Early on, it was believed that the individual attention led to his rowdiness and mischievous behavior. day, yet they almost won an upset victory at the second Nome Sweepstakes race Despite a series of time-consuming mishaps on the trail, Seppala won the race against the bigger, slower dogs driven by Walden and his followers. Thank you! Seppala's section of trail featured a dangerous shortcut across Norton Sound, which could save a full day of travel. females and puppies, about fifteen dogs in all. He was born in Skibotn, Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, in the summer of 1877. The only planes they had were water-cooled aircraft from World War I, which didn't perform well in cold weather. Seppala's wife nursed him and took great care of him, even at the opposition of Seppala. The serum would be transported to Nenana by train. However, almost by fate, Seppala is surprised to see Togo up and running; refusing to give in. Leonhard Seppala: property of Jonathan Hayes. Seppala and his dogs also traveled from Alaska to the lower 48 states to do a nationwide tour. Without the antitoxin, estimated mortality rates stood anywhere from 75% to 99.99%, practically a killing blow to Nome. Focus on Denali & Kenai Fjords. He was by many reasonable accounts, the greatest musher of all time! Seppala had not abandoned his mining career with his tour of the U.S.A. After fishing grounds. As a puppy, he is a runt with little more than a fighting spirit and the endorsement of Seppalas wife, Constance (Julianne Nicholson). The prestigious Alaska Airlines Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award is given annually to the Iditarod musher who illustrates outstanding dog care throughout the race. publicity given to "newspaper dog" Balto who had led the Kaasen team, The same year the AAS was first run, 1908, The polar night also meant that there were limited hours of daylight to fly. By that time, he had already been a lead sled dog for seven years. Club was challenged by the Ruby Kennel Club. These three wins made himself and his Siberian Huskies famous. Some later claimed that the Nome Bank bribed Goosak to throw the race so it would not go under. His pivotal role in the 1925 serum run was professional, but also personal. I wanted to argue my prowess as a dog trainer but one thing I could not argue; I am not Leonhard Seppala. a powerful boost to the early days of sleddog sport in New England. According to the Salisburys, this is also true to life. To a large degree, yes. Alaska at the invitation of American journalist Lowell Thomas, enjoying Seppala didnt start out working with dogs, though. Of course, also apprenticed in his father's smithy. The following year Seppala's Siberian team won the Nome However, in 1900, he emigrated to Alaska during the Nome gold rush. While he raced to the roadhouse at Isaac's Point on the opposite shore, gale-force winds drove the windchill to an estimated 85F (65C) from a real temperature of only 30F (34C). The title card at the beginning declares that Togo is based on a true story, but how much of this is hard history and how much is Disney magic? A musher would head out from there to meet Seppala somewhere in the middle. Categories: Notables | Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. Willem Dafoe Sepp returned to Skjervy to work in his father's smithy. Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USA Seppala introduced the work dogs used by Native Siberians at the time to the American public; the breed came to be known as the Siberian Husky in the English-speaking world. Everyone looking on was quite amused when a Russian fur trader by the name of William Goosak pulled into the starting shoot with some half-sized bushy-tailed rat dogs he had imported from Siberia. Kristiana (now called Oslo), where he worked at the smithies there The story goes, the raven kept landing in the trail just ahead of the team. Husband of Constance M Seppala. [17] In 2019, Disney released a movie based on Seppala's feats in the 1925 serum run to Nome, titled Togo and starring Willem Dafoe as Seppala. A diphtheria epidemic had broken out in Nome, Alaska. The anti-toxins Doctor Welch had ordered had not come in the last shipment. [7] His father's family name is of Finnish origin. He responded by telling me that I should not ever have that many dogs on a dry training run because no one could safely handle that many dogs. There were some brave pilots in Anchorage that wanted to fly in the serum to Nome but no one had ever been successful traveling such a distance under such conditions. He then bought a house near Seattle, where many other Norwegians The initials "G.I." Seppala apparently Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. SEPP AND LIZ RICKER were a feature on the eastern race circuit from If the story of Seppala ended here we would probably not be thinking of him now, nor trying to preserve the breed he worked so hard to establish. Siberian sleddogs, becoming a legend in his own time. In the winter of 1924-1925, a diphtheria epidemic was threatening the town of Nome, located on the southern Seward Peninsula on the northwestern coast of Alaska. Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Death "He and his wife lived in Seattle until his death at the age of eighty nine. In 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance welcome a newborn Siberian Husky puppy to their sledding dog pack in Nome, Alaska. The fact that I won that race, started my career as a sled dog racer.. Meanwhile, the number of diphtheria cases in Nome continued to climb. The dog that plays the adult Togo in the movie is a so-called Seppala Siberian named Diesel (the Seppala Siberian is now its own breed) and is actually Togos great-grandson, 14 generations removed, according to the movies director. The strengths of this sign are being loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical, while weaknesses can be shyness, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play. Seppala won the race, and afterward the tour was completed and his dogs safely settled in Poland Spring, he However, the town's supply was not only insufficient but also of presumably low efficacy, being past its expiry date. When he was a young man his friend Jafet Lindeberg convinced him to come to America due to the gold rush that was going on. out driving horses and a wagon (which he had never done), filling a slip His wife, Constance, died a few years later aged 85. Dead tissue then builds up in the throat or nose, forming a thick, gray coating dubbed a "pseudomembrane". 'Sepp' entered the 1914 The film depicts Seppala feeling guilty about pushing Togo too hard to the point of exhaustion. Seppala was hurt that His Dog Togo, the true hero of the run, was not receiving his just desert. Togo digs his way out of kennels, climbs atop shelves to squeeze his way out of a locked toolshed, misbehaves his way out of one potential adoption, and hurls his body through a glass window to escape another potential adoption. due to their size, which was only half that of typical Alaskan sleddogs of the He was disruptive to harnessed sled dogs, just as hes shown to be in the film. However, everyone in the Nome Kennel Club was shocked and the Nome Bank almost bankrupted when the Siberian dogs came in 3rd place. In Astrology, Mercury is the planet that rules our mindset. If not for Togo finding the way and leading the team to the roadhouse at Isaac's Point on the shore, a distance of 84 miles since picking up the serum, they would have faced certain death. Seppala manages to get his team back to the outpost of Joe Dexter and passes the serum over to his friend Gunnar Kaasen. when a native with a crosscut saw appeared out of nowhere and trotted easily (Color/Silent/16mm film). The world had been drawn into its first World War. Background information remained in St. Jovite through the winter of 1931-32 and competed with Claim at Anvil Creek. The serum! [4][9] When Seppala was two years old, his family moved within Troms county to nearby Skjervy municipality on the island of Skjervya. All rights reserved. No one is! (It was widely rumoured that the team had been interfered with or the If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. The Wheeler dogs became the foundation This film sequence is an excerpt of AAF-2240 from the Seppala-Hanks collection held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of the Alaska \u0026 Polar Regions Department in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.The Alaska Film Archives appreciates your support. For more information please contact the Alaska Film Archives. Leonhard Seppala and his sled dog team led by Togo spent three days traveling 170 miles from Nome to Shaktoolik to pick up the diphtheria serum on January 31, 1925. [1], The next day, the gale had intensified into a severe blizzard, with blinding snow and winds of at least 65mph (105km/h). In 1914, he competed in the All Alaska Sweepstakes, a sled dog race. At the age of twenty he went to the city of Seppala continued to import, breed, and train Within the year, after the dust had cleared, Seppala and Togo began to be recognized for their accomplishments. The only treatment available in 1925 was diphtheria antitoxin serum. behind Seppala; in fact, she won the Poland Spring race in 1930, also with Bonzo Lindeberg convinced Seppala to come work for his Pioneer Mining Company. St. Godard, who bested Seppala to win the Olympic Demonstration dogsled race at Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. Leonhard Seppala. 7-10 days is the most common. with a former driver of Chinooks, Mrs. Elizabeth Ricker. his Siberians for the last time at the Lake Placid Olympic demonstration race. [1], In 1913, Seppala inherited his first team of sled dogs by chance. Leonhard Seppala Was born 14 Sep 1877 in Skibotn, Troms, Norway. People of this zodiac sign like animals, healthy food, nature, cleanliness, and dislike rudeness and asking for help. They wanted the 640 miles between the two towns to be traversed by the dog team. They asked him to begin traveling toward Nenana. Leonhard Seppala's experience and fame as a champion dog musher are why he was chosen to drive a sled dog team in the Serum Run. LEONHARD SEPPALA WAS BORN in Skibotn, The whole trail was 674 miles from Nenana to Nome, and Seppala was initially selected to cover the more than 400 miles from Nome to Nulato and back. It was unusual at that time to keep sled dogs working when the snow thawed, or to spend as much time with them as he did. Details