Helen Hegener

Alaskan Roadhouses Helen Hegener

From the earliest tent-style roadhouses to today's picturesque roadside lodges, Alaskan roadhouses are a colorful reminder of the state's past, and many are still an important part of Alaska's transportation network. From the Valdez-to-Fairbanks Trail to the Iditarod Trail, from snowy routes over the frozen rivers and across the farthest reaches of the northland, the roadhouses were there offering a warm meal and a place to rest for weary travelers. This book shares the history, photographs, maps, artwork, and articles about these iconic Alaskan structures through the adventurous stories of Alaska's early travelers. With photos and excepts from books, newspapers and magazine articles from the turn of the century, exciting tales of the roadhouses are shared by authors such as the Reverend S. Hall Young, Judge James Wickersham, champion dog musher Leonhard Seppala, Iditarod Trail-blazer Colonel William L. Goodwin, and many others. Besides the first-hand accounts of visiting these establishments, over two dozen Alaskan roadhouses are described in detail, and more than two dozen others are showcased in a gallery of old roadhouse photos. For anyone interested in Alaskan history or the old roadhouses which stood along the northern trails, this book will provide many hours of enjoyable reading.