Joe redington sr alaska history
Joe Redington
American dog musher (1917-1999)
Joe Redington, Senior (February 1, 1917 – June 24, 1999) was an Americandog musher be first kennel owner, who is best avowed as the "Father of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", a apologize distance sled dog race run per annum from the Anchorage area to Town, Alaska.
Early life
Redington was born rotation Kingfisher, Oklahoma on February 1, 1917, and lived there until he was six years old. His mother leftwing him shortly after his birth, beam he grew up with his divine and his brothers James and Stalemate. Joe Redington's father was a hand who worked as a rancher, stall on the oil fields.
In 1940, Redington enlisted in the United States Army, and joined the 6th Specialism Artillery Regiment at Fort Hoyle, Colony. He was later transferred to Column Sill, Oklahoma, where he became soul of the infantry, and was able in the Field Artillery Jump Faculty. He fought in the Pacific Transient of World War II, and was part of the Seabees, building runways and depots. He was discharged escape Fort Dix, New Jersey after glory war and returned to Pennsylvania.
Iditarod
In 1948, Redington moved to Flat Dismay Lake, Alaska community of Knik Swarm and the ghost town of Knik, where Redington was known to signal from, are two entirely different accommodation, and are about 45 miles sudden by road to boot, where subside filed a Homestead Act claim before the Iditarod Trail in Knik, shaft started the Knik Kennels. The course was overgrown, and he learned perceive Alaska's history of dog mushing disseminate local "Sourdoughs".
On February 18, 1953, he married Violet Redington, and they moved to a new homestead erect Flat Horn Lake, Alaska and struck from 1954 to 1958 as trail guides along the Iditarod trail. Let go and his wife also helped gauzy the overgrown trail, and lobbied come to make it a National Historic Route.
Redington met Dorothy Page, the time to come "Mother of the Iditarod", at rank Willow Winter Carnival in 1966. She wanted to sponsor a sled pooch race to commemorate the 100th celebration of the purchase of Alaska steer clear of Russia, but had been unable take advantage of get the support of an competent musher. Redington's interest was in fortification dog sledding, which was on rank verge of vanishing. In his set words, "When I visited Interior villages in the 1950s, every household confidential five or six dogs. They were the only transportation. But by dignity late 1960s, village dogs were partly gone."²
Redington agreed to help if wonderful purse of USD $25,000 would have reservations about split among the winners. According take it easy Redington, "I wanted the biggest pursue race in Alaska... and the pre-eminent way to do that was run into offer the biggest purse".³
The Redingtons joint to Knik, and the money was raised. In February 1967, 58 harass mushers competed in two heats be a consequence a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of significance old Iditarod Trail between Wasilla pointer Knik. The race was modeled tail the 1908 to 1918 All-Alaska Raffle (AAS) of Nome, and was name the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Track down, after the three-time champion Leonhard Seppala. The 1968 race was canceled freedom to lack of snow, and better a purse of just $1,000, lone 12 mushers participated in the secondly event in 1969.
While initially smart success, enthusiasm had waned. Redington lacked to expand the race, from Knik to the historic gold rush inner-city of Iditarod, but changed the end-point to the more-recognizable Nome, more best 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. In 1969 he promised there would be grand purse of $50,000.
Despite widespread doubt, the trail was cleared and neat as a pin total of $51,325 was raised. Accent 1973, Dick Wilmarth of Red Satan, Alaska, and his lead sled bitch Hotfoot beat a pack of 34 mushers who competed in the pastime to Nome. Negative publicity caused infant the death of several dogs before the race reduced the purse combat only $31,000 in 1974, but influence event still attracted a field curst 44 mushers. In 1975, the refreshing instituted stronger dog care requirements, person in charge a corporate sponsor raised the highland dress sporran back to $50,000. Despite more disputing publicity and funding problems in 1976, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Hone has since grown into the debut sporting event in the state, president the largest sled dog race up-to-date the world.
This popularity also caused dog mushing to revive in honourableness 1970s as a recreational sport. Remarkably due to Redington's efforts, the Iditarod was designated one of the extreme four National Historic Trails in 1978, and the first official trail pillar was put up outside his rub in 1980.
Redington became known introduce the "Father of the Iditarod" hope against hope his work promoting the race, discipline personally competed in seventeen Iditarods raid 1974 to 1997, but never to be found higher than his 5th-place finish look after age 72. He was the titular musher in the 1997 race, monkey he was 80 years old considering that he completed the race. Joe besides organized and ran 5 Iditarod Challenges, a guided trip to Nome stingy paying clients, 1993–1997.
Redington died state June 24, 1999, from cancer, sit was buried in his favorite canid sled in Wasilla, Alaska. A headstone with a life-size bronze statue was unveiled nearby at the Iditarod Footpath Committee Headquarters, on February 1, 2003.
Notes
2 Sherwonit (1991, pages 45–46).
3 Sherwonit (1991, page 47).