Rika's Landing Roadhouse
Rika's Landing Roadhouse | |
Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
| |
Location | Mile 274.5, Richardson Highway, Big Delta, Alaska |
---|---|
Coordinates | 64°09′19″N 145°50′26″W / 64.15524°N 145.84058°W |
Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
Built | 1909 |
Architectural style | Multistory Log and clapboard, tarpaper roof with dormers |
Part of | Big Delta Historic District (ID91000252) |
NRHP reference No. | 76000364[1] |
AHRS No. | XBD-059 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 1, 1976 |
Designated CP | March 20, 1991 |
Designated AHRS | 1970 |
Rika's Landing Roadhouse, also known as Rika's Landing Site or the McCarty Roadhouse, is a
The roadhouse is named after Rika Wallen, who acquired it from John Hajdukovich and operated it for many years. It became a hub of activity in that region of the interior. With the construction of the
Background
The
Many roadhouses, some 37 in all[4] and some now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were built along this trail for the convenience of travelers. These roadhouses offered meals, sleeping quarters, and supplies. They were typically located about 15 to 20 miles apart.[5]
Early activity
The
A trading post was constructed on the south bank of the Tanana, at Bates Landing in April 1904 by a prospector named Ben Bennett on his claim of 80 acres (32 ha), but Bennett sold the post and land to Daniel G. McCarty in April 1905. However, since
Hajdukovich era
In 1906,[6] or perhaps sometime after,[5][9] Jovo 'John' Hajdukovich (Montenegrin: Jovo Hajduković, Јово Хајдуковић), an entrepreneur who had come to Alaska from Montenegro in 1903,[10] sensed a business opportunity and purchased the trading post and roadhouse from Maxey. Hajdukovich built a new and bigger roadhouse in 1909 using logs floated downriver.[7] He continued to use the old trading post to store his gear.
Hadukovich had other business interests, including prospecting, freighting, acting as a
Starting in 1904, the trail was improved and upgraded.[7][14] In 1907,[15] By 1910, the Alaska Road Commission completed the upgrade, making the trail usable as a wagon road. Major Wilds P. Richardson led the project and later became the namesake for the highway. He was promoted to general later in his career.[7]) Stages plied the road, using horse-drawn sledges in winter and wagons in summer.[15] By 1913 the roadhouse was a local center of activity for gold prospectors, local hunters, traders, and freighters.[7][16]
Meanwhile, Erika 'Rika' Wallen, born Lovisa Erika Jakobson in 1874 on a farm near
In 1916 Rika Wallen traveled to Valdez, reportedly "because she thought Alaska would be like Sweden".[17]
Rika Wallen takes over the Roadhouse
After jobs cooking at the Kennecott copper mine and for a Fairbanks boarding house, Rika Wallen made her way to Big Delta. In 1917,[7] or 1918,[13] she was hired by Hadukovich to manage operations at his roadhouse, then still known as McCarty's.
Although Hadukovich had many business interests, he was not always solvent. For example, in later years he failed to be paid for timber he supplied to the
By 1925, Wallen had applied for US citizenship, and filed a
When Wallen bought the roadhouse, it still had packed dirt floors and rough wood walls. To improve the interior, she scavenged wallpaper, sometimes using different patterns on different walls of the same room.
About 1926, Rika added a wing, which she used for additional living space, a liquor store, fur storage, and the Big Delta (then known as Washburn)[4] Post Office.[18] She was appointed as the US postmaster and served until 1946.[18] Eventually Wallen also homesteaded an adjoining piece of land, bringing her holdings to 320 acres (130 ha).
