Alaska Stories

By: Michael R Dougherty
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  • Alaska History, Facts, and Pioneers

    www.anchoragememoriesclub.com
    Michael R Dougherty
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Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • Anchorage, Alaska's World Famous, Pioneering, Fur Rendezvous Winter Carnival

    Anchorage, Alaska's World Famous, Pioneering, Fur Rendezvous Winter Carnival
    Feb 4 2025
    Hello, Mike and Mary here. Thank you for letting us into your inbox. If you are a new subscriber, welcome!Every issue of the Anchorage Memories Club is a treasure chest of memories that will bring back your long forgotten memories.For access to the Alaska Library of stories, e-books and audio stories, you’ll need to become a Paid Subscriber.Anchorage Memories Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The town of Anchorage had a population of about 3,000 souls in the mid-1930s. The town was spread out between Ship Creek and the Park Strip.Then a man named, Vern Johnson had an idea. What if there was a 3-day winter festival? He reasoned that It might just be a great cure for the long winter and Cabin Fever.February 15–17, 1936The town of Anchorage came out to enjoy the “Winter Sports Carnival”.There was hockey, boxing, basketball, skiing, and a children’s sled dog race down 4th Avenue.The first Winter Sports Carnival also included a bonfire and a torchlight parade.1937Eileen Bagoy (the daughter of the owners of “Flowers by Bagoy”) was crowned the first-ever Fur Rendezvous Queen by the Anchorage Women’s Club.The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce added a costumed Mardi Gras type carnival night and a street parade celebrating Washington’s birthday.1938In 1938, the Winter Sports Carnival was renamed the Fur Rendezvous to also bring fur traders and trappers to town.1939 Rondy PinsRondy Pins (shown above on these Rondy “Keystone Cops”) were first created and used as a fundraiser for the Fur Rendezvous, beginning in 1939.BONUSRemember the Rondy “Keystone Cops”? Here’s a fun story about what happened if you were not wearing a Rondy Pin.Take a look at My Mom Got Put in the Rondy Jail and enjoy.Yes, You Can Share This EditionYour friends and family will get “Rondy Fever” when they see all the fun that Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous brings every year. So share the fun.Thanks for reading the Anchorage Memories Club! This post is public, so feel free to share it.1946In 1946, 3 mushers competed in the first Alaska Championship Sled Dog Races at the Park Strip. The winner was Earl Norris (pictured above).1950The Blanket Toss was added in 1950. Are you in this crowd? The year of this photo isn’t known.Native Alaskans from Nome and Diomede Islands came to Anchorage to demonstrate the Blanket Toss. And judging by the crowd in the picture above, it was a hit.19536 women competed in the first Women’s Alaska Championship Sled Dog Race.1958Then in 1958, a curling tournament was played on 4th Avenue. Always fun to watch.1960The photo above is 1968Golden Wheel Amusements added Carnival rides to the Fur Rendezvous in 1960.Hardy Alaska souls don’t mind braving freezing temperatures for a ride on the Ferris Wheel, or to snack on a corn dog.What was your favorite Rondy Carnival ride? In 1968, the carnival was located overlooking the mouth of Ship Creek, where Anchorage got its start as a tent city back in 1915.Your Favorite Rondy Food TreatsHaving all that Rondy fun made you good and hungry for a treat.Mary, of Anchorage Memories, always looked forward to her special Fur Rendezvous snack.BONUSTake a look at Mary’s story about Fur Rondy Corn Dogs and enjoy.Fur Rendezvous Parade MemoriesThe photo above is 1965 (ish). From the Brad Smith CollectionYes, you were cold, but you didn’t care. The Fur Rondy parade was all for fun as it made its way down 4th Avenue to the delight of all.Did You March in the Rondy Parade?It was cold, but it was fun, and the bands from Anchorage schools also participated.Mary of Anchorage Memories marched in the parade as part of the Anchorage Clown Club.BONUSMike, of Anchorage memories, played trumpet in the East High band. Marching on slippery ice… or being behind horses, had its special challenges.Take a look at Marching in the Fur Rondy Parade and enjoy.If you’re new to the Anchorage Memories Club, you’ll also love Alaska Stories.Take a look at our Alaska Stories email delivered publication as well.Did You Know?Because of World War II, the Fur Rendezvous was cancelled from 1942 to 1945.So, a very community minded lady named Lorene Harrison (the owner of the Hat Box), put together a celebration called “Bonanza Days” which was presented at the log cabin USO building to a standing-room-only crowd. Do You Remember Some of These Folks?When You were home, (or peeking at a TV in a downtown store window) sipping a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and watching the World Championship Sled Dog Races, the folks at KENI-TV (now KTUU) and KENI radio were braving the cold to bring you all the Rondy fun.Left to right is:Al Bramstedt, news anchor Ty Clark, camera operator Jim Balog, Bill Stewart and your Master of Ceremonies Orville Lake.Do You Remember This Theme Song?It was played on KENI-TV channel 2 at the beginning and end of their Fur Rendezvous TV coverage.Click on the following link to ...
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    5 mins
  • Remarkable Pioneering Alaska Aviator, Russel Merrill

