Sunday Afternoon in the Park – History & Culture from Alaska’s Pioneers to the Yukon Quest

Vendor:Self-guided

Dates:  Sunday, June 27

Times:  12:15 – 4:45 pm, then stay for the Opening Reception “Alaska Salmon Bake”

Price:  FREE (transport downtown to be provided by UAF beginning at 12:15 pm and ending as soon as all who have signed up in advance have been transported)

Minimum:  None; minimum 4 participants for transportation option

Description:  Eat lunch on your own in historic downtown Fairbanks.  Visit the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center as your gateway to experiencing the grandeur of Interior Alaska. Located on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, this new facility celebrates Alaska’s land and people. The incredible new exhibits educate residents and visitors about Interior Alaska’s natural and cultural history. It is situated downtown along the river and it’s free.

Then stroll ½-mile through downtown to visit the Yukon Quest headquarters and retail outlet in the historic log cabin near the Cushman Bridge. The Yukon Quest is powered by sled dogs. These incredible canine athletes are the heart and soul of this great race. Their ancestors made it possible for nineteenth Century society to establish itself in the far North well over 100 years ago, and eventually create the modern Northern world you see today. Yukon Quest mushers are coaches, cooks, cheerleaders, and companions to their dogs, while the Yukon Quest sled dogs are elite, marathon athletes. Bred from stock that survived and thrived during the Gold Rush Era, no animal on earth can match them for endurance, dedication and their ability to perform in the extreme conditions of the North.

The Yukon Quest cabin was built in 1958 from white spruce with a sod roof and is a beautiful example of a traditional Alaskan building. They sell Yukon Quest gear, Alaskan made items and Native crafts. Guests can learn about the Yukon Quest, mushing, and Brent Sass’ mushing career… but most popular are the pups and the mothers. Wild and Free Kennel – owned and operated by Brent Sass – has litters on site to be petted and held by guests. Socialization training is very important, and being held by hundreds of people a day is a great way to get them started on their training to be Yukon Quest Sled Dogs.

Brent raises, trains, and races Alaskan Huskies in the Goldstream Valley in Fairbanks, Alaska and out of his training camp in Eureka, Alaska. Dog mushing is all about the bond between a musher and his dogs, and the challenges they face together out on the trail. No one enjoys the challenges and adventures that the Alaskan wilderness provides more than Brent and his dogs. The tougher the conditions the better, Brent and his dogs thrive on tough trails and harsh weather and love every minute of it. Dog mushing in Alaska is a wild and crazy adrenaline ride through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Then stretch your legs for about 1.5 miles down city sidewalks along the Chena River, past the Fairbanks Downtown Association’s public flower gardens to reach Pioneer Park.

Pioneer Park, also free, is a collection of important touchstones to the history of Interior Alaska.  Most of the 30 cabins and buildings assembled here have historic markers. There are also small stores and eateries. Pioneer Park includes the Alaska Aviation Museum, an art gallery whose shows change monthly (the Alaska Native Museum), and an historic and restored riverboat alongside a 300-foot scale model diorama of life along the Tanana and Yukon Rivers in the early 1900's. The renovated SS Nenana is a national landmark.  The "Last Lady of the River" is the largest stern-wheeler ever built west of the Mississippi and the second largest wooden vessel in existence. 

Kitty Hensley's house began as a cabin. In 1914, Kitty’s friend Capt Smythe, a retired riverboat captain with excellent carpentry skills, remodeled the cabin using lumber from his sternwheeler which had been damaged during spring ice break-up. The Pioneers of Alaska have furnished Kitty’s house with authentic pieces of furniture from the period.

Tanana Valley Railroad Engine #1 assembled in 1899 is the feature display in Pioneer Parks' newest facility, the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum. Engine #1, restored over a ten year period, is the oldest operating steam locomotive in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, and the oldest Gold Rush Era artifact in Fairbanks.

Pioneer Hall was built to represent the design of a fine 1900 era building. The interior includes a museum filled with artifacts of early Fairbanks, and the Big Stampede Theater where the excitement of the Gold Rush has been preserved on canvas paintings.

Tour the Restored Wickersham House, on the Historic National Register of Historic Places – the first house in Fairbanks built with milled lumber and a white picket fence. The lot was purchased in April, 1904 by Judge James Wickersham for $175. He built the house himself that same spring, hauling the lumber down the street on his back. When Judge Wickersham chose Fairbanks instead of Eagle for the site of the Federal Court, he sealed the fate of Fairbanks as the center of commerce and government.

At 5:00 pm, join your ANREP colleagues for the Opening Reception – an Alaska Salmon Bake right at Pioneer Park!  Be sure to sign up for the salmon bake when you register for the conference.

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