End of an era
The construction of the Alaska Railroad was completed in 1922, but by the 1930s, due to effects of the Great Depression, freight traffic declined on the railroad. In 1935, the Alaska Road Commission tried to force shippers to use the railroad, and raised the toll at the Tanana ferry crossing to almost 10 dollars a ton. The truckers rebelled at this, with some violent skirmishes. Pirate ferry operations were started, lasting until the start of World War II.[21]
With the coming of the war and construction of the
Big Delta State Historical Park
Big Delta Historic District | |
Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
| |
Location | Mile 274.5, Richardson Highway, Big Delta, Alaska |
---|---|
Coordinates | 64°09′17″N 145°50′24″W / 64.15463°N 145.84012°W |
Area | 10.26 acres (4.15 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 91000252[1] |
AHRS No. | XBD-132 |
Added to NRHP | March 20, 1991 |
According to Judy Ferguson in Parallel Destinies, a biography of Hajdukovich and Wallen:
- "For fifty years, Rika was a stake in the ground for the roaming John. While John traded and prospected, Rika ran the hub of the Upper Tanana's cross-roads. Her establishment was "town" to the three hundred people who walked the trails to the Alaskan-Canadian border. John and Rika were the history of the Upper Tanana Valley."[22]
Rika's Roadhouse, the adjacent outbuildings, and property are preserved as the Big Delta State Historical Park.[7] In 1976 the roadhouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the entire cluster was listed as the Big Delta Historic District in 1991.[1][23] The structure was restored in 1984 by Stanton and Stanton Construction (owned and operated by brothers, Eldon and Richard Stanton). It was placed on a new foundation using original timbers, and in some areas, the packing crate floor was restored.[14] It is now operated as a "house museum"; some rooms have been fitted with 1920s-1930s period furniture and accessories donated by local residents.[7] The property also has a food service facility called the "Packhouse Pavilion" operated by a local concessionaire.[24][25]
Contributing Properties
The historical district contains a total of 18 contributing properties, built between 1906 and 1935:
- Rika's Roadhouse, 64°09′19″N 145°50′26″W / 64.15524°N 145.84058°W, AHRS# XBD-059, built c. 1909.
- Valdez-Fairbanks Trail, also known as the Richardson Road, 64°09′16″N 145°50′25″W / 64.15447°N 145.84026°W, AHRS# XBD-133.
- Prospector's Trail, 64°09′18″N 145°50′21″W / 64.15511°N 145.83903°W, AHRS# XBD-134.
- Rika's Garden, 64°09′18″N 145°50′27″W / 64.15507°N 145.84086°W, AHRS# XBD-135.
- Outhouse, 64°09′19″N 145°50′28″W / 64.15521°N 145.84114°W, AHRS# XBD-136.
- Barn, 64°09′17″N 145°50′27″W / 64.15478°N 145.84094°W, AHRS# XBD-137, built in the 1920s.
- Springhouse, 64°09′17″N 145°50′26″W / 64.1548°N 145.84046°W, AHRS# XBD-138.
- Outbuilding, 64°09′18″N 145°50′27″W / 64.15498°N 145.84074°W, AHRS# XBD-139, built in the 1920s-1930s.
- Windmill, 64°09′18″N 145°50′26″W / 64.15509°N 145.84057°W, AHRS# XBD-140, built 1932, replaced by a replica in 1984.
- Ferryman's Cabin, 64°09′20″N 145°50′29″W / 64.15563°N 145.84135°W, AHRS# XBD-141, built c. 1929.
- Alaska Road Commission Vehicle Scales, 64°09′20″N 145°50′27″W / 64.15555°N 145.84073°W, AHRS# XBD-142, built 1935.
- Alaska Road Commission Storage Cabin, 64°09′16″N 145°50′21″W / 64.15458°N 145.8392°W, AHRS# XBD-143, built 1914.
- McCarty Station Storehouse, 64°09′18″N 145°50′18″W / 64.15496°N 145.83842°W, AHRS# XBD-144, built 1906-1907.
- McCarty Station Cabin Site, 64°09′18″N 145°50′18″W / 64.15497°N 145.8382°W, AHRS# XBD-145. The cabin was built in 1906-1907 and is no longer standing.
- McCarty Telegraph Station, 64°09′18″N 145°50′17″W / 64.15499°N 145.83795°W, AHRS# XBD-146. The cabin was built in 1906-1907, removed in 1967 and reassembled in 1991.
