Joe Redington
Encyclopedia
Joe Redington, Senior was an America
n dog musher
and kennel
owner, who is best known as the "Father of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", which runs 1,049 miles¹ across the U.S. state
of Alaska
.
on February 1, 1917 and lived there until he was six years old. His mother left him shortly after his birth, and he grew up with his father and his brothers James and Ray. Joe Redington's father was a laborer who worked was a ranch
er, on the oil field
s, and even traveled with Irish
Gypsies for two years. Because of this, Joe went to school in many different places. He attended school in Spearman, Texas
, Fairberry, Nebraska, Aurora, South Dakota
, and Geary, Oklahoma
. After living in Jersey City, New Jersey
for one year, they settled on a farm in Kintnersville, Pennsylvania in 1930.
In 1940, Redington enlisted in the United States Army
, and joined the 6th Field Artillery
at Fort Hoyle, Maryland. He was later transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he became part of the infantry
, and was trained in the Field Artillery Jump School. He was assigned to the Pacific Theatre
during World War II
, and was part of the Special Assault Troops. He was discharged from Fort Dix, New Jersey
after the war and returned to Pennsylvania.
, where he filed a Homestead Act
claim along the Iditarod Trail
in Knik
, and started the Knik Kennels. The trail was overgrown, and he learned of Alaska's history of dog mushing from local "sourdough
s".
His military experience helped him get a contract with the United States Air Force's 5039th Maintenance and Supply Group, or "Rescue and Reclaimation". From 1949 to 1957 with teams of large huskies
, he helped recover aircraft
and personnel from crash sites, until they were replaced by helicopter
s.
On February 18, 1953 he married Violet Redington, and they moved to a new homestead on Flat Horn Lake, Alaska and worked from 1954 to 1958 as hunting
guides along the Iditarod trail. He and his wife also helped clear the overgrown trail, and lobbied to make it a National Historic Trail
.
Redington met Dorothy Page
, the future "Mother of the Iditarod", at the Willow Winter Carnival in 1966. She wanted to sponsor a dog sled race to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia
, but had been unable to get the support of an experienced musher. Redington in revitalizing dog sledding, which was on the verge of vanishing. In his own words, "When I visited Interior
villages in the fifties
, every household had five or six dogs. They were the only transportation. But by the late 1960s, village dogs were almost gone."²
Redington agreed to help if a purse of USD
$25,000 would be split among the winners. According to Redington, "I wanted the biggest dog race in Alaska... and the best way to do that was to offer the biggest purse".³
The Redingtons returned to Knik in, and the money was raised. In February 1967, 58 dog mushers competed in two heats along a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of the old Iditarod Trail between Wasilla and Knik. The race was modeled after the 1908 to 1918 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS) of Nome
, and was named the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, after the three-time champion Leonhard Seppala
. The 1968 race was canceled due to lack of snow, and with a purse of just $1,000, only 12 mushers participated in the second event in 1969.
While initially a success, enthusiasm had waned. Redington wanted to expand the race, from Knik to the historic gold rush
town of Iditarod
, but changed it to the more-recognizable Nome, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. In 1969 he promised there would be a purse of $50,000.
Despite widespread skepticism, the trail was cleared and a total of $51,325 was raised. In 1973, Dick Wilmarth
and his lead sled dog
Red Devil beat a pack of 34 mushers who competed in the race to Nome. Negative publicity caused by the death of several dogs during the race reduced the purse to only $34,000 in 1974, but the event still attracted a field of 44 mushers. In 1975, the race instituted stronger dog care requirements, and a corporate sponsor raised the purse back to $50,000. Despite more negative publicity and funding problems in 1976, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has since grown into the premiere sporting event in the state, and the largest dog sled race in the world.
This popularity also caused dog mushing to revive in the 1970s as a recreational sport. Partly due to Redington's efforts, the Iditarod was designated one of the first four National Historic Trails in 1978, and the first official trail marker was put up outside his home in 1980.
Redington became known as the "Father of the Iditarod" for his work promoting the race, and personally competed in seventeen Iditarods from 1974 to 1997, but never placed higher than fifth. He was the honorary musher in the 1997 race, as he was 80 years old when he completed the race.
Redington died on June 24, 1999 from cancer
, and was buried in his favorite dog sled
in Wasilla, Alaska
. A memorial with a life-size bronze statue was unveiled nearby at the Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters, on February 1, 2003.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n dog musher
Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land...
and kennel
Kennel
A kennel is the name given to any structure or shelter for dogs. A kennel is a doghouse, run, or other small structure in which a dog is kept...
owner, who is best known as the "Father of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", which runs 1,049 miles¹ across the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Early life
Redington was born in Kingfisher, OklahomaKingfisher, Oklahoma
Kingfisher is a city in and the county seat of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,380 at the 2000 census. It is the former home and namesake of Kingfisher College.-History:...
on February 1, 1917 and lived there until he was six years old. His mother left him shortly after his birth, and he grew up with his father and his brothers James and Ray. Joe Redington's father was a laborer who worked was a ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
er, on the oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
s, and even traveled with Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Gypsies for two years. Because of this, Joe went to school in many different places. He attended school in Spearman, Texas
Spearman, Texas
Spearman is a city in Hansford County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,368. It is the county seat of Hansford County, and is known for its collection of windmills from the J.B. Buchanan windmill collection. The city was named for Thomas E...
, Fairberry, Nebraska, Aurora, South Dakota
Aurora, South Dakota
Aurora is a town in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 532 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Aurora is located at ....
