Tag Archives: Joe Redington

Project Jukebox: Mushing

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Helen Hegener

“Dog Mushing in Alaska” highlights stories related to the history of dog mushing in Alaska, showcasing historic oral history interviews and incorporating new recordings into the collection. The recordings included in this project represent various aspects of dog mushing, including traditional use, freighting, mail carrying, recreational use, tourism, sled building, trail systems, dog care, and racing. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Iditarod, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Dr. Roland Lombard, Effie Kokrine, gee-pole, George Attla, Grant Pearson, Herbie Nayokpuk, interviews, Joe Redington, Mary Shields, Moses Cruikshank, mushing, oral history, Project Jukebox, UAF | Leave a comment

1967 Centennial Race

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Helen Hegener

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 →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged 1967, Dick Mackey, Earl Norris, George Attla, Herbie Nayokpuk, Iditarod Trail, Isaac Okleasik, Joe Redington, Joee Redington Jr., Knik, Leonhard Seppala, purchase of Alaska, The First Iditarod | Leave a comment

The First Iditarod, 2nd Edition

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Helen Hegener

From 2007 to 2012 I travelled across Alaska to visit veteran mushers from the 1973 race who would share their memories of what has since become known as “The Last Great Race on Earth.” The bulk of my book is comprised of the verbatim words of these intrepid men who drove their teams on that first journey to Nome in 1973, captured through recorded and videotaped interviews and many notes and follow-up letters and emails. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Anchorage, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Joe Redington, Nome, sled dog race, sled dogs | Leave a comment

Joe Redington, Sr.

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Helen Hegener

Joe Redington came to Alaska in 1948, settling on a homestead near Knik, south of Wasilla, with his family. He learned about sled dogs and how to handle a dog team from his new neighbors, mail and freight team driver Sharon Fleckenstein and Lee Ellexson, one of the last dog team mail drivers on the Iditarod Trail. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Dick Mackey, George Attla, Gleo Huyck, Hudson Stuck, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Iditarod Trail Committee, Joe Redington, Ken Chase, Knik, Leonhard Seppala, Nome, Raymie Redington, Tom Johnson, Unalakleet, Vi Redington, Wasilla | 2 Comments

Kindle Edition: The First Iditarod

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Helen Hegener

“Musher after musher agrees that no one – racers or officials – knew what to expect.” ~Bill Sherwonit in Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome (Alaska Northwest Books, 1991) The First Iditarod Mushers’ Tales From the 1973 Race On a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Kindle eBooks, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Alaska, Book Reviews, eBook, Iditarod, Joe Redington, Kindle, mushing, sled dog race, sled dogs | Leave a comment

Iditarod: The First Ten Years

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Helen Hegener

Please click here to help put a copy of this book in every Alaskan school – even a $5.00 donation will help put more books into our schools! Iditarod: The First Ten Years is a tremendous compilation of history from … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, News & Information, Sled Dog History, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Dick Mackey, GoFundMe, Iditarod, Iditarod Air Force, Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Joe Redington, The Last Great Race, The Old Iditarod Gang | Leave a comment

Joe Redington’s Iditarod Booklet

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Helen Hegener

A slim little booklet came to my attention at the Palmer library recently; if memory serves me it was tucked into their collection which cannot be checked out of the library but must remain in the building. Titled Iditarod Trail, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, News & Information, Roadhouses, Sled Dog Races, Uncategorized | Tagged Alaska, All Alaska Sweepstakes, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Joe Redington, Leonhard Seppala, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs | Leave a comment

Along Alaskan Trails

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Helen Hegener

Along Alaskan Trails, Adventures in Sled Dog History, by Helen Hegener, is a collection of true stories about Alaskan sled dogs and the role they played in the development of the north, with dozens of historic photos from the archives … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Alaska, Alaskan Roadhouses, All Alaska Sweepstakes, “Iron Man” Johnson, Baldy, Balto, Chester Noongwook, Chinook, Emiu, Ernest de Koven Leffingwell, Fritz, Helen Hegener, Hudson Stuck, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Joe Redington, Jujiro Wada, Leonhard Seppala, Mary Joyce, military sled dogs, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, Rembrandt, Richardson Trail, Scotty Allan, sled dog mail, sled dog racing, sled dogs, Slim Williams, Split the Wind, Togo, Valdez to Eagle Trail, Valdez-to-Fairbanks Trail, Wolf | Leave a comment

The 1973 Iditarod

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Helen Hegener

The First Iditarod: Mushers’ Tales from the 1973 Race, by Helen Hegener. Published in March, 2015 by Northern Light Media. 156 pages. ISBN-13 978-0-9843977-6-1 Format 6″ x 9″ perfect bound, text only, no photos. $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged 1973 Iditarod, Bill Sherwonit, George Attla, Helen Hegener, Herbie Nayokpuk, Iditarod, Joe Redington, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Old Iditarod Gang, sled dog race | Leave a comment

A One-Thousand-Mile Race

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Helen Hegener

Joe Redington, Sr., known as the “Father of the Iditarod,” was born on February 1, 1917, in a tent on the banks of the Cimarron River, north of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, on the famous Chisholm Trail. It was a fitting … Continue reading →