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Centennial of First Fairbanks to Valdez Drive


Guest Nancy DeWitt

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Guest Nancy DeWitt

A group of guys are traveling across part of Alaska in a 1916 Dodge touring car to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first automobile trip made between Fairbanks and Valdez. The Dodge was one of the original cars used by Alaska pioneer Tom Gibson to ferry passengers between Fairbanks and the coast. The crew consists of the Dodge's three owners (Don & Ray Cameron, David Stone), mechanic Steve Carey, and our museum manager and mechanic, Willy Vinton. They departed yesterday, and as you might surmise from the third photo I took as they were leaving town, they didn't make it far before a flat tire delayed their progress.

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They had a much easier time crossing the Tanana River than did Robert Sheldon, who drove a Ford Model T on the 1913 trip. When Sheldon learned that the ferry was not operating due to high water, he rounded up two poling boats from a nearby native village, balanced the car on the boats and somehow made it across the swollen river without capsizing.

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Despite the flat tire and a few other repairs, by evening the Centennial Crew made it to the historic Black Rapids Lodge in the Alaska Range. This is one of many of the historic roadhouses from the original Valdez-Fairbanks Trail they plan to visit on the four-day trip. An article about their trip is posted here, and you can also follow the progress on our Facebook page.

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Guest Nancy DeWitt
Oh,,,Georgus,,Oh my,,,,,thats just gotta be a Biddle & Smart from Amesbury,,,

Cheers,,Ben

Do you mean the car in my profile photo? That's a 1918 Biddle Town Car. No relation to Biddle & Smart.

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Guest Nancy DeWitt

The guys are flying in the 1916 Dodge! They passed Summit Lake, Paxson, Sourdough and Gakona already, and are camping about 40 miles from Valdez tonight. They only had a few issues with the car. The unusually hot weather we've had in Alaska this summer is posing the biggest challenge.

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Tomorrow they have to conquer Thompson Pass in the Chugach Mountains. Shouldn't be a problem going up, but I have to worry a bit about the brakes holding up on the descent to Keystone Canyon. If all goes well, they should arrive in Valdez before noon.

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Guest Nancy DeWitt

The guys arrived in Valdez around 1 PM on Wednesday, Jul 31. Thanks to pavement, bridges, and avoiding a side trip to Chitina, they made the trip much faster than did Bobby Sheldon (show here in front of Valdez Glacier). The old Dodge did great!

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Guest Nancy DeWitt

Heh, I don't think there are any Exxon stations in Alaska. Just Tesoro, Chevron, Shell(?) and some private ops.

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