When Wild Bill Shannon awaited the arrival of the train from Seward bearing the diphtheria anti-toxin, he didn’t need a thermometer to know that he’d be taking off from Nenana in frigid temperatures. He could feel it with every breath. Seventy years later, to the date – January 27th of 1995, mushers waited in Nenana …
As they waited for news that diphtheria anti-toxin had been located, Nome’s emergency Board of Health was creating a plan to get the much needed serum from the railroad terminus in Nenana to the desperate people of Nome. While aviation enthusiasts were evaluating the available “airships” and looking for a pilot, the “better to be …
With no roads, no trains and a frozen Bering Sea, shipping options were limited back in 1925 when Nome desperately needed diphtheria anti-toxin. Ground transport by experienced mail carriers and their trusted dog teams would be the tried and true method but Aviation enthusiasts were quick to suggest airmail would be a much faster way …
“Just to run that race takes a tough and hardy breed.” As an educator who weaves the Iditarod into my classroom regularly, I often fail to recognize the similarities in teachers and mushers… I’m too busy admiring their athleticism and adaptability to extreme conditions. But have you ever thought about the resilience required for an …
After the Alameda, the final supply ship of the season, pulled anchor and headed to warmer waters, Welch saw more sore throats than usual. Tonsillitis was his initial diagnosis. Late in December, one of the children with tonsillitis died. The native parents didn’t allow Welch to do an examination. In January, Dr. Welch learned that …
Stu Nelson, a soft spoken man, but a giant in the world of sled dogs and adventure, passed away unexpectedly in late September near his home in northern Idaho. Dr. Stu Nelson has served Iditarod – both sled dogs and mushers for 38 years. Iditarod is all about the dogs and so was Nelson! He’s …
Dr. Curtis Welch had arrived in Alaska in 1907. He was very familiar with the winters and rather enjoyed the isolation of the ice bound, blizzard swept town of Nome. Nearly half of Nome’s population shipped out for the winter on the last vessels departing before the Bering Sea froze. Being icebound November through June, …
Linda Fenton and Jim Deprez will be sharing the broad spectrum of duties that fall under the heading of Iditarod Education. Coinciding with the beginning of a new school year, Iditarod announced the co-directorship effective the first of September. Likely their names sound familiar. They’ve both served as Teacher on the Trail™ and have taken …
Linda Fenton and Jim Deprez will be sharing the broad spectrum of duties that fall under the heading of Iditarod Education. Coinciding with the beginning of a new school year, Iditarod announced the co-directorship effective the first of September. Likely their names sound familiar. They’ve both served as Teacher on the Trail™ and have taken …
When the calendar pages reveal the arrival of January 2025, there’s an anniversary that begs to be celebrated. January of 2025 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Serum Run, sometimes referred to as The Great Race of Mercy. Twenty drivers and about 150 sled dogs carried the diphtheria antitoxin from Nenana to Nome in …
