Forty miles northwest of Fairbanks, in the interior of Alaska, the town of New Minto is under construction, to be occupied by 160 Minto Indians. New Minto is a replacement for old Minto Village, 25 miles away, which has suffered severe damage from spring thaws.
The new community is being built at a cost of $673,000 in a co-operative effort of the Alaska State Housing Authority, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Army and the U.S. Public Health Service, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced today. This represents $225,000 for 38 new houses, $378,000 for water and sewer systems, and $70,000 for drilling the village well.
The original village of Minto often suffered from spring floods. Villagers began to plan for the new site on higher ground after floods resulting from a 1967 thaw. Construction began this year.
Although villagers expect to move to the new location this year, not all of the houses will be finished in time for winter. A road had to be laid during the building season before construction of the village could start.
The Army's 559th Engineers of the 171st Infantry Brigade are at New Minto to speed construction. They engineered the road and are assembling prefabricated sidings for the homes. Villagers are helping in construction, which includes sewage and plumbing systems.
Twenty of the new houses are being financed by the Alaska State Housing Authority and 18 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The U.S. Public Health Service is paying the cost of the water and sewage systems and drilling a well.
