Editing Delta Junction, Alaska (section)

=== Cold War (1945&ndash;1991) ===
After World War II, a U.S. army base, [[Fort Greely]], was built next to the air field. The base, and a huge tract of land around it, was used for training soldiers for cold weather combat during the [[Cold War]] with the former Soviet Union. In 1957, the Richardson Highway was paved. About this time, portions of the Alaska Highway were also paved. The army base and tourism brought on the highways, caused a boom in the area's economy and the commercial center of the area moved from Big Delta to Delta Junction. Some people also began farming and raising livestock in the Delta Junction area. This farming required new techniques to accommodate the short growing season and the cold and dark winters of interior Alaska.

Delta Junction was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] on December 19, 1960.<ref>{{cite report |title=Delta Junction (Alaska) Region Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy |url=https://deltajunction.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/completeceds.pdf  |publisher=Delta Regional Economic Development Council |date=November 2004 |page=7}}</ref> [[Oil]] was discovered in the [[Alaska North Slope|North Slope]] of Alaska in 1968. In 1974, construction began on the [[Trans-Alaska Pipeline System|pipeline]] to transport the oil from the North Slope to Valdez. The pipeline construction also aided the economy of the area. Delta Junction experienced a temporary boom, similar to the gold rush, that resulted in a wave of new residents and businesses in the community.  Cost of living during this period was well above the national average due to transportation costs, as well as gouging. Prostitution and bars flourished — as did churches and religious communes.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the [[Tanana Valley]] was designated as a potential agricultural area for Alaska. The state of Alaska then made large tracts of land available to future farmers for purchase. Significant was establishment of the "Barley Project" east of the city. Plans were made to grow barley, ship it to [[Valdez, Alaska|Valdez]] via a future rail terminal, and from there ship it overseas to Asia. Though farms were established and a storage facility constructed in Valdez, the railroad never came, essentially resulting in the failure of the project.

Political pressure and growing costs resulted in the project being defunded upon change in governors. Today, these original farms are primarily used as pasture or for hay production though [[barley]], [[potato]]es, [[carrot]]s, and even [[wheat]] are still grown with limited commercial success. With the availability of a nearby meat processing facility (Delta Meat and Sausage Company), many farmers turned to cattle with limited success. In addition, the area is now known for production of exotic meats such as [[yak]], bison, and [[elk]].

In 1971, the [[George Parks Highway]] between Anchorage and Fairbanks was completed. This highway followed the railroad route and was a shorter route for motorists traveling between Anchorage and Fairbanks than the Glenn and Richardson Highway route.  Many travelers used the new highway, bypassing Delta Junction. In 1977,  pipeline construction ended. The Cold War also ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. These events caused a decline in the economy of Delta Junction.