- McCarty Station Stable Site, 64°09′17″N 145°50′20″W / 64.15465°N 145.8388°W, AHRS# XBD-147. The stables were built c. 1910 and are no longer standing.
- McCarty Trading Post Site, 64°09′18″N 145°50′09″W / 64.15489°N 145.83572°W, AHRS# XBD-148. The trading post was built in 1904 and is no longer standing.
- Cold Cache, 64°09′19″N 145°49′59″W / 64.15528°N 145.83301°W, AHRS# XBD-149.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska
- National Register of Historic Places portal
References
- ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b
Valencia, Kris (2009). The Milepost 2009: Alaska Travel Planner. Morris Communications Corp. pp. 465, 482. ISBN 978-1-892154-26-2.
- ^
Cooke, James (2002). Billy Mitchell. Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 33–37. ISBN 978-1-58826-082-6.
- ^ a b c d e "Interior Alaska 1896–1910 CHANGING LIFESTYLES, DIFFERENT VALUES". Alaska's History & Cultural Studies. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ a b Lundberg, Murray. "Northern Roadhouses, an Introduction". ExploreNorth. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ a b "History". Delta Junction - Alaska's Friendly Frontier. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Big Delta State Historical Park". Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- ^ Lundberg, Murray. "The History of Big Delta". ExploreNorth. Archived from the original on January 21, 2010. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ a b "Delta Junction". Travel Alaska. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Cook, Debbie. "Review of Parallel Destinies". Delta News Web. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ Ferguson, Judy. "Parallel Destinies, An Alaskan Odyssey". Judy Ferguson's Outpost. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ as mentioned in the review at "Alaskrafts ~ BOOK STORE ~ PARALLEL DESTINIES". furshack.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Rika's Virtual Tour - roadhouse". Rika's Landing Concessionaire. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ a b "Historic Roadhouse". Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- ^ a b "Richardson Highway". Delta Junction - Alaska's Friendly Frontier. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ a b "Visitor Guide: Museums". City of Delta Junction, Alaska. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ a b
Winquist, Alan; Rousselow-Winquist, Jessica (2006). Touring Swedish America: where to go and what to see. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-87351-559-7.
- ^ a b c d e "Big Delta". Vacation Country Travel Guide. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Alaska Highway". John Hall's Alaska. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Rika's Virtual Tour - farm animals". Rika's Landing Concessionaire. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Rika's Virtual Tour - ferry". Rika's Landing Concessionaire. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ "Alaskrafts ~ BOOK STORE ~ PARALLEL DESTINIES". furshack.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Big Delta Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ "Rika's Virtual Tour - Packhouse Pavilion". Rika's Landing Concessionaire. Retrieved August 29, 2009.
- ^ "Fodor's review". Fodor's. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
Further reading
- Ferguson, Judy (2002). Parallel Destinies. Glas Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9716044-0-7. (A biography of Rika Wallen and John Hajdukovich, written by a resident of Big Delta).
External links
- Official website of Big Delta State Historical Park
- Big Delta State Historical Park at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Northern Area State Parks office
- NRHP document
- A pictorial tour of the Big Delta State Historical Park
- Big Delta at the Alaska Department of CommerceCommunity Information Database
- Itinerary of a mid-1920s visit to Alaska including a stay at Rika's
- Going Places Alaska And The Yukon For Families by Nancy Thalia Reynolds at Google Books
- Alaska Off the Beaten Path (6th edition) by Melissa Devaughn and Deb Vanasse at Google Books
- Media from Alaska's Digital Archives:
- Four pioneers photo of John, Rika, and two other pioneers late in life
- Still image of current ferryat McCarty (use of that name dates it as older than the next two images)
- Another still image of ferry crossing the Tanana, 1930, Rika's visible in background. (from Digital Alaska)
- Video clip of ferry crossing the Tanana, 1935–36, Rika's visible in background. (from Digital Alaska)