conquered the Northwest Passage.

• The Border's Edge: Why Eagle became the seat of justice and the primary customs port for the entire Yukon River corridor.

• Fort Egbert: A look at the five surviving buildings of the military post that once maintained order on the edge of the world.

• Amundsen’s Telegram: The story of the Norwegian explorer who left his ship frozen in the ice to find the nearest "send" button—located right here in Eagle.

• The Melancholy Beauty of Aging: How Eagle watched the gold rushes of Nome and Fairbanks pass it by, choosing instead to grow old gracefully along the river.

If you're drawn to the quiet corners of the map and the towns that time forgot, follow the show on Spotify for more stories from the edge of the frontier.

• Instagram: @50statefamily

• LinkedIn: Andrew Wilcox

• Email: wilcoxlegal@gmail.com

• Host: Andrew Wilcox

• Theme Music: Special thanks to Chloe Jones for the music. Explore her work at chloejonesmusic.co.uk.