Fox Water

When I lived on the homestead outside of Fairbanks, I got my washing up water from the creek that ran not far from the front door. But, for drinking water I drove out to the little community of Fox. Now, Fox, Alaska was (and probably still is ) a line of mailboxes along the side of the highway and the Fox Roadhouse, which in those days had a sign on the side which read, "Welcome to beautiful downtown Fox." Near Fox is a natural spring with a pipe enclosed in a shed. The natural pressure of the spring forces the water out of the pipe and inside the shed is a valve where people fill five gallon water jugs. This water is called the purest water in the state, and is truly delicious.

In the summer, a young entrepreneur used this water to make lemonade, which was sold from a truck. I think it was called the Lemon Tree, and as I remember it, there was a stylized picture of a lemon tree on the side. I am certain that the motto, also painted on the side of the truck, was "Made with pure Fox water!"

I once heard a tourist ask, in a stunned voice, "What is fox water? It can't be what I think it is, can it?" Ah -- a yellow liquid made with fox water.