Northern Light Media, founded in 2007 by Helen Hegener, publishes books and produces videos. More than a dozen titles are currently in print.
Northern Light Media, founded in 2006 by Helen Hegener, is an Alaskan company which publishes nonfiction books about Alaskan topics. Northern Light Media has also produced a documentary DVD, Appetite & Attitude: A Conversation with Lance Mackey, about the four-time Iditarod & Yukon Quest Champion.
This email newsletter focuses on the history of sled dogs, and much of the history I've researched and written books about is archived at the SubStack site. This edition focuses on the historical sled dog paintings by Veryl Goodnight which are currently showing at the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona (a Smithsonian subsidiary).
Veryl Goodnight & the Western Spirit Museum Exhibit
Taking a quick break to catch up with social media stuff and my email newsletters, this is the main newsletter for keeping up with my work and Northern Light Media:
Some great new titles this year!
2025 will be the Centennial year of the Great Race of Mercy, known as the Serum Run to Nome, when 20 mushers and around 150 dogs raced across Alaska with a transport of diphtheria antitoxin to rescue the small town of Nome and the surrounding communities from a potential epidemic.
Centennial of the Great Race of Mercy
The third issue of Mushing History Quarterly will be published July 1!
The articles in this issue include the beautiful pastel sled dog portraits of Alaskan artist Josephine Crumrine, painted for the menus of the Alaska Steamship Company in the 1940s. The dogs depicted were well-known in their day, sled dogs being a major form of transportation even that late in the Territory’s history. Other articles include a unique primer on acquiring and driving a sled dog team from a 1922 Rand McNalley guidebook; a profile of the “Dean of American Dog Racers,” Dr. Roland A. “Doc” Lombard by Dr. Robert Forto; the intrepid long-distance musher Clyde “Slim” Williams; and a look at the Dogs of the North, excerpted from "The Book of Dogs," by Ernest Harold Baynes, published by the National Geographic Society and reprinted in National Geographic Magazine, in March 1919. The book excerpt in this issue is from Elizabeth M. Ricker’s book "Seppala, Alaskan Dog Driver," published in 1930 by Little, Brown & Co. The story of Leonhard Seppala’s incomparable leader, Togo, is told in the last three chapters of the book, and a sidebar at the end answers the question, ‘who was Elizabeth Ricker?’
The First Two Issues of this publication are available at the website below, at Amazon, or from your favorite bookstore. Articles in Vol. 1, No.1, Jan-Feb-March, 2024 included The 1917 Winnipeg to St. Paul Race, A.A. ‘Scotty’ Allan and Baldy of Nome, Split-the-Wind, The Stained Glass Dog Team, The 2009 Mushing History Conference, and an excerpt from Hudson Stuck’s classic "Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled."
Articles in Vol. 1, No.2, April-May-June, 2024 included On the Trail with the U.S. Mail, The American Dog Derby, Alaska Nellie and the Dog Angel of the Trail, Estell Mason: Around the World by Dog Team 1908-1915, Samuel King Hutton’s travels in Labrador, and book excerpts from "Harness & Pack" and "A Dog-Puncher on the Yukon," by Arthur Treadwell Walden.
Volume 1, Number 3 will be available July 1st:
https://mushinghistoryquarterly.com/issues/
When I completed 'The History of Sled Dogs in North America' last year I was left with a multitude of files on the history of mushing, and links to hundreds of resources, books, articles, photographs, and more. After thinking about it for several months, I began this project last winter, and the first two issues are already in print. Anyone familiar with my books, my website, and my writing for other magazines and newspapers will recognize many of the articles in these first issues, as I’ve pulled from those sources to preserve that history in this new format. But there will be plenty of new material, and I am very happy to finally announce this new journal!
“For years, with great dogs, I toiled and often with them was in great perils. Much of my work was accomplished by their aid. So I believe in dogs, and here in this book I have written of some of t…
In 1924 Harold Noice published an account of his adventures with the Canadian Arctic Expedition, titled 'With Stefansson in the Arctic.' In his book, Noice told of an Eskimo guide for Vilhjalmer Stefannsson’s expeditions named Emiu, who was also known as “Split-the-wind” due to his fondness for fast dogteams.
