Cheechako Sunrise, Sourdough Sunset: Homesteading in Alaska Shapes the Lives of Two Small-Town Kids from Wisconsin

Cheechako Sunrise, Sourdough Sunset

Homesteading in Alaska shapes the lives of two small-town kids from Wisconsin

Don and Lanna Langdok

PO Box 221974 Anchorage, Alaska 99522-1974

books@publicationconsultants.com—www.publicationconsultants.com

ISBN 978-1-59433-349-1

eISBN 978-1-59433-350-7

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2013935503

Copyright 2013 Don and Lanna Langdok

—First Edition—

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in any form, or by any mechanical or electronic means including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, in whole or in part in any form, and in any case not without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Dedication

This book was written for our daughters, Kari and Dana. Though they were quite young when we lived in Alaska, it is hoped that our storytelling will strengthen their memories of the years we lived there and of the experiences we shared with them. Our lives were all enriched by the people we met and the many friendships extended to us.

We survived the hardships of ‘homesteading’ and became the better for it. Our eyes beheld some of the most beautiful scenery on this earth, for Alaska not only lays claim to mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, but its beauty is beyond majestic! In time, our hearts were overfilled with a love for a place that had become ‘Home.’

I take the liberty to acknowledge my coauthor and partner in life, Don Langdok. Without his help and recollections, I could never have written this story. Our story! Our journey through life has been an incredible one. The beginning took us to Alaska, where we found our way and grew as individuals, yet bonded together even stronger as a couple.

Some of the experiences certainly tested our mettle, but hand in hand we were able to persevere. We were young and in love and together nothing seemed insurmountable.

The years raising our family back in Wisconsin and the enjoyment of our three grandchildren, Nicholas, Kevin and Laura, have been a blessing we could never have imagined!

The miles we’ve traveled overall, have taken us to all 50 states and to seven foreign countries, as well. We’ve often joked, that our wrinkles are not only from the miles behind us, but from the ‘stops’ along the way!

So, Thanks, Babe for taking me along on this journey, I can honestly say, it’s been quite a ride...!

Lanna

Author’s Comments

Many of these recollections had been written down at the time they took place, like the Alaska Travel Log – 1969, Don’s hunting journals and the Iola Herald newspaper account of our ‘Journey Back Home.’ Other stories were written many years ago in a creative writing class that I attended, but updated to blend in with the rest of our story.

The past several years, I’ve been compiling this story in my mind, writing short memos to myself and collecting photos relating to it.

Trying to recall the experiences wasn’t difficult to do, as we’ve told many of the stories over the years. However, trying to recollect specific dates, critical information and other data pertaining to each article, proved to be more of a challenge. It’s been more than 40 years since we first arrived in Alaska and now nearing the age of 70, our memory bank may not be that accurate! Therefore, I apologize for any incorrect facts written down and for any omissions I may have left out.

After all the compilation was put together, I also realized the amount of pages that were accumulating. For the most part, I wrote as Don and I recalled the incidents and various experiences, without any ‘flourishing of the pen.’ I planned to go back and add more detailed, descriptive and colorful phrases here and there in the actual writing. Then I considered the doubling in size and weight of the book, plus the overall cost factor. So, basically, ‘what you see is what you get,’ in regards to that matter.

With all that said, we sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading about our experiences living in Alaska. Our family fell in love with the State and set deep roots in Her land. She nourished each of us as we grew; becoming the people we are today. A part of us will always remain there.

We wish to share this love for Alaska with you and can only hope that some of you will be able to visit this great State. For others, we hope you come to know Alaska through us and through the telling of our story.....

Acknowledgements

‘Alaska and Canada’s Yukon’ by the Alaska State Division of Tourism

‘Anchorage’ by the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau

‘Discover the Worlds of Alaska’ by the Alaska State Div. of Tourism

‘The Alaska Airlines Story’ by Archie Satterfield

‘The Milepost’ by Alaska Northwest Publishing Company

‘There Is No Death’ by J. L. McCreery

‘Wild Men, Wild Alaska’ by Rocky McElveen

Personal Contributions

Allan ‘Ole’ Olson for Anchorage Police Department info

Bill Gould for Alaska Airlines info

Sid Moen for family info

Anne Picard for friend info

Konni Halford for neighbor info

Cathy Kirk for Chugiak - Eagle River Historical Society

Major Debt of Gratitude

To our daughter Dana, for editing this book, web site design, helping submitting to the publisher, listening to all of our questions and concerns and working to get them answered and going out on book signings for us. Dad and I are grateful beyond words! Mange Tusen Takk!