of Death: Died in the Poland Spring, Maine home of Elizabeth Ricker, a friend of Leonhard Seppala and fellow dog musher and breeder. He was recruited to Alaska from Norway by fellow Norwegian Jafet Lindeberg, who had struck it rich in Nome. Poland Spring event three years running. Yes. The movie leaves out several details about Togos death. eluded him the two previous years and he was determined to win it in 1929.) based in Nome for the first twenty-nine years of his mining career, This was the start of the spread of the Siberian Husky breed in the United States and Canada. You, he said, are no Leonhard Seppala.. In October of 1926 Seppala and his team was brought to the lower 48 states for a tour and to be honored in Madison Square Garden with a medal which would be presented by the famed Explorer, Roald Amundsen. Seppala had dogsled racing psychology down pat as well. Wheeler, Shearer and the Belfords that were bred from them. International Dog Derby in Quebec City, setting a new trail record for the This did not detour him, however, for he won the Sweepstakes the following three consecutive years. . However, at 3 P.M. that day, Seppala and his team arrived at Golovin and handed over the serum to the next musher. Leonhard " Sepp " Seppala ( / lnrd spl /; September 14, 1877 - January 28, 1967) was a Norwegian-American sled dog breeder, trainer and musher who with his dogs played a pivotal role in the 1925 serum run to Nome, [1] and participated in the 1932 Winter Olympics. Campgrounds, RV Parks & Public Use Cabins. Seppala gave the ageing Togo to Liz Ricker so that his old leader could enjoy a [1]:7275[12] He went on to win the race the following two years, as well, at which point the All Alaska Sweepstakes was suspended until 1983. stricken city. However, it was too late to inform Seppala that he would be meeting the relay closer to Nome than had originally been planned. In 1916 the Nome Kennel Was Togo really such a good boy as the movie suggests? . a warm reception from the Alaskan people. of self-defense. 1946. (Recovered from my old site: written apr. . The Straggler, as the disease was commonly called, had come for the children of Nome. Seppala said, Ive always said that this buzzard was the reason why I started sled dog racing. The problem was, how would the traveling Seppala be told he was not to transport it alone? Ivanoff had just left Shaktoolik with the serum. The debate was taken to the floor of the United States Senate in Washington D.C. Should we give the modern age a chance and risk losing the only serum in the area, or do we send it the slower, but, most reliable way with the dog punchers?. When . Seppala became interested in dog sledding during his first winter in Alaska when he became a sled dog driver for Lindeberg's company. Amundsen was the man who beat Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic in 1911 - and for whom in 1914, Seppala had trained a team of dogs for a North Pole expedition. Sepp the resort in 1931 she met Kaare Nansen, the son of Norwegian explorer Norwegians of the far north are almost born on skis. sleddogs from Chukotka, Kamschatka and the Kolyma River basin, had been placed Both are buried in Nome, Alaska. Seppala felt he had abused the dogs' loyalty by putting them in danger of death and injury, and withdrew from the race in shame. In 1928, Seppala moved his permanent home to near Fairbanks, Alaska. Bering Sea coastline. Proudly created with Wix.com. As principal musher, Seppala battled blizzard conditions and icy terrain, eventually traveling more than twice as far as his colleagues. Dallas Seavey. Which one is right for you? scraper to clear the sluice boxes, and shoveling gravel on Discovery While in Skjervy, his father worked as a blacksmith and fisherman, building up a relatively large estate. Insider tips to pick the best Alaska cruise. Feeling that he has had enough, Seppala refuses to train Togo further. 1927 through 1930. The mutual trust between Seppala and Togo was also as depicted. Last Name Seppala #2. This meant avoiding rocky cliffs along the shore, but it also exposed him and his team to the dangers of the Sound. Your must-have activity guide + map while in Alaska. Onlookers noted that these little dogs seemed as energetic as when they left the starting shoot. He then had to learn mining from the ground up, starting By Robert Forto, PhD. Kennels, which operated until 1950. Lindeberg, his friend and supervisor at Pioneer Mining Company, had brought the puppies from Siberia as a gift for the explorer Roald Amundsen, whom he hoped would use them for his upcoming expedition to the North Pole. The dogs who play Togo throughout the film often needed to be colored to match Diesel, the adult Togo. His team, led by Balto, ran the last 53 miles in the Serum Run. Seppala left Togo, with great sadness, with Ricker to retire in comfort in 1927 (Seppala remembered it as one of the saddest moments in his life. So, as politicians are apt to do, the Governor complicated the plan to include some 20 teams and mushers in performing a relay. many of these races Liz Ricker raced the second team and often came in right he drove. [18], Leonhard Seppala after the 1925 serum run, Role in the "Great Race of Mercy" of 1925, Last edited on 25 December 2022, at 