Editing Flat, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Flat, Alaska
| settlement_type                 = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline                   = Flat AK 1911.jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = Flat City, 1911
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                       = AKMap-doton-Flat.PNG
| map_caption                     = Location of Flat, Alaska
| mapsize                         = 250x200px
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Alaska]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Census Area]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska|Yukon-Koyukuk]]
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
| leader_name                     = [[Click Bishop]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| leader_title1                   = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
| leader_name1                    = [[Mike Cronk]] (R)
| established_title               = 
| established_date                = <!-- Area -->
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 415.09
| area_land_km2                   = 415.09
| area_water_km2                  = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi                = 160.27
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 160.27
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 0

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -9
| timezone_DST                    = AKDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -8
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 89
| elevation_ft                    = 292
| coordinates                     = {{coord|62|27|15|N|158|0|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 99584
| area_code                       = [[Area code 907|907]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 02-25880
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 1402165
| website                         = 
| footnotes                       = 
| name                            = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|population_density_sq_mi = 0.00
|population_density_km2 = 0.00
}}
'''Flat''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska|Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area]], [[Alaska]], [[United States]].  As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], the population of the CDP was 0, down from 4 residents in 2000. Its post office closed in January 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://webpmt.usps.gov/pmt003.cfm |title=Postmaster Finder - Postmasters by City - Flat Post Office, Alaska |publisher=United States Postal Service }} {{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Few buildings are inhabitable with hundreds of collapsed ruins.

== History ==
Prospectors [[John Beaton (miner)|John Beaton]] and W.A. Dikeman discovered gold on Otter Creek on December 25, 1908.  News of the discovery spread slowly, but some miners arrived in the summer of 1909 and built a small camp they called Flat City.  More gold was discovered on nearby Flat Creek and more miners arrived in 1910.<ref>Chuck Hawley, "Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Introduction of John Beaton (1875–1945) of Flat, Alaska" ''Alaska Miner'' 29 no.12 (Dec 2001) 10-11 + 14.</ref>  Beaton, [[Peter Miscovich]], Lars Ostnes, and David Strandberg were prominent early arrivals who mined successfully long after the initial boomtown faded.  By 1914, the community had grown to about 6,000 people, complete with an elementary school, a telephone system, two stores, a hotel, restaurant, pool hall, laundry and jail.  However, a fire in 1924 caused the majority of the town to burn. By 1930, the population had declined to 124.  No [[plat]] was filed for Flat, and the town site rests on mining claims, so the existence of Flat may contravene the law, but the U.S. Post Office acknowledged the community and served its few residents with an office until the year 2000.

Between 1986 and 2000, the primary year-round residents were a family of five who worked together to maintain the area in the winter for mining in the summer.

===Wiley Post 1933 airplane crash===
In July 1933, pioneering aviator [[Wiley Post]] undertook the first solo flight around the world. On July 20, en route to Fairbanks from a stop in Khabarovsk, Siberia, Post nosed over his high-wing, single-engine [[Lockheed Vega]], the ''[[Winnie Mae]]'', in Flat. Local residents helped him right the aircraft. The only damage was a broken propeller. A replacement propeller was brought to Flat by pioneer Alaska flier Joe Crosson and the airplane was repaired by [[John Miscovich]].  Post continued to Fairbanks, then on to Edmonton and New York, completing his solo flight around the world in under 8 days.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wiley Post crash at Flat, Alaska, July 20, 1933|url=http://www.explorenorth.com/library/aviation/wiley_post-1933crash.html|publisher=ExploreNorth.com|access-date=May 8, 2014}} (Includes photograph)</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsminer/obituary.aspx?pid=172384547| title = John Miscovich Obituary (1918 - 2014) - Fairbanks, AK - Daily News-Miner}}</ref> 50 years later, Miscovich constructed a monument  to commemorate Post's first solo flight around the world.