Originally from Nome, and formerly a cabin boy on the schooner 'Polar Bear,' Emiu took part in all of the ‘New Land’ sled trips in the Arctic islands between 1916 and 1918. Emiu had, according to Noice, spent two years in Seattle and most of the rest of his life in Nome, Alaska.
Continue reading:
An Eskimo guide for Vilhjalmer Stefannsson’s expeditions
A post about my book on the barns of the 1935 Matanuska Colony, highlighting the curved-arch Arndt barn and the magnificent double barn at the Alaska Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, whose interior is shown in this photo.
Monarchs of the Matanuska Valley
The newest book from Northern Light Media is a history of the first newspapers in the Cook Inlet region, 'The Knik News' and the 'Cook Inlet Pioneer and Knik News,' which is the name given when the newspaper moved from Knik to the new Knik Anchorage townsite at Ship Creek in 1915. The book will be available June 1st, and can be ordered now:
The Knik News and Cook Inlet Pioneer and Knik News 1914-1916
For several months Veryl Goodnight has been working on an exhibit of her sled dog paintings for the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute which is consistently listed as one of the best museums in the nation....
Veryl Goodnight: Sled Dogs in America: Alaska & Beyond
In 1935 the U.S. Government transported 200 families from the Great Depression-stricken midwest to a valley of unparalleled beauty in Alaska, where they were given the chance to begin new lives in a federally-funded social experiment, part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal for America. “A Mighty Nice Place,” The History of the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project, by Helen Hegener, was published by Northern Light Media in July, 2016. This history of the Matanuska Valley is excerpted from the second chapter of the book.
Book Excerpt from "The 1935 Matanuska Colony Project"
Another new book from Northern Light Media: "From fishing along the shores Ship Creek, which winds through the city of Anchorage, to some of the greatest remote fishing lakes and rivers to be found anywhere, with world-class lodges sporting stellar accommodations, Lew takes his readers on an inspiring journey across the North with these tales of fishing in Alaska."
The greatest fish ever caught in Alaska was a king salmon hauled ashore by Les Anderson of Soldatna in 1985. The cover photo below is a larger-than-life carving of Les with his fish which stands in…
It's been an honor to help bring this iconic trophy from the very first All Alaska Sweepstakes back home to Alaska! Still a work in progress, but things are progressing smoothly!
"A couple of weeks ago this writer was contacted by a gentleman whose family trust owns the 1908 trophy, won by Albert Fink’s team, John Hegness driving."
First Place in the First Great Race
Anchorage's Mushing District, Great Trail Dogs, Legendary Mushers, Jack London, and more:
Legendary Trail Dogs, and more
The March, 2024 issue of Alaska magazine includes a wonderful review of my book, 'The History of Sled Dogs in North America.'
With the Iditarod beginning March 2 this is superb timing, and David A. James’ review is a delightful read. He writes, “One of the surprises of the book is learning just how popular mushing was elsewhere in North America. Events were held in many states, attracting thousands of fans, and (Leonhard) Seppala was just one of several Alaskan mushers who gained national renown on the racing circuit.”
Unlike my book, 'Alaskan Sled Dog Tales,' I did try to focus on the broader world of mushing Outside, in places like New England, Idaho, Minnesota, Colorado, California, and many parts of Canada. And of course, the farthest north polar explorers, and Greenland. I searched for, but couldn't find, any mushing history south of the southern border, but I guess that makes sense. I think I got most of the rest of the history.
I have more very, very exciting news to share about this book, but I'll save that for another day, LOL!
https://northernlightmedia.org/books/history-of-sled-dogs/
A new book, a terrific review, a new URL for my website, wholesale book prices for everyone, and much more! Are you subscribed to my free Northern Light Media newsletter yet?
A New Book, Alaska Magazine Book Review, Wholesale Books & More
My current research and writing project is a book about the Iditarod Trail itself, the route, the history, the multifaceted current uses, and the future of the Trail.
