About Helen Hegener
I write nonfiction books about Alaskan history, and my titles currently include The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, Alaskan Roadhouses, Alaskan Sled Dog Tales, The First Iditarod, The All Alaska Sweepstakes, The Yukon Quest Trail, The Matanuska Colony Barns, and others. You can contact me via email at helenhegener@gmail.com
Northern Light Media publishes non-fiction books about the history of Alaska, with more than a dozen titles currently in print. Learning more about these titles and ordering books is easy, and there are four convenient ways to do so online: … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Alaska Railroad, Books, News & Information, Roadhouses, Sled Dog History
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Tagged Alaska Railroad, Alaskan Roadhouses, All Alaska Sweepstakes, Amazon, books, Contact, CreateSpace, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, IndieBound, Matanuska, Northern Light Media, Ordering, Orders, Roadhouses, sled dogs, Yukon Quest
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The Alaska Railroad: 1902-1923 , subtitled Blazing an Iron Trail Across The Last Frontier, shares the compelling story of the construction of the Alaska Railroad and its predecessors, from 1902, when John Ballaine built the Alaska Central Railroad; through 1923, … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Alaska Railroad, Books, News & Information
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Tagged A.E.C., AEC, Alaska, Alaska Central Railroad, Alaska Northern Railroad, Alaska Railroad, Alaskan Engineering Commission, Anchorage, ARR, Denali, Fairbanks, Golden Spike, Helen Hegener, Nenana, President Harding, Seward, Tanana Valley Railroad
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In 1974, the second year the 1,049-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was run, Mary Shields became the first woman to finish the race, with the smallest team in the race (only eight dogs) and a part-Labrador lead dog named … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Books, DVD & Video
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Tagged Alaskan Tails of the Trail, Hope Race, Iditarod, Jon Van Zyle, Mary Shields, Pyrola Publishing, Robert Service, Season of the Sled Dog, Sled Dog Tales, The Alaskan Happy Dog Trilogy, The Nature of Things, Will Curtis, Yukon Quest
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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, Races, Sled Dog History
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Tagged Dick Mackey, GoFundMe, Iditarod, Iditarod Air Force, Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Joe Redington, The Last Great Race, The Old Iditarod Gang
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Still Crazy After All These Years by Helen Hegener with Rod Perry Adventure has been a way of life for Rod Perry of Chugiak, Alaska. Now seventy-four, an age when most are slowing way down if not sitting still, Rod … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, DVD & Video, News & Information, Races, Sled Dog History
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Tagged Buzz Rohlfing, Fat Albert, Gil Perry, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Men of 73, Rod Perry, Sourdough, Trailbreakers
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“For years, with great dogs, I toiled and often with them was in great perils. Much of my work was accomplished by their aid. So I believe in dogs, and here in this book I have written of some of … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History
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Tagged Alaska, “Iron Man” Johnson, Baldy, Balto, BLM Alaska, Fritz, Helen Hegener, Iditarod Trail, Kolyma, Leonhard Seppala, Mary Joyce, mushing, Northern Light Media, Rembrandt, Scotty Allan, Serum Run, sled dogs, Slim Williams, Togo, Wolf
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In March of 1973, filmmaker, author, and Iditarod historian Rod Perry ran his dogteam in the very first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Now Rod is seeking to preserve the story of that very first … Continue reading →
Posted in News & Information, Races, Sled Dog History
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Tagged Alaska, Gil Perry, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Kickstarter, Rod Perry, sled dog race, sled dogs, Sourdough, The Last Great Race
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The First Iditarod: Mushers’ Tales from the 1973 Race, by Helen Hegener “We got a storm back about Rainy Pass and the trail was covered over; we had no trail, so Victor Kotongan, Bud Smyth and I spent about three … Continue reading →
The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race spans some of the harshest and most beautiful winter territory anywhere: 1,000 miles between Fairbanks, Alaska and the city of Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Known as ‘The World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race,’ … Continue reading →
Posted in Books, News & Information, Races, Sled Dog History
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Tagged Alaska, Albert Marquez, Dawson City, Eric Vercammen, Fairbanks, Helen Hegener, John Schandelmeier, mushing, Scott Chesney, sled dog race, Whitehorse, Yukon Quest, Yukon River
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• January 6 – Gin Gin 200 – Paxson, Alaska • January 7 – Tahquamenon Country – Newberry, Michigan • January 7 – Knik 200 (Joe Redington Sr. Memorial) – Knik, Alaska • January 7 – La Grande Odyssée Savoie … Continue reading →
