Fading Away
by Cathy Mahnke
Title
Fading Away
Artist
Cathy Mahnke
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
During the Gold Rush in Fairbanks in 1902, the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail became one of the most important access routes to the Alaska Interior. The 1903 construction of the Washington to Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System (WAMCATS) telegraph line increased traffic on the trail. Originally created for horses, the trail evolved into a winter road, and eventually was upgraded for wagon traffic, then automobile traffic. The road was designated the Richardson Highway in 1927.
To support the influx of travelers, citizens built roadhouses along the route. Typically owned by homesteaders, these inns provided a convenient stop for a hot meal and rest. They served as local hubs. Many, including Big Delta, were the foundation for townships. Prior to the building of a bridge across the Tanana River, a ferry carried travers across the waterway.
John Hajdukovich built Rika's Roadhouse in 1910. In 1923, he sold it to Rika Wallen, a Swedish immigrant who had managed the roadhouse since 1917, for "$10.00 and other considerations," presumably in lieu of wages. The roadhouse was immediately renamed Rika's. Wallen ran the roadhouse into the late 1940s and lived there until her death in 1969. The roadhouse was restored, Including the original kerosene crate floor, in the late 1970s and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the centerpiece of the park. This historic vehicle is on the grounds at the roadhouse.
Uploaded
April 8th, 2021
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