22:30, "Alaska Airlines To Serve As Iditarod's Official Airline Sponsor", "The High North Tour 2021: "I Went to School to Learn Kven", "Leonhard Seppala, Alaska, State Archives (Juneau), Naturalization Records, 1900-1972", Photo: Winners of the Eighth All Alaska Sweepstakes from Alaska's Digital Archives, "2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes Media Guide", "The Siberian Husky: A Brief History of the Breed in America", "Alaska Airlines continues long-standing support of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonhard_Seppala&oldid=1129527357, This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 22:30. Leonhard Seppala Popularity . However, the descriptions in The Cruelest Miles suggest more whimsy: The cheerful and diminutive Seppala was also seen as something of a show-off, known to flip double back handsprings just for laughs and land with a somersault. As shown in the movie, Seppala did beat legendary musher Scotty Allen in a race, which marked the beginning of his own celebrity. Leonhard Seppala lived there and ran his dogs, year-round, for the Pioneer Mining Company out of this coastal town. Alaska Airlines has established the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award. [10] He became a naturalized citizen in 1906. [15][16] He bred Togo, and the dog's descendants contributed to the "Seppala Siberian Sleddog", a sought after sled dog line, as well as mainstream show-stock Siberian Husky lines bred in New England and eventually elsewhere. The real-life Seppala was astounded at the effect of the harness: The 8-month-old Togo went from pesky to serious, and Seppala finally understood what Togo had been wanting all these months: to be a member of the team. In a feat unheard of for an inexperienced puppy, Togo traveled 75 miles on this first day. Half of the meeting is logistics: Welch explains that the serum they need for the diphtheria has been found at the Fairbanks Railroad Hospital (more than 500 miles away) and that it could be put on a train to Nenana (still 483 miles away). The classic Alaska Cruise, offered by such companies as Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Seppala married his wife Constance, a Belgian girl who had come to Nome in 1905. THE GOLD STRIKES IN ALASKA and the Yukon were the talk of Norway It was only in the previous February that the first airmail flight in Alaska took place. This clip features famed Alaska dog musher Leonhard Seppala and his wife Constance Seppala sitting on the porch in front of a house and playing with a litter of puppies. I responded by reminding him that Leonhard Seppala often ran as many as 24 dogs on snow and ice! Seppala initially followed in his father's footsteps as both a blacksmith and a fisherman. Once more details are available, we will update this section. Snowy Owl provided all of the adult sled dogs used in the movie. After 1932 he remained in Alaska. Occupation Genealogy for Constance M Seppala (Van der Straeten) (1884 - 1969) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. And when I come to the end of the rail, I feel that along with my many friends, Togo will be waiting and I know that everything will be all right.. However, Seppala was not always so Big. The little husky had a throat infection as a puppy and required one-on-one . Its worth mentioning that Togos own lineage wasnt too shabby: His father was Suggen, who had led Seppalas team to victory in the 1914 All Alaska Sweepstakes race. Photos by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images and Disney. The Togo true story reveals that as a young puppy Togo required excessive care from Leonhard Seppala's wife Constance. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. had constant problems with claim-jumpers and shyster lawyers, all of whom Mining Company. First Name Leonhard. America to sojourn in Norway with her new husband. Lindeberg was a leading figure in the immigrant miners' fight for that he had left behind; none of the other teams made more than 53 miles of They encountered each other while Ivanoff was untangling his team on a trail outside of town, at which time Seppala took possession of the serum. Lygenfjrd, Norway -- 600 miles north of the . A street in Nome named Seppala Drive connects the town to its airport. Seppala and his wife nursed them for a whole year before he attempted to reenter the Sweepstakes. Leonhard Seppala pictured with his 'Siberian Racers' in 1916 (top) and in 1923, with Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Did Leonhard Seppala and his wife have any children? Most Popular #186407. Seppala's only childan eight-year-old daughter named Sigridwas also at risk. Symptoms usually begin two to five days after exposure and include a fever, sore throat and weakness. Both are buried in Nome, Alaska. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. The following summer a shipload of And although Seppala did not seem upset on his own account (he praised Kaasen), he was reportedly upset that Togo had not received his due. Lived there and ran his dogs, though G.I. dogs seemed as energetic as when they left the shoot! A newborn Siberian Husky puppy to their sledding dog pack in Nome named Seppala Drive connects town... 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