Category Archives: Alaska History

Alaskan History Magazine

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

Alaskan History Magazine’s second issue shares the history of the aviation pioneers known as bush pilots, from the first attempt to climb into Alaska’s skies  in 1911 to 1935, when the future of flight in the Last Frontier was well-established and looking bright! Other articles in this issue explore Alaska’s first newspaper, the Alaska Steamship Company, a 1916 horseback trip across the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska’s first commercially successful novelist and an exciting childhood in the gold rush town of Nome! Continue reading →

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A New Books Site

Posted on May 24, 2019 by

I have reworked an old website I built a few years ago and it is now a showcase for my Baker’s Dozen books on Alaskan history. The front page displays all the book covers, and clicking on any book title will take you to an in-depth description and ordering information for that book. Continue reading →

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Interesting Old Photos

Posted on May 11, 2019 by

As I’m researching and doing reference work on articles for Alaskan History Magazine I come across many interesting old photographs of Alaska which don’t meet my needs, but which seem worth sharing for those who enjoy the history. Continue reading →

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Old Alaskan Postcards

Posted on May 5, 2019 by

This post may take a minute to load, but it’s worth the wait to see these great vintage postcards of Alaskan towns like Nome, Seward, Valdez, Skagway, Juneau and more! Continue reading →

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Subscribe to Alaskan History

Posted on April 22, 2019 by

The inaugural issue of Alaskan History Magazine is almost ready to be mailed! You can subscribe for one year (6 issues) or just buy the current issue and get a closer look at what it’s about, simply by clicking one of the … Continue reading →

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Seward’s Day

Posted on March 24, 2019 by

Seward’s Day, celebrated on March 25 in 2019, is a legal holiday in Alaska, falling on the last Monday in March and commemorating the signing of the Alaska Purchase treaty on March 30, 1867. It is named for then-Secretary of State William H. Seward, who negotiated the purchase from Russia. Continue reading →

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The Ascent of Denali

Posted on March 24, 2019 by

Hudson Stuck (1865–1920), known as the Archdeacon of the Yukon and the Arctic, was an Episcopal priest, social reformer, and mountain climber in the territory of Alaska who co-led the first expedition to successfully climb Denali (Mount McKinley) in June, 1913. He wrote a book based on the climb, The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley): A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest Peak in North America, which was published in February, 1914 by Charles Scribers Sons, New York.  Continue reading →

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Project Jukebox: Mushing

Posted on March 23, 2019 by

“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 →

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Across Alaska in 1907-08

Posted on March 22, 2019 by

In October 1907, his work for the 1906-1908 Anglo-American Polar Expedition completed, Ejnar Mikkelsen set out on a formidable journey home, which would take him west along the Arctic coast from Flaxman Island, where he left Leffingwell to continue doing scientific research and mapping. Mikkelsen’s trail led to Barrow, Nome, Fort Gibbon, Manley Hot Springs, Fairbanks, and then down the Fairbanks-Valdez Trail to Valdez, where he boarded a ship for home. The first part of his journey was made by dogsled, the second half riding in the horse-drawn sledges which travelled the winter trails. Continue reading →

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Tribute to a Sled Dog

Posted on March 22, 2019 by

Prologue: Tribute to a Sled Dog, from “Sled dog : and other poems of the North,” by Charles E. Gillham, associate editor of Field & Stream magazine, an outdoor writer and game biologist. In 1934 he transferred to the Canadian Arctic as a Federal waterfowl biologist, and his arctic service resulted in four books, “The Raw North,” “Sled Dog,” “Beyond the Clapping Mountains” and “Medicine Men of Hooper Bay.” He left Alaska in 1945. Continue reading →

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