Read about it here:
https://northernlightmedia.substack.com/p/the-iditarod-trail
The Gold Rush Trail Sled Dog Mail Run is living history which traces the last 200 miles of the Cariboo Wagon Road, between Quesnel and Barkerville. The race began in 1992 when a group of volunteers were asked to put on a demonstration event for the British Columbia Northern Winter Games. It was decided that the mushers would be sworn in as honorary mail carriers and transport official Canada Post Mail which would be hand-cancelled in Quesnel, Wells, and Barkerville.
Read more:
From Quesnel to Barkerville, British Columbia, Canada
Longtime readers of my books may be aware that I’ve built websites to accompany many of my titles on Alaska’s history. One such website is The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, which shares the content and the research materials and resources which I used in writing the book, published in 2017. The story of building the Alaska Railroad was a fascinating book to research and to write, and I came across some really wonderful online resources in the process of learning about this important part of our history.
Continue reading:
I am pleased to announce a website for my newest book, The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, which shares the content and the research materials and resources which I used in writing the book.
Dear friends on the other side of the Atlantic woke me this morning, and I got quite a surprise! When David did this interview a few weeks ago I thought it was for a piece profiling several Alaskan authors, I didn't realize I would be all about me! David has written some wonderful things about me and my books over the past several months, for the ADN and for Alaska Magazine, and I am truly grateful for his kindnesses. To have recognition of this caliber just makes me smile.
"Hegener’s work delves into the building of the Alaska Railroad, the Depression-era establishment of the Matanuska Valley Colony, the state’s historic roadhouses, and, most prominently, sled dogs and the mushers who work with them. She’s arguably Alaska’s foremost chronicler of the sport’s history, having written books about the Iditarod, Yukon Quest, All Alaska Sweepstakes, and more."
Through Northern Light Media, Hegener has published her own works as well as books from other authors, often focused on mushing and other Alaska history.
This is pretty cool, and I'm delighted to see the Colony barns in the news once again! My 2012 book about the Matanuska Colony Barns is still available, I'll post the link in the comments below.
"Tune in December 29th and watch the barn sisters premiere of their show on Magnolia Network “In With the Old,” which will be streaming on Discovery + and HBO Max to hear about their mission to save the barns: rekindling Alaska's historic hot spots, one ‘colony barn’ at a time."
What happens when two sisters embark on a mission to preserve a piece of Palmer Alaska’s rich pioneering history? They unleash a torrent of transformation.
When I was working on my book about the history of sled dogs in North America an old friend sent me some great books, and a small treasure from another era, a 6” brochure from Chinook Kennels in Wonalancet, New Hampshire.
"Dog Town" at Wonalancet
One of the most interesting books I've ever published is the history of the construction of the Alaska Railroad:
This is more than the story of constructing the railroad, however…. This is also the story of how the U. S. Government built towns and cities across the territory, including Seward, Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Nenana, and Fairbanks. It’s the story of coal mining in Alaska, steamboat travel on Alaskan rivers, and an opulent government-run hotel in the middle of wilderness. It’s the story of how steam shovels which dug the Panama Canal were brought north to claw at Alaskan hillsides, of the role a fledgling conservation movement played in dividing a major political party.
The Construction History: A Book and a Website
"Adventures on the Iditarod Trail: Fast Dogs, Freezing Mushers and the Alaska Wild," by Lew Freedman, features engaging interviews with mushers from several decades of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Author Lew Freedman has been interviewing mushers since he was sports editor of the Anchorage Daily News many years ago. He truly knows the sport, the players, the trail, and the questions to ask. As he writes in the epilogue, which is a tribute to 1980 Iditarod Champion Joe May, a key component is “. . . how you become hooked on dogs, and racing, and how it can take over your life . . .”
In this book Lew explores that question as some of the race’s most interesting and compelling competitors share their adventures on the Iditarod Trail.