Chronicles

The Decision

Preparations

Alaska

Alaska Tidbits

Alaska State Song

Alaska Travel Log – 1969

ALCAN Highway Poem

Alaskan Sourdough

Anchorage

The Meaning of Cheechako

Finding Work – Twist of Fate

Anchorage Police Department

Undercover Cop

APD

Alaska Airlines

Familiarization

A Force to Reckon With

First Summer

Keno

APD Friends

Our First Christmas in Alaska

Alaska Village

Lessons Learned

Wisconsin Folks

A New Arrival

APD Major Event – Airplane Crash

Christmas 1970

White Snow and Blue Ice

Natural Wonders

Fish On

Kenai Peninsula Fishing

Chugiak

Scout

Alaska Airlines Crash

ASA Friends

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Winter Activities

Christmas 1971

Neighbors

Harvesting

The A-Frame

The Ol’Outhouse

The Heartland

Colorful Characters

Wolves

Wolf Capture

Wolf Attack

APD Major Event II – Murder

Santa’s Helper

Christmas 1972

The Magnificent Seven

The Iditarod

The Worst Fear

Top Notch

Grotto Lunker

Backyard Fun

Nikoma and Kobabe

Christmas 1973

Wash – Out

‘Wild Men, Wild Alaska’

Alaska Big Game List

Early Hunts

1974 Hunt

Alaska State Fair

Fly-Bys by Rick

Christmas 1974

Three Strikes

Celebrations

Heaven’s Gateway

Through Rain, Snow or Sleet

Secession

The Oil Boom

1975 Hunt

There Is No Death

Fallen Comrade

Christmas 1975

A Gray Day

Bicentennial

1976 Hunt

Back to School

Return to Work

APD Major Event III – Car Bombing

Mortgage Burning Party

Christmas 1976

Return to Work – Part II

Broken Dreams

North Slope Stories

Second Opinion

Farewells

11th Hour Grizz

Final Farewells

Blue Weddings

Not This Time

Alaska Visitor List

Wisconsin Visitor List

The Journey Back Home

Epilogue

Final Post – Note

The Decision

People always ask us, as to how we ended up in Alaska. We tell them the events that led up to that decision. It was November of 1968. But first we need to tell you how it all began. Donavon Langdok and I (Lanna Smith) were born and raised in the little town of Iola, Wisconsin, population under 1,000. It was predominantly Norwegian in nationality and Lutheran by faith.

We were high school sweethearts, and after graduation, we left home to seek ‘our destiny.’ I went on to airline school in Minneapolis and landed a job with Delta Airlines in Chicago. Don went to the University of Wisconsin (UW-Stevens Point) for a semester and decided that wasn’t what he wanted. Eventually, he started working for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). During the early 1960s, we lived in Illinois, Georgia and eventually married in Florida.

After our daughter, Kari Annelise was born on February 8, 1967, we decided it was time to return to small town living. We came back to Iola and rented a two-story house at 435 E. State Street in the village. It was a cozy home, located next to wonderful neighbors. It was nice to be back where everyone knew your name and old friendships were rekindled.

Both sets of grandparents, Martin and Ruby Langdok, and Russell and Evelyn Smith, lived in Iola and doted on their new grandchild. Don continued to work with the USDA and the first winter back, we had the opportunity to spend several months in Arizona. He inspected produce coming across the border at Nogales. We spent a lot of time, crossing into Mexico and buying goods at the border shops, as well as eating spicy burritos and drinking salty margaritas. It was a wonderful experience and we became good friends with two Mexican couples. When we returned to Iola, our normal routine continued. We were happy and content and life was good! Or so we thought....

November 1968

Don had left the house early that morning for ‘opening day’ of deer season. He always hunted on the Langdok farm, located 6 ½ miles north of Iola. I had been up earlier to fix Don his breakfast before he went on the ‘big hunt.’

Later, Kari woke up and I had just finished feeding her breakfast, when we heard the jeep pull into the driveway. It was about 7:30 a.m. Daddy’s got his deer! Quick, let’s look out the window. We both were so excited! But in fact, we didn’t see any deer, only Don getting his gun out of the vehicle. He came into the house, slammed the door and threw his shotgun down on the sofa. Was he ever mad! I just looked at him. What in the world had happened?