== Geography ==
Flat is located at {{coord|62|27|15|N|158|0|30|W|type:city}} (62.454135, -158.008284),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> 7 miles southeast of [[Iditarod, Alaska|Iditarod]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|161.1|sqmi|km2}}, all of which of is land and none of it is covered by water.

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Flat, Alaska
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F =  53
|Feb record high F =  57
|Mar record high F =  59
|Apr record high F =  69
|May record high F =  85
|Jun record high F = 88
|Jul record high F =  86
|Aug record high F = 84
|Sep record high F =  75
|Oct record high F =  67
|Nov record high F =  56
|Dec record high F =  51
|year record high F= 
|Jan high F = 24
|Feb high F = 27
|Mar high F = 33
|Apr high F = 42
|May high F = 54
|Jun high F = 61
|Jul high F = 64
|Aug high F = 63
|Sep high F = 56
|Oct high F = 41
|Nov high F = 31
|Dec high F = 26
|year high F=
|Jan low F = 9
|Feb low F = 11
|Mar low F = 16
|Apr low F = 25
|May low F = 35
|Jun low F = 42
|Jul low F = 47
|Aug low F = 47
|Sep low F = 40
|Oct low F = 26
|Nov low F = 15
|Dec low F = 11
|year low F=
|Jan record low F = −48
|Feb record low F = −43
|Mar record low F = −42
|Apr record low F = −19
|May record low F =  4
|Jun record low F =  27
|Jul record low F =  33
|Aug record low F =  25
|Sep record low F =  15
|Oct record low F =  −12
|Nov record low F =   −28
|Dec record low F = −38
|year record low F= 
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.0
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.8
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.7
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.0
|May precipitation inch = 1.3
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.6
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.3
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.0
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.2
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.1
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.4
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.2
|year precipitation inch = 
|source = weather.com<ref>{{cite web|title=Flat, AK Weather|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/l/USAK0087:1:US|website=weather.com|publisher=The Weather Channel, LLC|access-date=December 28, 2015}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations
|title= 
|type= US
|align= right
|width= 
|state= 
|shading= 
|pop_name= 
|percentages= 
|1914|6
|1920|158
|1930|124
|1940|146
|1950|95
|1960|27
|1986|5
|2000|4
|2020|0
|source=<ref>Chuck Hawley, "Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Introduction of John Beaton (1875–1945) of Flat, Alaska" ''Alaska Miner'' 29 no.12 (Dec 2001) 10-11 + 14</ref><ref>World Book Encyclopedia (1960). volume A, pg 244.</ref> and  [[United States Census Bureau]]
}}
Flat first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It would continue to appear until 1960. It did not appear again until 2000 when it was made a census designated place (CDP) with its boundaries including the former city of [[Iditarod, Alaska|Iditarod]] and the former mining village of [[Otter, Alaska|Otter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rr9RAQAAMAAJ&q=otter&pg=PA49|title=Geological Survey Professional Paper|date=January 20, 2019|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|access-date=January 20, 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref> As of 2010, it has no residents.

*Note that the population of 6,000 for 1914 during its peak year is speculative and not an official count by the U.S. Census Bureau.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 4 people in 1 household (a married couple with children, in this case) and in 1 family residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|0.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3 housing units at an average density of {{convert|0.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was all [[Race (U.S. census)|white]].

In the CDP, the population was evenly spread out over the age categories under-18, 18 to 24, 25 to 44 and from 45 to 64. The median age was 33 years. There were as many males as there were females, but apparently the only person below 18 was a girl.

===2010 census===
The [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], reported a population of 0.

==See also==
*[[Iditarod, Alaska]], the former river port for Flat
*[[John Miscovich]],  the "mayor of Flat", whose family acquired the claims of departing miners, eventually owning 1,400 acres of Otter Valley.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-20-vw-4390-story.html The Golden Years] John Miscovich profile, LA Times, March 20, 1992</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links ==
* [https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/DCRAExternal/community/Details=Flat Alaska Division of Community Advocacy - Community Information Summary] {{dead link|date=December 2015}}

{{Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Alaska]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Ghost towns in Alaska]]