In the fall of 2004, Ken Brown put an announcement in the F.E.A. newsletter for a jam session at Lathrop High School.   According to Ken there were only four people that showed up the first meeting, twelve the second, and sixteen the third week.  Wow, what growth.   Shortly after Christmas the meeting place was moved to Woodriver.  Ken led the group for a year and a half. 

Leslie and Tom Dolan then took the lead for a year, and I guess that must have been the school year ‘06-’07.  Those first years the group only met during the school year.    There was a competing group meeting at Jalapeno’s restaurant for a while that year.  The Jalapeno’s group didn’t last too long.  The restaurant didn’t either. 

Jeff Wildridge and Carolyn Leonard became our fearless leaders for ‘07-’08.   We moved to Pioneer Park thanks to the efforts of Leslie. Our name was suggested by Joe Laranaga after the move.  Jeff was also responsible for getting a ‘Roots’ class added to the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.  It was very successful and will be repeated again this year.  More on that later. 

Jim Rasmussen took the reins, as ‘Wagon Master’, in August of ’08 and is in his first year of a 4 year term!  Jim and Leslie were able to get us moved from the ‘big stage’ to a much friendlier spot in the museum.  Fortunately, the museum is in the park so we didn’t have to change our name!  I don’t know what will happen to our spot during the tourist season. 

Over the years we have had a lot of folks attend. Probably close to one hundred.  Some have come only once or twice.  Don’t know why.  Fortunately there is a core group of 15 or so that make it regularly.  There’s lots more to our history but this is it in a nutshell. 

It’s really neat to hear the improvements made over the years. 

Thanks to everyone who has been instrumental in keeping the group alive.