The Tripod, June 2023

THE TRIPOD June 2023 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. HIRING-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Partnership for The National Trails System is the only nationwide, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the extraordinary value of America's 32 national scenic and historic trails within the National Trails System. The partnership is hiring an executive director to lead this essential work.

This is a great opportunity for a nonprofit leader with an affinity for the partnership's mission of supporting national scenic and historic trails and knowledge and involvement with advocacy and policy. For more information contact: Peter Grey 608-616-516 peter@petergraysearch.com www.petergrayseaech.com FROM THE PAST… Iditarod Pioneer June 5, 1915 LAST CONSIGNMENTS OF WINTER MAIL ARRIVE OVER SEWARD TRAIL Tom Boyd, accompanied by "Smiling Albert," arrived in Iditarod about noon Sunday with the belated Seward mail. He came by boat from Ophir, having made the trip from that place, a distance of approximately 700 miles, by means of a poling boat fitted up with an Evinrude motor. The consignment consisted of about 1600 pounds and comprised the last three weekly shipments over the Seward trail.

Coming over the trail to Takotna the consignment had been taken over the strip of land dividing the Kuskokwim and Innoko rivers, and hence down the Innoko to the Iditarod. The trip from Ophir was made in six days. Mr. Boyd had an interesting story to relate of his experience in getting the last three consignments of the winter mail to the Kuskokwim. There was absolutely no trail, and, in many places, temporary bridges had to be constructed in order to cross streams swollen from the spring freshets. Neither horses nor dogs could be used in the final stages, and for long distances the mail was transported on the backs 1 The Tripod June 2023 of carriers by relays. The trail in many instances followed sloughs and these being filled with water, the carriers were compelled to keep to the high ground and go through the brush.

Speaking of the failure to get the mails through on contract time during the month of May, Mr. Boyd said that the breakup caught the contractors totally unprepared. He was satisfied that it was impossible to move the mail on contract time during the period of the breakup but that after the ice was gone from the streams it was a comparatively easy matter to get the consignments through on schedule. When he had seen that it was impossible to get the weekly mail through from Takotna to Iditarod over the trail, he had assembled the different consignments there and decided on the river trip from Opher. He had carried the motor for his boat from Takotna.

A portion of the mail consignment that had caused a great deal of profanity among the carriers along the trail was a pair of scales for the post office at McGrath, which when it had to be packed on the backs of the carriers, made a full load for one man. It is suggested that the urgent need for the delivery of this bulky article by parcel post to the prospective metropolis of the upper Kuskokwim was that it would be in readiness to handle gold consignments to the Outside when the winter service goes into effect again next November. NATIONAL TRAILS DAY CELEBRATION IN SEWARD JUNE 3 Hosted by the Seward Iditarod Trail Blazers, the celebration included hot dogs, cake, information about the Iditarod Trail, the Seward Iditarod Trail Blazers, and the Iditarod National Historic Trail Alliance. A representative from the U. S.

Forest Service provided information about the trail and bridge work the Service has done on the Trail and also what it plans to do. 2