Tag Archives: Matanuska Colony

Ordering Books

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Helen Hegener

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 Alaska, Alaska History, Alaska Railroad, All Alaska Sweepstakes, barns, gold rush, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Klondike gold rush, Matanuska Colony, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, Revenue Cutter Service, Roadhouses, sled dogs, Yukon Quest | Leave a comment

Matanuska Colony Barns

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Helen Hegener

Today the Matanuska Colony barns are an iconic reminder of what has been called the last great pioneering adventure in America. I have been living with, admiring, and photographing these picturesque barns for decades, and in 2012 I turned my longtime interest into a book, a video, and a website. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Colony Barns, DVD & Video, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, News & Information, photographs, Videos | Tagged barns, books, Helen Hegener, Matanuska Colony | Leave a comment

W. T. Geisman, Photographer

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Helen Hegener

As the official photographer for the Matanuska Colony Project, Geisman documented every aspect of the venture, from the kitchen help aboard the North Star to the colonists’ children playing in the tent city, from officials posing stiffly for portraits to farmers working together to build homes before winter. His photographs portray proud farm wives showing their neat tent kitchens, and a small girl sitting in an Alaskan berry patch grinning at the cameraman. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, Colony Barns, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, News & Information | Tagged "A Mighty Nice Place", .R.R.C., Alaska, ARRC, Col. Frank Bliss, Colonist, Colony, Don Irwin, Helen Hegener, Jim Fox, L. N. Troast, Mary Nan Gamble, Matanuska, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, North Star, Northern Light Media, Palmer, photographs, Willis Geisman, Willis T. Geisman | Leave a comment

Kindle Edition: “A Mighty Nice Place”

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Helen Hegener

The story of the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project, which settled 200 families near Palmer, Alaska. Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Books, Colony Barns, Kindle eBooks, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, News & Information | Tagged "A Mighty Nice Place", Alaska, Book Reviews, Colony, eBook, farming, Great Depression, history, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, New Deal, Palmer | Leave a comment

Parks-Archer Colony Barn

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Helen Hegener

The magnificent Parks-Archer barn which sat on the south side of Bodenburg Butte is gone now, another loss to Matanuska Valley history, but it was included in my 2013 book on the Matanuska Colony barns (see below for ordering). Comprised … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Colony Barns, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, News & Information | Tagged Alaska, barns, history, Matanuska Colony, Matanuska Valley, Palmer, The Matanuska Colony Barns | 2 Comments

Matanuska Valley Books

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Helen Hegener

The colorful history and the captivating beauty of today’s Matanuska Valley are captured in these four books from Northern Light Media, including three which address the history of the 1935 Matanuska Colony. Click on any book cover for more information … Continue reading →