Adventures on the Iditarod Trail: Fast Dogs, Freezing Mushers and the Alaska Wild, by Lew Freedman. Published in December, 2023 by Northern Light Media. 290 pages, 6′ x 9″ b/w format, includes photos, map, bibliography, indexed. $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping.
Adventures on the Iditarod Trail: Fast Dogs, Freezing Mushers and the Alaska Wild, by Lew Freedman, features engaging interviews with mushers from several decades of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Rac…
Here’s the interview Jon and I did with Robert:
Hope 91 Sled Dog Race | Jon Van Zyle and Helen Hegener
Join host Robert Forto as he welcomes author and artist Jon Van Zyle and author and publisher Helen Hegener to discuss their new book Hope 91 Sled Dog Race, about a mushing race in Russia. This is a fascinating discussion about mushing history, sled dogs, and more.
Join host Robert Forto as he welcomes author and artist Jon Van Zyle and author and publisher Helen Hegener to discuss their new book Hope 91 Sled Dog Race, about a mushing race in Russia. This is a fascinating discussion about mushing history, sled dogs, and more.
It's been a long couple of years, and there's a decade or more of research behind the effort, but my book on the history of sled dogs in North America is finally finished, just fine-tuning it now, adding the end matter and an index, and then it's off to the printer!
The Book is Close to Publication
At the Alaska Historical Society’s annual awards recognizing accomplishments in history, the late professor Gary C. Stein was recognized for work as an Alaska historian in the 1970s and 80s and service as AHS president. He published numerous articles and book reviews in the Society’s journal and published his seminal work on Dr. James Taylor White of the U.S. Revenue Marine Service in Alaska.
At the Alaska Historical Society’s annual awards recognizing accomplishments in history, the late professor Gary C. Stein was recognized for work as an Alaska historian in the 1970s and 80s and ser…
A good article about the history of the race by my friend Lew Freedman, author of '50 Years of Iditarod Adventures,' published this month by Northern Light Media:
"A half-century of long-distance mushing, something that did not even exist until 1973, intriguingly has been dominated by a mixed group of individual and family dynasties and has turned the biggest winners into the state’s biggest sports heroes.
"The iffy, can-it-be-done creation of long ago morphed into Alaska’s signature sporting competition, perhaps the only event that all citizens, from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Kotzebue to Juneau can agree on each March as a unifying special occasion, making all residents feel just a little bit more Alaskan.
"At its heart, the Iditarod was founded and developed as an homage to Alaska history, to a throwback way of living when huskies were an essential mode of transportation, and when the living was hard and one had to be hardy to endure it."
https://alaskasportsreport.com/2022/02/a-half-century-of-iditarod-the-last-great-race-celebrates-a-milestone/
The Alaska Sports Report provides in-depth daily coverage of Alaska athletes.
One of the first full-color books I published under my Northern Light Media logo was an in-depth exploration and history of the singular barns erected for the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project at Palmer.
https://alaskanhistory.substack.com/p/matanuska-colony-barns
Barns of the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project
One of my favorite Alaskan resources, whether doing research or just for my own enjoyment and learning, is the Project Jukebox website. The interviews are fascinating to listen to, many feature video presentations, and they often include slideshows with photos and images. There is a broad range of topics, covering almost every subject relating to Alaska.
https://alaskanhistory.substack.com/p/project-jukebox
Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program
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Northern Light Media, founded in 2006 by Helen Hegener, is an Alaskan company which publishes nonfiction books about Alaska’s history. Titles currently in print include The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, Alaskan Roadhouses, Alaskan Sled Dog Tales, Alaska and the Klondike, Trailing and Camping in Alaska, The First Iditarod, The Yukon Quest Trail, The All Alaska Sweepstakes, The 1935 Matanuska Colony Project, The Beautiful Matanuska Valley, The Matanuska Colony Barns, The Stained Glass Dogteam, and the autobiographical Long Hard Trails and Sled Dog Tales. Northern Light Media has also produced a documentary DVD, Appetite & Attitude: A Conversation with Lance Mackey, about the four-time Iditarod & Yukon Quest Champion.