    Remarkable Pioneering Alaska Aviator, Russel Merrill
    Jan 14 2025
    Anchorage Memories Club is a monthly, reader-supported email treasure chest of memories. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In the photo above is Russel Hyde MerrillClick on the following link to listen to Mike and Mary read this Alaska Story.Our story begins in Anchorage in 1923.Because of a thick forest on the south side of Anchorage, Alaska, there was a concern that if a fire started in the woods, the new town would be destroyed.With that in mind, Arthur W. Shonbeck organized the entire town of Anchorage to create a fire break by clearing a large strip of land between what is now 9th and 10th avenue. But as the new town grew, that cleared land became a home for other things.From Fire Break to Golf CourseThe photo above shows golfers on the firebreak in Anchorage, AlaskaOnce tree stumps and other obstacles could be removed, a golf course was created on the fire break.But wait -Except for dog sleds, it was very difficult to get in or out of most places in Alaska. So, adventurous, pioneer aviators began flying into remote areas of the Alaska “bush”. Those early aviators were soon known as “bush pilots”.They Needed a Place to LandAnchorage, and other parts of Alaska were beginning to use aircraft more and more. However, conditions for taking off and landing were primitive and dangerous. So it was decided that the new golf course in Anchorage would also make a great landing strip for bush pilots.By the way, once planes began landing and taking off on their new airfield, golfers were instructed to give planes the right of way. Ya think?Eventually, the presence of aircraft made it obvious that the golf course had to go.In the photo above is the Anchorage airstrip used by early pilots. This field later became Delaney Park, the largest community park in Anchorage.Then, in 1926, Arthur Shonbeck founded Anchorage Air Transport, Anchorage’s first airline.To start his service, Shonbeck hired a pilot from the lower 48 named Russel Hyde Merrill.Earlier, on August 20, 1925, Russel Merrill and his aviation partner Roy Davis had become the first to fly an airplane to Anchorage.Anchorage Air Transport started with two planes named Anchorage No. 1 and Anchorage No. 2.In 1927, Anchorage Air Transport built the first airplane hangar in Anchorage.Merrill’s Life Saving Flight: It’s What Bush Pilots DoIn 1927, Merrill received a Signal Corp radio message.An airlift was urgently needed to transport a critically wounded school teacher in Ninilchick who was near death.It was nighttime when his plane returned to Anchorage. And with his patient onboard, Merrill had to continue circling the new airfield as he tried to find where to land.The citizens of Anchorage realized what was happening and quickly came to the rescue.They set bonfires around the field and used automobile headlights to help guide Merrill’s landing. The results became the first night landing in Anchorage.The teacher recovered.He Transported Many FursThe photo above shows Russel Merrill with a load of furs.By 1929, Merrill was flying 10 to 12 hours a day.Russel Hyde MerrillA true aviation pioneer and Alaska bush pilot, Merrill made the first flight across the Gulf of Alaska in a Curtiss F Flying Boat.He was also the first pilot to cross the Alaska Range.And Merrill survived many forced landings and crashes.The Last FlightOn September 16, 1929, Russel Merrill set out for Bear Creek at Nyac, near Bethel.Merrill was not seen again.While the crash site was never found, a piece of airplane fabric washed up on a beach at Tyonek, on the west side of Cook Inlet. The fabric was identified by Alonzo Cope, the mechanic who had worked on Merrill’s plane.Yes, You Can Share This EditionDid you know that you can share this edition of Alaska Stories with your friends and family?And when you do, your friends and family will be so happy that they will send you on a first class trip around the world. You’ll follow the famed route of Phileas Fogg and his companion Passpartout in Jules Verne’s 1872 novel, “Around the World in 80 Days”… well, it could happen.Just click on the following link:Thanks for reading Alaska Stories. This post is public, so feel free to share it.Anchorage was GrowingThe town was growing to the south, which meant that it was becoming too dangerous to continue having planes flying in and out of the fire break. So a new airport was needed.Aviation FieldIn the photo above is the first dedicated airport in AnchorageLocated just outside of Anchorage. The new airport, opened in August 1929, and was named Aviation Field.Merrill FieldIn 1930, the Anchorage Women’s Club petitioned to change the name of Aviation Field to Merrill Field.The TowerOn April 2, 1930, Merrill Field was established.A 52 foot tall steel framed tower topped by a rotating aerodrome beacon was erected next to the runway.Memorial PlaqueAlso in 1930, the Anchorage Women’s Club raised funds for a memorial plaque, ...
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    6 mins
  • Alaska's Kennecott Copper Mines, One of the Greatest Ever.

