Tag Archives: Iditarod Trail

In Gentler Valleys Roaming

Julie Verrette’s Summer Place Kennel provided a safe haven for retired sled dogs from some of the premier racers in the world, such as four-time Iditarod Champion Susan Butcher and Yukon Quest Champion Aliy Zirkle. Continue reading

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Alaskan History, Vol. 4, No. 2

The second issue of Volume 4 of the new revised Alaskan History Magazine includes the story of W. A. Dickey, the man who renamed Denali in 1896. Also in this issue: The history of Deering; an excerpt from G. O. Young’s classic ‘Alaska Yukon Trophies Won and Lost,’ about a hunting party traveling to McCarthy 1919; the Iditarod Trail and its proximity and relationship to Anchorage; the story of Moosemeat John Hedberg, who homesteaded near Kenai and became an Alaskan legend; and an excerpt from L.H. French’s book, Nome Nuggets: Some of the experiences of a party of gold seekers in northwestern Alaska in 1900. Continue reading

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Sled Dogs in America

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. Continue reading

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Sled Dogs in America

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. Continue reading

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Adventures on the Iditarod Trail

Adventures on the Iditarod Trail: Fast Dogs, Freezing Mushers and the Alaska Wild, by Lew Freedman, features engaging interviews with mushers from several decades of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In his introduction, Lew Freedman writes, “March in Alaska belongs to the Iditarod. The throwback nature of the event in a hurry-up world, the romance of the wilderness, the challenge of conquering the elements, all figure into why the Iditarod is so popular.” Continue reading

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Ordering Books

Books by Alaskan author Helen Hegener, including The History of Sled Dogs in North America, The Alaska Railroad, Alaskan Roadhouses, The First Iditarod, The Matanuska Colony Project and many more. Continue reading

Posted in Alaska History, Alaska Railroad, Book Reviews, Books, Colony Barns, Explorers, Gold Rush History, Iditarod, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, Roadhouses, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races, Yukon Quest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Togo’s Serum Run

As the worldwide fight against the coronavirus goes on we are reminded almost daily that pandemics and epidemics have happened before, and we have struggled through them with far fewer resources and much less medical and scientific knowledge than we have now. That is a very real comfort, and lends a bit of perspective to what we are facing. One such epidemic was a deadly diphtheria outbreak which raged across Alaska almost 100 years ago.  Continue reading

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Sled Dog Mail

Dogs were capable of covering long distances, day or night, and could travel over frozen lakes and rivers and pass through dense forests. By 1901, a network of mail trails throughout Alaska was in use, including a system that followed almost the entire length of the Yukon River. The historic 2,300-mile Iditarod Trail was the main dog trail that carried mail from Seward to Nome. Continue reading

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Iditarod National Historic Trail

Nationally, our Historic Trails commemorate major routes of exploration, migration, trade, communications, and military actions that formed America, and only 16 trails in the U.S. have been honored as National Historic Trails. The Iditarod is the only Alaskan trail in the National system, and the only Historic Trail celebrating the indispensable role played by man’s best friend in America’s Last Great Gold Rush. Without dependable sled dogs hauling freight, passengers, mail and more, the history of Alaska and the north country would have been quite different. Continue reading

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1967 Centennial Race

The 1967 race was billed as ‘the biggest event in racing history,’ with an unprecedented purse of $25,000, richer than any purse offered for a sled dog race until then. It attracted mushers from all around Alaska, respected dog drivers such as George Attla, Gareth Wright, Earl Norris, Jerry Riley, Orville Lake, Herbie Nayokpuk, Dick Mackey, and even two champion sprint mushers from Massachusetts: Dr. Roland Lombard and Dr. Charles Belford. Continue reading

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