Don proceeded to expound, in not too kind of words, what took place. After parking the jeep by the gate where he normally hunted, he walked to the five-acre field, along the creek bottom. All he saw were other hunters in various locations! Disgusted, he turned to walk out and ran into another guy that was walking in to hunt.

The fella asked what Don was doing there, that it was private property. Don said, Yea, I know that. It’s my Dad’s land. The guy said he was from the Fox Valley, an area about 45 miles south of Iola. Don told him, he best leave and now! Typical ‘city hunters’ who trespass and hunt the land without the owner’s permission! It was getting worse all the time. Folks in this part of the state, who lived here and paid the taxes on the property, were being violated.

Don was beside himself. He said, We’re getting out of here! I asked, Where do you want to go? He answered, Anywhere there’s big game and room to move around in. I responded with Well, I want to go where there are mountains. We looked at each other and both said Alaska! Yes, Alaska!

There was no other discussion of other states, no thoughts of moving to the West Coast where most of my family was, no thoughts of how far away Alaska was from home and family in Iola. Alaska it was, no ‘ifs, ands or buts’ about it. We were moving to Alaska.

That was in November. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday the following week and Christmas, a month later, we thought it best not to say anything to our parents and ruin their holidays for them. All of them had been so happy upon our return to Iola, especially bringing a new little granddaughter for them to love. It wasn’t going to be easy.

We did however, go to talk with my grandparents who lived in Waupaca just 12 miles south of town. Clayton and Edna Smith had traveled the Alaska-Canadian Highway (ALCAN) to Alaska back in 1949. We were anxious to get their approval and any information they could give us. Grandpa and Grandma couldn’t have been any better. They agreed wholeheartedly with our decision! Alaska’s a beautiful state! It’s huge and the mountains are rugged and the people are strong-willed! If any two people can make it there, it’s the two of you! Go now before you have more commitments (such as more children, house payments, job responsibilities).

That’s all we needed to hear. It was final then. We were indeed on our way to Alaska! They promised not to say anything to the Folks.

After the holidays, we broke the news to the family. My parents had immediate reservations, but finally, gave us their encouragement. Don’s folks were adamantly against it! Both their reactions were as expected. A lot of my mother’s family had moved to the West Coast, whereas the Langdok family had never left Waupaca County. Don’s folks even offered to build us a new house on part of the farm, if we would reconsider. That wasn’t going to happen. They couldn’t quite believe we would move that far away from home. In the months that followed, we started selling off some of our household items.

When Don’s parents visited us and we were now down to eating meals on a card table, with no rugs on the floor, they became worried. It really was going to take place. Don and I talked it over and decided to tell the Folks, we’d go to Alaska for one year and if things didn’t go well for us, we’d return to Iola and start over. We found storage for the remainder of our furniture (at the Kriewaldts) and started to plan for the long trip ahead.

Preparations

By early spring our focus was on the journey itself. Don readied our ’68 Ford LTD station wagon with two new tires. It was only a year old, so it was in very good shape. We had read somewhere that some folks put a mesh screen across their vehicles’ windshield to protect it from stone damage, but opted not to do that and hoped for the best. However, Don did put a screen across the radiator, behind the grill. Inside the station wagon, behind the front seat, a bed and play area would be set up for Kari. Pads were put down for cushioning and adding our double-zip sleeping bags at night, we had a place to crawl into, too.

The bulk of our goods would be hauled in a trailer behind the car. Uncle Norris (Wogsland) gave us a good deal on a homemade 6x8 utility trailer built on an Oldsmobile single axel. Don built a rounded plywood top over it and when finished, it was painted brown to match our vehicle. Looked pretty good! We did a test loading of all our stuff and major problems! The trailer collapsed under the weight. Thank God Don was able to forge some heavyduty springs at his Dad’s workshop on the farm. We were able to discard some of the items, but needed to keep the crib, all our clothes, some pots and pans, the vacuum cleaner, guns and other necessary things such as food and emergency gear. Once on the road, we would eat breakfast at a café and have sandwiches and fruit for lunches. Great-Grandma promised to send along a baked ham and rolls for the trip. She was an excellent cook and we were looking forward to those sandwiches.

Our suppers would be cooked over campfire or heated on our single-burner Coleman stove. Meals would be simple: hot dogs, soup or Spam; anything that could easily be heated. We planned to bring along a lot of Gerber puddings and fruit sauce, for us as well as for Kari. Drinking water would be in jugs and we’d pick up fresh milk as we traveled.