    Alaska's Kennecott Copper Mines, One of the Greatest Ever.
    Jan 7 2025
    It all began in the summer of 1900.“Tarantula” Jack Smith and Clarence Warner were prospecting along the east edge of the Kennicott Glacier. They thought the large green patches on the mountain in front of them were grass. But it was too high up the mountain for grass.So the two decided to climb the mountain. Up close, they discovered the green cliffs were, actually exposed copper.They took samples of what would become known as the “Bonanza Mine Outcrop”. Those samples turned out to be 70 percent pure Chalcocite, one of the richest copper deposits ever found.Where?The Kennecott Mines are located in the Copper River area, northeast of Valdez in what is now the Wrangell, St. Elias National Park and Reserve.A Clerical TypoThe Kennecott Mines were named after Kennicott Glacier.However, as things sometimes happen, a clerical error resulted in the use of an “e” where the “i” was supposed to be. And that’s the reason for the difference in the spelling of the names.How to Bring Out the Ore?In the years that followed, a railroad was constructed to bring out the copper.Meanwhile, a man named Stephen Birch was in Kennecott to start developing the mine claims. But how was he going to get the ore to market before the railroad was a reality?Birch actually decided to bring an entire steamship over the mountains from the port of Valdez. How did he do that? One piece at a time, and he put them together on the Copper River.Dog Sleds and HorsesBirch also used dog sleds and horses to haul up the mining equipment he needed to get the mining operation up and running.You Can Share This EditionDo your friends and family know about Alaska’s Kennecott Mines?You can easily share this story… but be careful because they might want to become Alaska prospectors. But if they do, be sure you get a cut of whatever they find.Just click on the following link:Thanks for reading Alaska Stories. This post is public, so feel free to share it.11 Years LaterThe photo above shows two miners who were working in one of the mines.When Kennecott was up and running, there were about 600 men, often working 7 days a week in the mines and mill town.11 years after the two prospectors first discovered the rich copper cliffs, the first train left Kennecott. It was filled with 250,000 dollars worth of copper.In the photo above, to the left is the Hospital. It was the only whitewashed building in the entire complex.Five MinesThe Kennecott Mines included the Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie, and Glacier.1916 was the peak year for production in the mines, when the mines yielded 32.4 million dollars worth of ore.Altogether, the mines took out around 200 million dollars in ore.Enjoy this video of the Kennecott Mines1938 – the Last TrainBy 1938, the mines had played out and the last trainload of ore chugged away.The Kennecott Mines became a ghost town.1939 to the Mid-1950sThe only people living in the Kennecott Mine buildings from 1939 to the mid-1950s was a family of 3, who served as watchmen.New LifeIn the 1980s, the Kennecott Mines became a popular destination for tourists.And in 1986, the area was designated a National Historic Landmark.BONUSDiscover the whole Kennecott Mines Story and enjoy.From Our North Stars (that’s you)From our look at the Hillside StarRozanne had this to say:“Thank you so much.I spent most of my years living at Sand Lake, moving to "homestead" in the 50's. One day, there was a star, from then on, I looked for her each season. Being born here before Statehood, I am privileged to experience a wonderful place to grow up, and return to.”Michael offered this comment:“Thank you for sharing the history of the Star... I didn't know that!”Connect with Mike and MaryIt’s time to put away your pick and shovel.We know… you were just one scoop away from finding the Mother lode.Did you enjoy learning about Alaska’s Kennecott Copper Mines?We love to hear from our North Stars (that’s you). Do you have a comment? Just reply to this email. Or you can Contact Us to say, “I’ve been to the Kennecott Mines”.Until Next TimeMike and MaryAlaska Stories Get full access to Anchorage Memories Club at www.anchoragememoriesclub.com/subscribe
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    4 mins

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