5 Comments
Feb 11Liked by Michael R Dougherty

Absolutely look forward to every story you write. People in Virginia ask me all kinds of questions, some I do not know the answers to, I refer them to your post. Thank you so much for the very informative stories.

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Feb 11Liked by Michael R Dougherty

Oh, those con men with Soapy Smith how sneaky and underhanded!

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Feb 11Liked by Michael R Dougherty

I enjoyed these snippets of Alaskan history. At a later date, I think a story about the two overland expeditions Alaska Freightlines made in the 1950s to haul supplies to the DEW line might be of interest to your readers. If needed, I can provide background resources (film and book references).

I’ll admit my interest is also personal since my dad drove on both expeditions. A couple of years ago, one of my brothers-in-law recognized my dad in one of the films that was taken by the photographer who accompanied the drivers. Although my dad’s appearance was only a very brief cameo, it was exciting to find the never-before-seen footage. I mention more in the related YouTube video.

Finally, the Alaska Freightlines Sno-Freighter tractor is rusting away at a tourist site in Fairbanks off the Steese Highway. I’ve been trying to encourage UAF to preserve it, like they’re doing with their Bus 142 (“Into the Wild”) project. As I told UAF (one of my alma maters), I think the Sno-Freighter is a more important piece of Alaska history than the bus.

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