The Tripod, July 2017

Iditarod HistoricTrail Alliance July 2017 The Tripod PO Box 2323 Seward AK 99664 IditarodHTA@gmail.com http://www.Iditarod100.org Pick. Click. Give. If you forgot to make a donation to the Alliance when you applied for your Permanent Fund Dividend on line or want to increase your donation, go to the Department of Revenue PFD website at http:// www.pfd.state.ak.us/ and select the green “Add or Change Your Pick.Click.Give. Donation” button. You will be prompted to enter your name, social security number and date of birth. Once you click “Enter,” your PFD application details will show your charitable contributions to date and provide a button to “change” your contributions. Follow the prompts to add new donations. The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.

The Trail for all Seasons The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance promotes public awareness of the Iditarod Trail and its gold rush and Alaska Native heritage by encouraging education programs and historical research, assisting in the protection, improvement, maintenance and marking of the trail and developing partnerships that foster stewardship commitments and support.

These people are following the advice in the Iditarod Trail Visitors Guide which says, "You want to Hit the Trail and you have an hour…check out the paved bike path section along Resurrection Bay in Seward." 1 Iditarod HistoricTrail Alliance From the past… "Iditarod Pioneer" July 7, 1917 GLORIOUS FOURTH Despite frequent showers, which played havoc with the pretty holiday costumes of women and children and smeared the surface of the earth with a mass of sticky mud, a great crowd gathered at Flat on the Fourth of July to take part in the celebration of the national holiday. The narrow streets of the creek metropolis were thronged with people from early morning until late at night, while the restaurants and other places of refreshment did a land office business all day.

A unique feature of the celebration in the creek town was a parade participated in by the children, an immense float had been constructed, and bearing about a score of little girls all beautifully dressed in white, and preceded by all the boys of Flat and Otter creeks, mounted on horses, the procession paraded the principal streets. Cyril Wood, Jr., dressed as Uncle Sam, riding a gigantic animal, led the procession, and a pony phaeton containing George and Martha Washington, represented by "Bill" Smith and little Olga Strandberg, was a pretty feature of the procession. As they proceeded along the crowded streets they were frequently applauded and cheered, and the amateur photographers took many pictures. Immediately after the parade the crowds assembled at the ball grounds to hear the speakers. The grandstand was filled with people and hundreds stood around on the diamond.

The addresses were listened to with marked attention and the striking sentences were frequently applauded. The first speaker was Harry Pratt assistant district attorney, who July 2017 made a brief, but splendid address in which he touched upon the significance of the day and its meaning in American history. The main speaker of the day was Judge Charles E. Bunnell. He eulogized the Declaration of Independence as the greatest charter of the liberties of the people ever penned. Judge Bunnell recited the struggles, the hardships, the heroism displayed by the revolutionary fathers who put forth this declaration and spoke to the grand heritage of freedom which was ours because of their noble efforts.

He concluded with an eloquent plea for united effort in the nation's behalf, and confidently predicted the outcome of the great war would be a victory for democracy and the wiping out of autocratic forms of government from the face of the earth. On the conclusion of Judge Bunnell's address the program of sports was given, including men's, boys' and girls' races, ranging from 50 yards to two miles, a pie eating contest, a tug-of-war, and boys' and men's three legged races. The baseball game, which was not concluded until after 9 p.m., resulted in an ignominious defeat for the Iditarod team by the score of 17 to 6 in favor of the Flat bunch. It would take too much space to recount all of the feature plays, but first place is unreservedly given to Louis Beyler for his gallant attempt to snare a fly from the center of the river.

The crowd was a good-natured one and took advantage of the American citizen's "inalienable right" to roast the players and quarrel with the umpire. Owing to the fact that the program had been commenced so late there was a slight intermission between the ball game and the concluding feature, the grand ball. Dancing commenced around 10 o'clock and continued until the early hours of morning, the last car left for Iditarod shortly after 4 a.m. The music was excellent.The decorations of the hall were elaborate and gave the proper patriotic tone to the occasion. Altogether Flat's celebration of the nation's birthday will be one to be long remembered, reflecting credit upon the enterprise of its citizens and the industry and ability of the various committees which had charge of the arrangements. New logo for Alaska Trails Alaska Trails has a new logo, designed by Inger Deede.

It uses the mountains, a huge part of trails in Alaska, to create an abstract "A." The Alaska Trails board wanted a newer more professional logo that would help build Alaska Trails' brand. 2