, and Geary, Oklahoma
Geary, Oklahoma
Geary is a city in Blaine and Canadian counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 1,280 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Geary is located at ....
. After living in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
for one year, they settled on a farm in Kintnersville, Pennsylvania in 1930.
In 1940, Redington enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and joined the 6th Field Artillery
1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
The 1st Battalion 6th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted 27 April 1798 in the Regular Army as a company in the 3d Battalion, 2d Regiment of Artillerists and Engineers, and organized at Fort Jay, New York, as Captain James Stille's Company, 3d Battalion, 2d Regiment of Artillerists and...
at Fort Hoyle, Maryland. He was later transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he became part of the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, and was trained in the Field Artillery Jump School. He was assigned to the Pacific Theatre
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was part of the Special Assault Troops. He was discharged from Fort Dix, New Jersey
Fort Dix, New Jersey
JB MDL Dix , better known as Fort Dix, is a United States Army base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Dix is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Reserve Command...
after the war and returned to Pennsylvania.
Iditarod
In 1948, Redington moved to Knik River, AlaskaKnik River, Alaska
Knik River is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he filed a Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
claim along the Iditarod Trail
Iditarod Trail
The Iditarod Trail, also known historically as the Seward-to-Nome Mail Trail, refers to a thousand-plus mile historic and contemporary trail system in the U.S...
in Knik
Knik River, Alaska
Knik River is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and started the Knik Kennels. The trail was overgrown, and he learned of Alaska's history of dog mushing from local "sourdough
Sourdough
Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. It is one of two principal means of biological leavening in bread baking, along with the use of cultivated forms of yeast . It is of particular importance in baking rye-based breads, where yeast...
s".
His military experience helped him get a contract with the United States Air Force's 5039th Maintenance and Supply Group, or "Rescue and Reclaimation". From 1949 to 1957 with teams of large huskies
Husky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
, he helped recover aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and personnel from crash sites, until they were replaced by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s.
On February 18, 1953 he married Violet Redington, and they moved to a new homestead on Flat Horn Lake, Alaska and worked from 1954 to 1958 as hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
guides along the Iditarod trail. He and his wife also helped clear the overgrown trail, and lobbied to make it a National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail is a designation for a protected area in the United States containing historic trails and surrounding areas. They are part of the National Trails System....
.
Redington met Dorothy Page
Dorothy Page
Dorothy G. Page was best known as "Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", the 1,049-mile dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska.Page moved from New Mexico to Alaska in 1960...
, the future "Mother of the Iditarod", at the Willow Winter Carnival in 1966. She wanted to sponsor a dog sled race to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, but had been unable to get the support of an experienced musher. Redington in revitalizing dog sledding, which was on the verge of vanishing. In his own words, "When I visited Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
villages in the fifties
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, every household had five or six dogs. They were the only transportation. But by the late 1960s, village dogs were almost gone."²
Redington agreed to help if a purse of USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$25,000 would be split among the winners. According to Redington, "I wanted the biggest dog race in Alaska... and the best way to do that was to offer the biggest purse".³
The Redingtons returned to Knik in, and the money was raised. In February 1967, 58 dog mushers competed in two heats along a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of the old Iditarod Trail between Wasilla and Knik. The race was modeled after the 1908 to 1918 All-Alaska Sweepstakes (AAS) of Nome
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
, and was named the Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race, after the three-time champion Leonhard Seppala
Leonhard Seppala
Leonhard Seppala was a Norwegian born American Sled dog racer who participated the 1932 Winter Olympics. Seppala is considered the founder of the Siberian Husky breed. -Background:...
. The 1968 race was canceled due to lack of snow, and with a purse of just $1,000, only 12 mushers participated in the second event in 1969.
While initially a success, enthusiasm had waned. Redington wanted to expand the race, from Knik to the historic gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
town of Iditarod
Iditarod, Alaska
Iditarod is an abandoned town in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska.- Geography :It is on a horseshoe lake that was once a bend in the Iditarod River, northwest of Flat, ultimately flowing into the Yukon river.- History :...
, but changed it to the more-recognizable Nome, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away. In 1969 he promised there would be a purse of $50,000.
Despite widespread skepticism, the trail was cleared and a total of $51,325 was raised. In 1973, Dick Wilmarth
Dick Wilmarth
Dick Wilmarth is a miner and trapper from Red Devil, Alaska who won the inaugural Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973 with lead dog Hotfoot....
and his lead sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
Red Devil beat a pack of 34 mushers who competed in the race to Nome. Negative publicity caused by the death of several dogs during the race reduced the purse to only $34,000 in 1974, but the event still attracted a field of 44 mushers. In 1975, the race instituted stronger dog care requirements, and a corporate sponsor raised the purse back to $50,000. Despite more negative publicity and funding problems in 1976, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has since grown into the premiere sporting event in the state, and the largest dog sled race in the world.
This popularity also caused dog mushing to revive in the 1970s as a recreational sport. Partly due to Redington's efforts, the Iditarod was designated one of the first four National Historic Trails in 1978, and the first official trail marker was put up outside his home in 1980.
Redington became known as the "Father of the Iditarod" for his work promoting the race, and personally competed in seventeen Iditarods from 1974 to 1997, but never placed higher than fifth. He was the honorary musher in the 1997 race, as he was 80 years old when he completed the race.
Redington died on June 24, 1999 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and was buried in his favorite dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
in Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
. A memorial with a life-size bronze statue was unveiled nearby at the Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters, on February 1, 2003.