Roadhouses

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Helen Hegener

In an article at the Smithsonian Magazine website titled “How Alaska’s Historic Roadhouses are Standing the Test of Time,” travel correspondent Laura Kiniry writes, “These sometimes temporary—often permanent—lodgings played a huge role in the history of the Alaskan frontier, serving as one-stop shops for travelers arriving by dog team or stagecoach, or even on foot, through intense cold and snow.”

With several color photos and a good emphasis on why the old roadhouses are worth preserving, Kiniry described half a dozen roadhouses and interviewed Alaskan roadhouse owners Mary Knight, of Tolovana Roadhouse; Annie Hopper, of the Rapids Roadhouse; and me–Helen Hegener-author of the book, Alaskan Roadhouses. Having written the book, I’ve written quite a lot about the old roadhouses on this site, you can do a search to find some of the articles such as Roadhouse Registers, Roadhouse Videos, and look up many specific roadhouses by name. I also have a website dedicated to preserving the history of the roadhouses, which you can find here.

Alaskan Roadhouses

“Alaskan Roadhouses, Shelter, Food, and Lodging Along Alaska’s Roads and Trails,” by Helen Hegener, published by Northern Light Media in 2016. 6″ x 9″, over 100 black/white photographs, 284 pages. $24.95 plus $5.00 for First Class shipping.

$29.95

“In Alaskan Roadhouses, Helen Hegener reconstructs the scant history of these establishments and the people and dogs who made their existence possible. She tells us as much about the travelers who foraged from one roadhouse to the next as the roadhouses themselves. These pioneers were beyond hearty. Braving sub-arctic temps and trails that defied logic, they walked along with, or ahead of their dog teams, 20 to 30 miles per day, without surcease. They pushed past blistered feet (treated with coal oil) twisted ankles and fingers and toes frosted just this side of hypothermia. What shines through-one indelible portrait after another-is their sheer exuberance for life. Their words leap from the page, so vibrant their zeal for life you can hear them as you read their words.” –David Fox, Alaska Press, January 14, 2016

This long-anticipated 284-page book recounts the detailed histories of twenty-four roadhouses, and presents historic photos of two dozen more. Along with the colorful histories are first-hand accounts of those who stayed at the roadhouses while traveling the early trails and roads of Alaska, including the Reverend Samuel Hall Young, Frank G.. Carpenter, Judge James Wickersham, Leonhard Seppala, Col. Walter L. Goodwin, and Matilda Clark Butler, who opened a roadhouse near Nome in 1901, at the height of the Nome Gold Rush. -Make-a-Scene magazine, July, 2015

*Glacier Creek, Nome, Alaska July 13, 1906*

Posted in Alaska History, Gold Rush History, News & Information, Roadhouse, Roadhouses, Transportation, Western History | Tagged Alaska, Alaskan Roadhouses, Annie Hopper, Black Rapids Roadhouse, Helen Hegener, history, Laura Kiniry, Mary Knight, Northern Light Media, Rika's Roadhouse, roadhouse, Roadhouses, Talkeetna Roadhouse, Tolovana Roadhouse, travel | 1 Comment

Alaskan History Vol. 4, No. 1

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Helen Hegener

Volume 4, Number 1, Alaskan History Magazine

The first new issue of the revised Alaskan History Magazine will offer an assortment of articles on the history of the state, from the history of Tanana to The Knik News and pioneer photographer P. S. Hunt, to an article about a woman who came to Alaska seeking information about her great-grandfather and wrote a book about it, some of which is excerpted in Searching for the Ohio Roadhouse. Other articles include an in-depth looks at the final days of Will Rogers and Wiley Post as they left Seattle and toured Alaska, and the history of the 72-mile Alaska Central Railroad, which was a forerunner of the current Alaska Railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. 64 pages, 6” x 9” format, B/W interior, postage paid.

Alaskan History Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 1

In this issue: The History of Tanana • The Knik News • Pioneer Photographer P. S. Hunt • Searching for the Ohio Roadhouse • Will Rogers and Wiley Post: The Final Farewell • The Alaska Central Railroad. 64 pages, 6” x 9” format, B/W interior, postage paid.

