Council, Alaska is an abandoned townsite located in Nome Census Area, Alaska.

Geography

Council is located at about ¹, about 24 km, (15 miles) east of Nome.

History

Council was built in 1897 and 1898 when when gold was discovered near the Ophir Creek . Council may have had had as many as 15,000 inhabitants during those years. The residents left after larger discoveries of gold near Nome around 1900. Council has about 25 old buildings and much old mining equipment, including a dredge, laying about. During the summer, Council is used as a fish camp and a site for research on the Arctic of Alaska.

Council is connected to Nome by a gravel road, the Nome-Council Road. Council is the nearest site to Nome that has trees, and some Nome residents cut spruce trees at Council for use as Christmas trees.