Richardson
Highway
Started In 1901
Tidewater to Skagway to Dawson
to Chena to Fairbanks, a distance of
over 1,400 miles. A long and tedius
trip, it could be made only in the
cummertime when the riverboats
were running.
That's the way people traveled in
the early days. Then, in 1901, Dan
McCarty, one of the original mem
bers of the Barnette party which
founded Fairbanks, undertook 400
tniles of wilderness and worry and
took a short cut to Tidewater. He
Many Breeds
Of Good Dogs
Found In North
The old time fallacy of only Arc
tic breeds “doing well” in the North
country has been “debunked.”
Fine dogs are a matter of record,
today, throughout the Territory.
From the Great Dane to the tiny
Chihuahua, all varieties of pure
bred dogs are now found as house
hold pets, regardless of residence
of their owners; on a homestead,
or in the fashionable apartment
buildings, the latter fast becoming
commonplace.
With the advent of such fine ani
mals, Kennel Clubs, soon followed.
Dog Shows became a "must.”
Sparked by the perserverance, and
guidance of one woman, a Kennel
Club was formed here in Fairbanks.
Lorraine Lagerstedt. for years an
ardent fancier and judge of pure
bred dogs, “stuck to her guns;” and
after two unsuccessful attempts, fi
nally banded together a solid foun
dation of pure bred dog owners,
from civilian and military person
nel. To form a Club, long arduous
hours were spent by the “Lady Lag
erstedt,” in training, not only the
dogs, but their novice owners as j
well, in the art of “ring technique” j
and proper grooming for dog shows.
Today not only one dog-owners, j
are on the roster of the Tanana |
valley Kennel Club, but bona-fide
breeders as well. Among them, are
Kenny Farmer, with fine Toy
breeds; Mrs. Vivien Walter, Pom
eranians, Sam and Pauline Harlan.
Smooth Pachschunds and Weimar
aners; Melba Green, Yorkshire Ter
tiers; Lorraine Lagerstedt, fine
Boxers: who houses such top show
dogs, as Champion Salal’s Sure Con
ceit, Twenty one Best of Breed
wins in the States, and Champion
Lake Bay’s Freya, who has the dis
tinction of being the first Boxer to
win her points, exclusively at Al
askan Shows; every show' a maj /
Many persons, who are non-mem
bers, also are busy, producing qual
ity registered stock; notably “Jim”
McChord u'ith Weimaraners and
the Worbass family, who specialize
in registered Siberian Huskies. All
in all the pure bred dog is here
to stay.
The Tanana Valley Kennel Club
will hold their Third Annual all
Breed Show on July 22nd ’56 at
the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds.
Mr. Reginald Livsey of Milwaukee,
Oregon will officiate and one hund
red and twenty five dogs, of var
ious breeds wdll vie for top hon
ors.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND OFFICE
Fairbanks, Alaska
Date: May 4. 1956
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION
Notice is hereby given that Marvin
C. Crust on. Manhattan. Montana entry
man, together with his witnesses Mrs.
Matt. Forrister and Jack Warren, both
of Big Delta. Alaska has submitted final
proof on hi* homestead entry, Fairbanks
Serial No. 08464 for the SELNE14, j
EnsSWLiNEH, E'-feNW'iNE'i, SWV«NEV« |
NFL. Lots 9 & 10, Section 17 Township i
S South Range 10 East Fairbanks Mer
idian, containing 95 acres, and it is now I
In the files of the Land Office, Fairbanks,
Alaska, and if no protest is filed in the '
Land Office within the period of publi- j
cation or thirty days thereafter, said |
final proof will be accepted and final i
certificate issued
Malcolm O. Allen. Manager j
F'rst Pub: June 28 1950
Last Pub: Juiy 26, 1956
crossed the perilous Alaska range i
in the height of winter to meet ■
Frank Cleary in Valdez.
Fairbanks grew, and people re- ;
membered McCarty’s historic trip
south. In 1905 the War Department
cleared and marked the route, and
in 1907 it was first utilized by dog
teams.
Thus was founded the famed
Richardson trail, now the route of
the Richardson highway. In 1910
it was used year around, and
was heralded as the “overland all
American shortcut from Tidewater
to Fairbanks.” Cattle and other
pack animals were driven over the
route in the summer to meet the
needs of the growing mining camp.
Huge snow drifts, mountainous
terrain, and high winds made win
ter travel dangerous. The slush and
i ice took their toll of frozen feet,
and high drifts often hid shelters
from the mushers. The more com
fortable river route was still pref- j
erable.
1__
The trail gradually became a
highway, but lost ground in 1923 i
when the railroad went through.
But it was a Godsend in 1942, when
government construction on mili- •
tary bases gave the railroad more
business than it could handle.
Bridges replaced the ferries of
yesteryear; millions of dollars went
into gravel and roadbed improve
ments as later millions would go
for resurfacing.
Gradually, the highway has kept ;
pace with modem trends, and the
Richardson route is one of the Ter
ritory’s main economic arteries.
Thousands of tourists now hit the
road each year for the scenic splen
dor the highway opens.
As it is today, the Richardson
highway is a far cry from the trail
blazed by Dan McCarty in 1901. It
is a symbol of the economic and
industrial development the territory
has seen in its many years of
growth.
The car at the rear is a Maxwell belonging to Louis Johnston. The
car in front was Dr. Charles Bunnell’s. Both men still make Fair
banks their home and both can recall the trip from Valde* over what
later became the Richardson highway that took them 18 days and
four sets of tires. This photo was taken near Copper Center.
WHAT A
DIFFERENCE
A
FEW
YEARS
MAKES!
Your Utilities System
HAS KEPT ABREAST OF ALL
MODERN ADVANCES IN
HOME APPLIANCES AND
UTILITIES THAT HAVE BECOME
THE NECESSITIES OF PRESENT,
EVERY DAY LIVING
AND -
WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO!
FAIRBANKS
Municipal Utilities System
645 FIFTH AVENUE
DIAL 2233