Author Archives: Helen Hegener

Unknown's avatar

About Helen Hegener

Author and publisher, Northern Light Media

Dog Team Doctor

In 1896 Dr. Joseph  H. Romig traveled to Bethel, Alaska, and opened the first doctor’s office and hospital west of Sitka, at a time when there were very few non-native people living in remote southwest Alaska. Four decades later a … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Parks-Archer Colony Barn

In 1935 the U.S. Government transported 200 families from the Great Depression-stricken midwest to a valley of unparalleled beauty in Alaska, where they were given the chance to begin new lives as part of a federally-funded social experiment, the Matanuska … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Books, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

John “Iron Man” Johnson

In 1910, a Scottish nobleman who lived in Nome, Fox Maule Ramsey, crossing the Bering Strait to Siberia and purchased 70 Siberian racing huskies. In that year’s All Alaska Sweepstakes race, a 408-mile run from Nome to Candle and return, … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Sled Dog Races, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Look Between the Covers

The newest book from Northern Light Media, Alaskan Sled Dog Tales, is in the final proofing stage before indexing the book, and I thought a peek between the covers might be fun for readers looking forward to this book. Here, … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alaskan Sled Dog Tales

The history of Alaska was in large part written behind a team of sled dogs. “These trustworthy creatures could be relied upon to do the heavy work, while remaining—as Hegener eloquently reminds us—our most treasured friends.” David Fox, for the … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, News & Information, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A.A.”Scotty” Allan

From the Wenatchee World, Wenatchee, Washington, June 29, 1909: “Scotty” Allan, Dog Trainer Winner of All-Alaskan Sweepstakes an old-time resident of Chelan County and well known here The Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Monday night contained an interesting story regarding “Scotty” Allan, … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog Races, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Writing

As a writer I work with words on a daily basis, and I’ve been asked if it ever gets old, this spending my time at a keyboard instead of pursuing other potentially more exciting ways to make a living. Okay, … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, News & Information | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Icebound

“On January 28, 1925, newspapers and radio stations broke a terrifying story — diphtheria had broken out in Nome, Alaska, separated from the rest of the world for seven months by a frozen ocean. With aviation still in its infancy … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, DVD & Video, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2016 Northern Lights 300

The Northern Lights 300 mid-distance sled dog race runs on the Iditarod Trail from four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennel to the Winterlake Lodge on Finger Lake, deep in the Alaska Range. The race has become a favorite … Continue reading

Posted in News & Information, Sled Dog Races | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Iditarod Trail History

I assembled the following photos relating to Iditarod Trail history for the BLM Alaska Idita-Chat on January 20. As it turned out, circumstances changed and I only posted a few of the descriptions, and none of the photos, so I … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment