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Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, PO Box 2323, Seward AK 99664 http://www.Iditarod100.org IditarodHTA@gmail.com The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance promotes 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. 2020 report In the Winter 2020-2021 issue of “Pathways Across America,” published by the Partnership for the National Trails System, all the National Scenic and Historical Trails reported their 2020 achievements in outreach, capacity and protection.
At the right is the Alliance report submitted by our President Judy Bittner: Archive move stopped The Biden administration has halted the sale of the federal archives building in Seattle, following months of opposition from people across the Pacific Northwest. Washington Senators Patty Murray and Marta Cantwell announced on April 8 that the federal Office of Management and Budget had withdrawn its approval for the sale which would have forced the transfer of millions of records to facilities in Kansas City, Missouri and Riverside, California. The records at the facility date to the 1840s and include documents key to the histories of 272 federally recognized tribes in Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Idaho. It houses all federal records generated in the Pacific Northwest, including, military service, land, court, tax, marriage and census documents.
In 2016 when the National Archives facility in Anchorage was closed, millions of pages of documents related to the history of Alaska were moved to this facility in Seattle. Alaska Room The plan to create a new Alaska Room at the Loussac Library in Anchorage is coming closer to reality. This winter, the Library secured a National Endowment for the Humanities challenge grant for the project and established 1 The Tripod April 2021 the Mayor’s Task Force on the Alaska Room, a diverse 25-member steering committee that will help guide the project through final designs and community input.
Proposition 2, a $1.15 million facilities bond for Loussac Library, the Anchorage Senior Center, and Chugiak-Eagle River Senior Center won approval in the Anchorage Municipal election of April 6. $500,000 of this bond will go to the Alaska Room project and help the Library secure the NEH challenge grant and other private funds. From the Past… “Fairbanks Daily Miner” April 11, 1933 FLAT DISTRICT TO SEE LOTS OF ACTIVITY In the Flat District, a good mining season is expected this year, declared Andrew Olson, who is in Fairbanks with equipment that he has brought from the states and who is on his way back to his properties. All the operating claims will be worked to capacity, he said, and an unusual number of prospectors will be in the field searching for new pay ground. Mr. Olson, an old timer in Interior Alaska, has mined in Flat district since 1912.
He, Anthony Lindstrom and Anthony Palmgren operate on Happy Creek and also control the North Development Company on Flat Creek. They work about 12 men in each place. Mr. Olson is taking in a diesel-powered dragline outfit for the property on Happy. “The Flat district will be active this year,” Mr. Olson asserted. “Claim owners, whose properties give evidence of pay, are preparing quite generally to work them to capacity.” “Gust Gotilla will put a dragline outfit on his property on Slate Creek. He was on the last boat from the states. He flew into Flat from Anchorage.” “The John Beaten dredge will resume on Flat Creek, and likewise the Riley Investment Company dredge on Otter Creek.” “Quite a few hydraulic plants will be in Gold mining at Flat operation. Among them will be Peter Miskovich’s on Otter, Frank Salam’s on Granite, William Duffy's on Chicken, Dona La Chance and P.
Tibeau’s on Willow, and Peter Jensen will take over the Frank Manley ground on Willow and there will be several small outfits on Prince Creek.” “In addition, of course there will be small outfits on most of the principal creeks.” “More prospectors will take the field this season then in some years. The Flat district has been developed so prospectors know about where to look for ground that can be worked by modern methods. There is lots of property, I am convinced, that would not be profitable under the sluice box methods of former days and yet that can be worked to advantage with dragline or small dredge outfits now.” Registration now open for the 2021 trails conference Registration is open for the 2021 Annual Trails Conference. The State Trails Conference will happen virtually April 14-16. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/y7ho97wk.
Highlights for this year's virtual Conference include: • A presentation on the United States Geological Survey National Digital Trails Project • Alaska Long Trail progress update and working groups • Trail Funding opportunities • Volunteer Success Stories and Project Updates from around the state. See all the sessions at: https://tinyurl.com/s4y3vf 2