Posted in News & Information, Races
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Tagged Alpine Creek Excursion, American Dog Derby, Beargrease, Caledonia Classic, Can-Am Crown, Canadian Challenge, Canadian Classic, Copper Basin 300, Darby Dog Derby, Eagle Cap Extreme, Finnmarkslopet, Gin Gin 200, Gold Rush Trail, Gunflint Mail Run, Hudson Bay Quest, Iditarod, International North Hope, Knik 100, Knik 200, Kobuk 440, Kuskokwim 300, La Grande Odyssee, Nome-Council 200, Northern Lights 300, Percy DeWolfe, Race to the Sky, sled dog races, Tahquamenon Country, Tobacco Trail, Tustumena 200, Two Rivers 200, UP 200, Willow 300, Willow Jr. 100, Wyoming Stage Stop, Yukon Quest
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People sometimes ask me which musher in history is my favorite, and it’s a tough choice, as there have been some truly amazing mushers (and I write about many of them in my book Alaskan Sled Dog Tales), but one … Continue reading →
As an author of books on the history of Alaska, I often receive inquiries from people seeking information about long-lost relatives, and I’m always happy to help whenever I can. Family connections are important, and helping someone piece together clues … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, News & Information, Roadhouses, Uncategorized
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Tagged C.L. Hoyt, Elizabeth Geady, Gulkana, Julie Stricker, Lizzy Geady, Lorne Brown, Sourdough Roadhouse, Valdez-to-Fairbanks Trail
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“The valley looks great. It looks fine, fine. You got a mighty nice place here.” ~American humorist and commentator Will Rogers, Palmer, Alaska, August, 1935 The newest book from Northern Light Media combines the history of the Matanuska Valley with … Continue reading →
Golden Places: The History of Alaska-Yukon Mining, With Particular Reference to Alaska’s National Parks, was written in 1990 by William R. Hunt, prepared as a special theme study to assist in the assessment of cultural resources associated with metal mining … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Book Reviews, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alaska, Cassiar, Chisana, Circle City, Dawson, Fairbanks, Fortymile, Golden Places, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, Kantishna, Klondike gold rush, Kuskokwim, Nabesna, Nizina, Nome, Northern Light Media, Seward-Nome Trail, William R. Hunt
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This article is an excerpt from the book by Helen Hegener, Alaskan Roadhouses, Shelter, Food, and Lodging Along Alaska’s Roads and Trails, published in 2015 by Northern Light Media. Ordering information below. The Gakona roadhouse at milepost 205 on … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Books, Roadhouses, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alaska, Arne Sundt, Doyle's Ranch, Gakona Roadhouse, Glenn Highway, Helen Hegener, Henra Sundt, James Wickersham, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, roadhouse, Valdez to Eagle Trail, Valdez-to-Fairbanks Trail
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An old friend, Robert Lutz, sent me the link to an article which appeared in the March 27, 1912 issue of the newspaper, The San Francisco Call, which noted entries for the 1912 All Alaska Sweepstakes race. The article read, … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Races, Sled Dog History, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alaska, All Alaska Sweepstakes, Baldy of Nome, Charles Johnson, Esther Birdsall Darling, Helen Hegener, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs
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I often stumble across interesting websites in my research, and one I’ve returned to a number of times over the years is the Alaskan Heritage Bookshop website, which sells Alaskan books, Alaskan art, vintage Alaskan memorabilia and photographs, and much … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Sled Dog History, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alaska, All Alaska Sweepstakes, Helen Hegener, Leonhard Seppala, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dogs
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The photos and information here are borrowed from the Alaskan Heritage Bookshop website, which sells Alaskan books, Alaskan art, vintage Alaskan memorabilia and photographs, and much more. Based in Juneau, the site bills itself “The Museum of Alaska History Where … Continue reading →
Crow Creek Pass is a popular summer destination with hikers and backpackers, crossing a scenic pass high in the great Chugach Range of mountains which overlooks Anchorage and separates the Matanuska Valley from Prince William Sound. Crow Creek pass, or … Continue reading →
Posted in Alaska History, Roadhouses, Sled Dog History, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alaska, Chugach Mountains, Crow Pass, Eagle River, Eklutna, Fire Lake, Fred Taulman, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Iditarod Trail, John Muir, Knik, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Peters Creek, S. Hall Young, Seward, Sled Dog History, sled dogs
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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, Races, Roadhouses, Uncategorized
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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
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