$12.00

Posted in Alaska History, Alaska Railroad, Alaskan History Magazine, News & Information, photographs, Roadhouse, Roadhouses, Transportation, Uncategorized | Tagged Alaska, Alaska Railroad, Arthur H. Dallimore, Helen Hegener, history, Knik, Northern Light Media, Ohio Creek Roadhouse, Roadhouses, Tanana, travel, Wiley Post, Will Rogers | 1 Comment

Alaskan History Magazine

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Helen Hegener

Longtime readers and followers of my work may remember my Alaskan History Magazine, a full color bimonthly publication which featured stories of the history of Alaska. Between 2019 and 2021 I published 14 issues, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, sales abruptly ceased, and there seemed to be no recourse but to stop producing the magazine.

I have thought about that decision a lot in the past few years, wondering what I might have done differently, and questioning the idea of re-starting the magazine which I loved producing.

The answers to my questions, carefully considered over the past few weeks and months, have slowly convinced me to pick up the mantle and continue the magazine, albeit with some significant changes.

Among those changes will be single issue only sales, no subscriptions, but every issue will remain available, and the first new issue will be available in mid-January.

Changes from the original magazine include a b/w interior instead of color, 6” x 9” format instead of 8.5” x 11,” and the page count may vary between 48 and 64, depending on content. Issues will be identified by volume and number, but not dated, as history is timeless. I’ve built a new website for Alaskan History Magazine, where all of the original issues are still available in both print and digital editions, and new issues will be added as they are published.

I will be honoring all of the subscriptions which were left hanging when I stopped publication, and if you were a subscriber I will be contacting you when I publish the first new issue in a few days. If you don’t hear from me, or if your email address has changed in the interim, or if you have questions or comments, please contact me at helenhegener@helenehegener

Volume 4, Number 1

In this issue: The History of Tanana • The Knik News • Pioneer Photographer P. S. Hunt • Searching for the Ohio Roadhouse • The Last Visit of Will Rogers and Wiley Post • The Alaska Central Railroad

$12.00

Posted in News & Information | Tagged Alaskan History Magazine, books, history, magazine, writing | Leave a comment

Kindle eBooks

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Helen Hegener

Most of the books published by Northern Light Media are now available as Kindle Print Replica eBooks, which maintain the formatting and layout of the print edition. They can be read on most devices, whether Apple, PC, or Android, with the free Kindle Reader app. Most are available for $5.99.

Titles currently available include Alaskan Roadhouses, The First Iditarod, The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, The Hope ‘91 Sled Dog Race, The History of Sled Dogs in North America, The Alaska Diaries of Dr. James Taylor White: 1889-1901, The First Newspapers of Knik and Anchorage, The Stained Glass Dog Team, Alaskan Sled Dog Tales, Alaska and The Klondike, and “A Mighty Nice Place:” The 1935 Matanuska Colony Project.

Also available are the new release by Anne Winters, The Tender Life: 20 Years of Commercial Fish Tendering in Alaska, and four of Lew Freedman’s books: Adventures on the Iditarod Trail: Fast Dogs, Freezing Mushers and the Alaska Wild, Northern Journey: A Report from the Frontier, The Greatest Fish Ever Caught: Alaska Fishing Tales, and The World’s Most Interesting Man, Alaska Big Game, and the World’s Largest Eskimo: Alaska Hunting Tales.

The Kindle ebooks can be found in the Kindle Store on Amazon by searching for either the title or the author. They can also be found by searching for a title on Amazon and clicking on “See all formats and editions,” which will show both the print and Kindle formats.

