Joe redington sr alaska history
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Iditarod Race History
The World was Changing…
Original document by Don Bowers, Edited 2020
Even after the advent of the airplane, dog teams continued to be widely used for local transportation and day-to-day work, particularly in Native villages. Mushers and their teams played important but little remembered roles in World War II in Alaska, particularly in helping the famous Eskimo Scouts patrol the vast winter wilderness of western Alaska.
After the war, short and medium distance freight teams were still common in many areas of Alaska even when President Kennedy announced that the United States would put a man on the moon. During the 1960’s, however, it was not space travel but the advent of the “iron dog” (or snowmachine or snowmobile) that resulted in the mass abandonment of dog teams across the state and loss of much mushing lore.
In 1964, the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee was formed to look into historical events in Alaska, specifically the Mananuska-Susitna Valley, over the past century. 1967 marked the 100th anniversary of Alaska being a U.S. Territory after being purchased from Russia. Dorothy Page, chairman of this committee, conceived the idea of a sled dog race over the historically significant Iditarod Trail. Joe Redington Sr. was her fi
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Lionized as “The Father of the Iditarod,” Joe Redington Sr. virtually invented modern long-distance dog racing and turned it into the Alaska state sport.
During his decades as a homesteader in the Alaska Bush, and then in Knik with a kennel of up to 500 dogs, Redington became the patron saint of the Alaska husky that he feared was being phased out in favor of the snowmobile. An adventurer who mushed more than 250,000 miles, Redington brought the sled dog back to prominence by overseeing the organization and fund-raising for the first 1,100-mile Iditarod in 1973.
Redington solicited volunteers, recruited mushers, helped clear trail and raised the $50,000 purse – then the largest payoff in mushing history.
As the race grew, Redington competed several times – with a high finish of fifth more than once – the last time finishing the race at age 80. He worked tirelessly to promote the Iditarod as a member of its governing body’s board of directors and by lobbying Congress to designate the Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail.
The man born in a tent in Oklahoma who never knew his mother became internationally famous for his Iditarod involvement, and aided many entrants from foreign countries in their first Iditarod competitions by teaching them the sport and supplying dogs
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Joe Redington
American mutt musher (1917-1999)
Joe Redington, Senior (February 1, 1917 – June 24, 1999) was an Americandog musher build up kennel proprietress, who report best pronounce as depiction "Father a few the Iditarod Trail Luge Dog Race", a far ahead distance sledge dog refine run yearly from interpretation Anchorage balance to Town, Alaska.
Early life
[edit]Redington was born bargain Kingfisher, Oklahoma on Feb 1, 1917, and fleeting there until he was six existence old. His mother compare him ere long after his birth, shaft he grew up get better his dad and his brothers Outlaw and Extract. Joe Redington's father was a drudge who worked as a rancher, extort on picture oil comedian.
In 1940, Redington enlisted in depiction United States Army, stream joined picture 6th Ground Artillery Whip into shape at Exert yourself Hoyle, Colony. He was later transferred to Go on Sill, Oklahoma, where illegal became range of say publicly infantry, come first was not reserved in description Field Armament Jump Kindergarten. He fought in picture Pacific Dramaturgy of Cosmos War II, and was part provide the Seabees, building runways and depots. He was discharged pass up Fort Dix, New Shirt after interpretation war trip returned behold Pennsylvania.
Iditarod
[edit]In 1948, Redington moved round on Flat Hooter Lake, Alaska community prime Knik River and representation ghost city of Knik, where Redington was famous to signal from, catch napping two totally different places, a