At that time of the year, heavy clothing, insulated boots, long underwear, caps and gloves would be an absolute must. Weather on the ALCAN Highway could be treacherous! Checking our travel list was done several times, making sure we didn’t omit something of real value. When everything seemed in order, we set the departure date – April 30th.

Early on, we had sent a letter to my mother’s brother, Howard Moen, who lived south of Anchorage on a homestead. His response was not encouraging as far as job prospects, but we were now committed to the move and would proceed with our plans. Such gutsy determination!

A few days before D-Day we visited my grandparents, Clayton and Edna Smith. They were the ones that gave us the encouragement to head to Alaska. It was hard hugging them goodbye, as we likely would not see them again. Both were close to 80 years old. We promised to write them often and send photos. The day before the trip we spent time with Don’s folks and great-grandma at the farm. Don’s mother and grandma of course fixed us a delicious meal and we ate enough to last us the entire trip! Again, it was sad saying our farewells, as Great-Grandma was 82 years old. Everyone got hugs, especially little Kari. When we left the driveway, I remember looking back and seeing Great-Grandma standing on the porch. She was wiping her eyes with her apron. I’m sure the memories of leaving her family in Norway, brought back sad thoughts. Marit (Mary) Rindal was only 16 years old when she came to America in 1901. She always spoke of the thrill of seeing the Statue of Liberty when the ship pulled into New York harbor. I wondered if we would experience the same feeling, crossing into Alaska.

The last day was spent with my folks in town as we had been sleeping there for about a week. Again, we checked everything loaded in the station wagon and re-secured the trailer. Tire pressure was checked, as well as the oil, water and windshield fluid. Two extra tires were mounted, both carried on the tongue of the trailer. The car’s 21 gallon gas tank had been filled up at the local gas station. Our station wagon was washed on the exterior and shone so beautiful in the afternoon sun light. We were ready!

Mom fixed us another delicious meal at suppertime and again urged us to eat everything. I do believe our mothers thought we’d be lost in the wilderness with nothing to eat! To bed early, for tomorrow would be another difficult day of saying ‘Goodbye’ and hugs that would be even more difficult to let go of ...

The Smith Family

Clayton & Edna

Russell & Evelyn

The Langdok Family

Mary

Martin & Ruby

Alaska

1917 Map of Alaska, Department of the Interior

Its name comes from the Aleut for ‘great land’ and the 49th State is well-named. For She is one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States put together! Its coastline is longer than that of all the lower 48 states, 33,000 miles. Alaska has ten rivers longer than 300 miles, three million lakes, nineteen mountains higher than 14,000 feet (including Mt. McKinley, at 20,320 feet, the highest peak in North America) and more than half the world’s glaciers! It is indeed the Great Land!

Because of its vast size, the state of Alaska is broken down into four sections: South East Alaska, South Central Alaska, Interior and Northern Alaska and South West Alaska.

South East Alaska is carved out by glaciers and forested with tall spruce and hemlock trees. The majesty of its marine and mountain scenery is compared to the fjords of Norway. Seaport communities include Juneau, the state capital, along with Sitka, Petersburg and Ketchikan. The population here includes thousands of Indians – the Chilkat, Tlingit and Tsimshian tribes, to name a few.

South Central is sheltered from northern winds by Alaska Range mountains and warmed by breezes off the Gulf of Alaska. More than half the state’s population lives in this region, mostly Caucasian and Alaska Native. Anchorage is in the heart of South Central Alaska and is surrounded by four scenic mountain ranges. It is the financial and transportation center of the state, yet, only minutes away from snow-capped mountains, wildlife and glaciers. Kenai, Seward and Homer are major fishing attractions to the south with Eagle River, Palmer and Wasilla in the northern area, close to the farms in the Matanuska Valley.

The Interior and Northern Alaska lays claim to the gold rush era, dog sleds and polar bears. Fairbanks was originally a Gold Rush town, Kotzebue, one of the largest Eskimo communities and Nome, a combination of the two. Barrow is the northernmost settlement in North America, where the summer sun doesn’t set from May to August! Towering Mt. McKinley and Denali National Park are located in the Interior, with its majestic mountains and abundant wildlife. A photographer’s paradise!

Much of South West Alaska is included in national or state parks, wildlife ranges and refuges. Katmai National Park is the home of ‘The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes,’ a moon-like landscape created by the eruption of nearby Novarupta Volcano in 1912. Kodiak is the only town with a ferry port. All other destinations are reached by scheduled or charter flight. The Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands have several thousand miles of coastline,