Posted in Books, Kindle eBooks, News & Information | Tagged Amazon, books, eBook, Kindle, Northern Light Media, reading, writing | Leave a comment

The Tender Life

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Helen Hegener

“Here is the real thing! A lot of what Anne writes about I have been witness to – one way or another. She tells the story I’d like to write. Factual, exciting and riveting! It’s the Alaskan experience so many (even Alaskans) will never have. But these pages will transport you to the time and places she and Ron lived.” –Al Crane, Bush pilot, SE Alaska boat operator, Iditarod organizer and musher

“Tenders are the ‘transporters’ of the Alaska commercial fishing industry. We don’t catch fish. We haul fish. We are hired by a processing company to go out to the grounds, pick up the fish from the fishermen and bring them back to the processing plant on the beach or to a floating processor nearby. This allows the fishing fleet to stay on the grounds during the peak runs of fish. Tenders act as grocery stores for the fishermen. We bring out parts, deliver mail, offer hot coffee and sometimes a hot shower. We act as the mother ship for the fishing fleet.” -Anne Winters in The Tender Life: 20 Years of Commercial Fish Tendering in Alaska

In The Tender Life, writer Anne Winters tells stories from her 20 years of working and living aboard two classic wooden boats with her husband Ron as they worked the Alaska fisheries from south of Ketchikan to way north of Nome. They filled their holds with seine fish and gillnet fish, salmon, halibut, black cod and even abalone.

They visited big towns and native villages. They suffered a fire and a near total loss of everything they owned. But they worked together, lived a dream, re-built after tragedy and made life long friends. Winters’ stories are told in an easy-to-read familiar style with humor and insight and a true feeling of the love she feels for Alaska, the ocean and beautiful old wooden boats.

Left: Ron loading a seine onto the front deck of the MUTUAL. You don’t realize how big and heavy a seine net is until you have to find room for it.

“We were so fortunate that we decided to take that leap of faith and that we were able to make a living for all those years and at the same time have some of the greatest adventures we could have ever imagined. Climb aboard and come along for the ride.”

Anne has a degree in Journalism from Syracuse University. She’s been an advertising copywriter, owned her own secretarial service, run a travel agency, sold many free-lance articles to various Alaska publications and holds a USCG 100-ton license She has lived in Alaska since 1968.

The Tender Life: 20 Years of Commercial Fish Tendering in Alaska, by Anne Winters, illustrations and maps by Jon Van Zyle, with over two dozen full color photos. 6” x 9” format, 218 pages, glossary, index, ISBN 9798339373292. $24.95 plus shipping, now available from Northern Light Media.

The Tender Life

The Tender Life: 20 Years of Commercial Fish Tendering in Alaska, by Anne Winters, illustrations and maps by Jon Van Zyle, with over two dozen full color photos. 6” x 9” format, 218 pages, glossary, index, ISBN 9798339373292. $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping, now available from Northern Light Media.

$29.95

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, fishing, Memoirs, News & Information | Tagged Anne Winters, commercial fishing, fishing, Memoirs, Northern Light Media | Leave a comment

Sled Dogs in America

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Helen Hegener

The important place of sled dogs in American history as portrayed by the sled dog paintings of Veryl Goodnight is the subject of this new book from Northern Light Media: Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight, by Veryl Goodnight and Helen Hegener. The historically accurate paintings by the award-winning Colorado artist have elevated the history of sled dogs to an exhibit at the prestigious Smithsonian-associated Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Running for nine months, through April, 2025, the exhibit showcases not only the paintings done by Veryl Goodnight, but includes the history behind the paintings as researched by Alaskan historian Helen Hegener, author of the landmark book Sled Dogs in North America (Northern Light Media, 2023).

With props which informed and inspired the artist’s work, and historic photographs and documents collected for reference on display, this significant exhibit is the first of its kind to appear in a major museum, and the entire collection is splendidly presented in Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight.

From the artist’s preliminary drawings to detailed explanations of the history behind the paintings, this book takes the reader on a guided tour through the museum’s landmark exhibit.

Beginning with the first inhabitants of North America, who were almost certainly accompanied by sled dogs, this book highlights the partnership between men and dogs down through the decades. Veryl Goodnight’s paintings vividly tell the stories of the intrepid sled dog teams which delivered the mail, the dogs who moved freight and supplies across endless winter trails, the Klondike Gold Rush dogs made famous in Jack London’s writings, and the dogs who even today carry park rangers and haul supplies in Denali National Park in Alaska.

Also included are stories of the great dog teams of the Arctic explorers, the sled dog teams who served in the military, the sled dogs of the great fur trapping and trading empires, the life-saving Serum Run to Nome in 1925, and many more. Pairing the history in photographs and text with the incomparable beauty and historically accurate detail of her paintings, Veryl Goodnight brings a long overdue honor to the brave sled dogs whose role in our history cannot be forgotten.

Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight

‘Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight’ is available for $34.95 plus $5.00 postage. Format 11″ x 8.5″ (landscape). 72 pages, printed in Ultra Premium Full Color on 70# paper. Bibliography, Resources, Indexed. ISBN 979-8-3304-2842-7.

$39.95

Posted in Alaska History, Books, Gold Rush History, Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races, Transportation | Tagged Alaska, Balto, Helen Hegener, Iditarod Trail, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dog race, sled dogs, travel, Veryl Goodnight, writing | Leave a comment

New Book: Alaska Hunting Tales

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Helen Hegener

Multiple award-winning writer Lew Freedman collects the big game hunting stories of dozens of Alaskans in this new book, and he brings to life hair-raising tales of close encounters with bears, moose, walrus, musk oxen and more.

But he also shares the lighter side, the faux pas of cheechako hunters, hunting both for food and for sport, and the adventures of several top Iditarod mushers who met big critters both on and off the famous trail.

Whether hunting for trophies or adding to their larder, the hunters whose stories are in this book all share a love for Alaska which illuminates their adventures! But Lew Freedman goes further than simply relating exciting hunting stories, including thoughtful and though-provoking commentary on the history, traditions, techniques, and social concerns which make hunting a complex and complicated part of life in Alaska.

In his Introduction Freedman writes, “Long before the written word, mankind set out in pursuit of other species in the wild that would enable people to eat and feed the family and long after it became possible to purchase similar meats in a grocery store, many still seek to live out that same experience as distant ancestors experienced.

“For some, hunting is a primal need. For others, it is a powerful desire. For many, the act of hunting cannot be replicated by the simple act of forking over dollars at a cash register to place meat on the dinner table.”

The chapter titles give insight on the depth and breath of the book, with descriptions which invite the reader to dive right in: Controversial Moose, The Story Tellers Tell Stories, Nalukataq: the Whaling Festival, Bears that Might Have Eaten Them for Lunch, Float Hunting in Luxury.

With stories drawn from almost every part of the state, this wide-ranging compilation offers something for everyone, including non-hunters, who will find many interesting and informative descriptions of this important part of life in Alaska.

The World’s Most Interesting Man, Alaska Big Game, and the World’s Largest Eskimo

Multiple award-winning writer Lew Freedman collects the big game hunting stories of dozens of Alaskans in this new book. 274 pages, 6” x 9” b/w format, map, index, many photos. ISBN 9798341042407. $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping from Northern Light Media.

$29.95

Posted in Books, Hunting, News & Information | Tagged Alaska, big game, Hunting, Lew Freedman, Northern Light Media | Leave a comment

Sled Dogs in America

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Helen Hegener

SLED DOGS IN AMERICA: The Art of Veryl Goodnight

The sled dog paintings of Veryl Goodnight are the subject of this new book from Northern Light Media: Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight, by Veryl Goodnight and Helen Hegener.

This book is an in-depth look at the incredible paintings done by the award-winning Colorado artist who has elevated the history of sled dogs to an exhibit at the prestigious Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona. Running for nine months, from July, 2024 through April, 2025, the exhibit showcases not only the paintings done by Veryl Goodnight, but includes the history behind the paintings as researched by Alaskan historian Helen Hegener, author of the landmark book Sled Dogs in North America (Northern Light Media, 2023).

This book details the history behind the paintings which comprise the exhibit. Beginning with the first inhabitants of North America, who were almost certainly accompanied by sled dogs, this book highlights the partnership between men and dogs down through the decades. Veryl Goodnight’s paintings vividly tell the stories of the intrepid sled dog teams which delivered the mail, the dogs who moved freight and supplies across endless winter trails, the Klondike Gold Rush dogs made famous in Jack London’s writings, and the dogs who even today carry park rangers and haul supplies in Denali National Park in Alaska.

Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight

$39.95

Posted in Books, Gold Rush History, News & Information, Sled Dog History | Tagged Alaska, Arctic, art, Denali National Park, gold rush, Helen Hegener, huskies, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Jack London, Klondike, mushing, Northern Light Media, paintings, Serum Run, sled dogs, The Call of the Wild, Veryl Goodnight, Western Spirit Museum | Leave a comment

Arizona Museum Exhibit

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Helen Hegener

Veryl Goodnight: Sled Dogs in America: Alaska & Beyond

For the past fifteen years the Colorado artist Veryl Goodnight has sought to capture the spirit of sled dogs in her paintings and sculpture.

She notes on her website, “There is still a story to be told in the 21st century of disappearing cultures and traditions that are linked with animal partnerships.”

For Veryl, who has mushed her own team of now-retired sled dogs, one of the most important animal partnerships in our history has been the sled dog. Keenly aware of the role they’ve played in hauling mail, freight, gold and more, she states “Sled dogs were to the North what the horse was to the plains.”

For several months Veryl has been working on an exhibit of her sled dog paintings for the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute which is consistently listed as one of the best museums in the nation by True West Magazine, and was awarded the No. 1 spot for Museums of the West in 2023. The museum showcases the art, culture, and rich history spanning 19 states in the American West, Western Canada, and Mexico.

Veryl Goodnight: Sled Dogs in America: Alaska & Beyond will include props used to create the art along with text sharing the little-known history of the many roles sled dogs and their drivers have had in America’s past. That history was detailed in the 2023 book, ‘The History of Sled Dogs in North America,’ by Helen Hegener (Northern Light Media), for which Veryl supplied the cover art and more than a dozen of her original paintings.

Now, in turn, the book is providing the history and context for the paintings in the exhibit at the museum. Author Helen Hegener and artist Veryl Goodnight have been collaborating with the museum curators to create what will be a splendid showcase of sled dog history in a prestigious museum. The exhibit opens July 16, 2024, and will run through April, 2025. In February, 2025 the artist and the author will present a program based on the exhibit in the Western Spirit theater.

Veryl’s complete sled dog collection can be viewed at her website.

Posted in News & Information, Sled Dog History, Western History | Tagged Alaska, dogs, Helen Hegener, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Sled Dog History, sled dogs, travel, Veryl Goodnight, Western Spirit Museum | Leave a comment

The Greatest Fish

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Helen Hegener

The Greatest Fish Ever Caught

Alaska Fishing Tales, by Lew Freedman

“The mere mention of Alaska and fishing in the same sentence conjures magical images. The scenery engulfing the angler is so special it can be difficult to keep your eyes on the prize when drifting or motoring, or even just standing in waders. Every so often a reminder thought drifts across the brain – I am fishing in Alaska. That provokes an almost immediate involuntary smile because the fleeting awareness is a poke provoking a ‘How lucky am I?’ statement. Those fishing trips turn into adventures and make memories.” -Lew Freedman, from the Introduction

The greatest fish ever caught in Alaska was a king salmon hauled ashore by Les Anderson of Soldatna in 1985. The cover photo below is a larger-than-life carving of Les with his fish which stands in front of the Visitor Center in Soldatna, on the Kenai Peninsula. Award-winning writer Lew Freedman tells Les’ story and many other Alaska fishing tales with wit and humor in this collection of true stories about fishing in the Last Frontier. From salmon to halibut to trophy rainbow trout, with side trips for shrimp, clams, and an octopus (!), Lew shares dozens of adventurous fishing trips across the Great Land.

“One bear went into the water on foot, stopped in the middle of the creek, and turned his head to the left and the right, looking for salmon to come along. The closest a bear came to me – the one time I got nervous – was 30 feet. I wanted to direct him to the creek, but instead edged towards in the plane in case I had to make a sudden move to a door handle.”

From fishing along the shores Ship Creek, which winds through the city of Anchorage, to some of the greatest remote fishing lakes and rivers to be found anywhere, with world-class lodges sporting stellar accommodations, Lew takes his readers on an inspiring journey across the North with these tales of fishing in Alaska.

“There was something about going fishing on the Kenai River that spoke to me in a way different from the many other bodies of water, in Alaska and elsewhere, I have fished. Maybe it was the color of that water, the glacier-fed water… I referred to it as the river of my heart and I admit that is still true. Any time I can, I return to fish on that river.” -Lew Freedman