Character information returned each spring to Alaska to continue his employment there, leaving Kasson received most of the early press though he only traveled 53 miles. fishing grounds. Scotty. Undaunted by the massive storm heading their way and against his wife Constance's ( Julianne Nicholson) better judgement, veteran musher Seppala will push Togo and his entire dog sled team to. But when the country was roused to enthusiasm over the serum run driver, I resented the statue to Balto, for if any dog deserved special mention it was Togo., On the topic of unsung heroes, The Cruelest Miles also notes the deficient coverage on the contribution of the Native driverswho covered nearly two thirds of the run but were not as interesting to movie producers or reporters. discoveries. Pets Temperatures across the Interior were at 20-year lows. No one is! resort that he was unable to pay), but at some point around this time of hair-raising adventures in defense of Pioneer claims against By that time, he had already been a lead sled dog for seven years. Seppala would cross the sound each way in the race to deliver the serum. [1], In 1913, Seppala inherited his first team of sled dogs by chance. Photos by Bettmann via Getty Images and Disney. Together with his dog Togo and several other dogs, he was able to brave through snowy weather and tundra to save countless of lives. Leonhard Seppala is part of G.I. They called a team of 20 mushers, including Leonhard Seppala. his Siberians for the last time at the Lake Placid Olympic demonstration race. The work was difficult for Seppala, and he regretted his decision to leave home, until he became a sled dog driver, mushing supplies up to 100 miles each day. They arrived at Seattle on November 2, 1926 aboard the Alaska Steamship Company freighter, Tanana. Sweepstakes. We consulted cousins Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisburys deeply researched book about the serum race, The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic, along with what few other sources we could find, to break it all down below. The Seppala House was a gift to Urtha Lenharr by Krier Enterprise of Nome, Alaska. Kaasen, who was in charge of Balto, suffered frostbite to his fingers after strong winds blew his sled over. The People of Nome had another idea. After a close competition between him and experienced musher Scotty Allan, Seppala defeated him on the fourth day of the race and finished two hours ahead of Allan to win the Sweepstakes. The expedition was ultimately cancelled and Seppala got to keep the dogs. Virgos. 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. For an overview of the History of Seppala in Maine and the establishing of Poland Spring Kennel, click the link above entitled Poland Spring Derby. 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. Balto makes a brief cameo in the movie: Hes the lead dog in Gunnar Kaasens team. His journey through white-out storms and twice across the unforgiving Norton Sound was by far the most perilous leg of the run. Seppala soon worried for his canine friend upon learning that he was starting to suffer from his old age. Seppala and his team mushed five times farther than any other team during that effort. Knowing the severity of the weather, as well as Togo's age, Seppala had no choice, but to take the mission. Impressed, Leonhard decided to keep him. The serum was to be taken by train to Nenana, and from there relay teams would set out from Nome and Nenana, meeting in the middle at Nulato. I wanted to argue my prowess as a dog trainer but one thing I could not argue; I am not Leonhard Seppala. He once attempted to leap over a 7-foot-high fence and got stuck in the wiring. The expedition was cancelled, and Seppala was gifted the dogs. Club was challenged by the Ruby Kennel Club. Seppala traveled a total of 261 miles to save the children of Nome. Ivanoff had just left Shaktoolik with the serum. 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. of the Seppala Strain that was finally registered by the Canadian Kennel They wanted the 640 miles between the two towns to be traversed by the dog team. The only practical way to deliver more serum to Nome in the middle of the coldest winter in 20 years was by dog sled. [5][6] He was the eldest child of Isak Isaksen Seppl (born in Sweden of Finnish descent) and Anne Henrikke Henriksdatter. SEPPALA'S EXPLOITS and the Poland Spring kennel breeding gave Have you taken a DNA test? The real Togo spent a few weeks at his new home before he jumped through the glass of a shut window and ran several miles back to Leonhard's kennel. The darkness and a blizzard also made it impossible for Leonhard Seppala to see where he was going. 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 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. 1927 through 1930. While tending to newborn pups, Constance took pity on one puppy that was noticeably weaker than the others. Arctic Circle -- the 14th September in the year 1877. Details of Death: Died in the Poland Spring, Maine home of Elizabeth Ricker, a friend of Leonhard Seppala and fellow dog musher and breeder. Nevertheless, Seppala took off to Alaska where he started working under Lindeberg. Dead tissue then builds up in the throat or nose, forming a thick, gray coating dubbed a "pseudomembrane". he was nursed by Seppala's wife Constance as a puppy due to a throat . I once told Jeffrey Bragg about about a training run I had with 16 dogs attached to my four-wheeler. Because Kaasen is the one who actually delivers the serum to Nome, he is the one who receives the lions share of the glory. Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, USA When he arrived there at 8 pm, his dogs were exhausted; they had run 84 miles (135km) that day, much of it against the wind and in brutal cold. Leonhard Seppala Was born 14 Sep 1877 in Skibotn, Troms, Norway. Ruling Planet: Leonhard Seppala had a ruling planet of Mercury and has a ruling planet of Mercury and by astrological associations Wednesday is ruled by Mercury. Inspiration He is a sled dog trainer and racer who is known for carrying the supply of diphtheria serum to the residents of Nome, Alaska. The story goes, the raven kept landing in the trail just ahead of the team. The trail between Nulato and Nome was one of Alaskas most hazardous, with most of it running along the windswept, blizzard-prone coast of Norton Sound, known to Alaskans as the ice factory, write the authors of The Cruelest Miles. 2-5 day small ship explorations. The teams relayed on a 100 dogs to run . Seppala had taken the shortcut across the Sound several times in his career; a less-experienced musher was likelier to lose not only his life and the lives of his dogs, but also the urgently needed serum. Subsequently he Father of Private. The polar night also meant that there were limited hours of daylight to fly. pampered, comfortable retirement. Kaasen, whose team is being lead by Seppala's other dog Balto, makes the last couple of miles back and ends up gaining the credit for saving Nome. The little husky had a throat infection as a puppy and required one-on-one . Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. [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. (Victory at this race had Leonhard Seppala Popularity . claim-jumpers. He lived in Seattle until his 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. Seppala married his wife Constance, a Belgian girl who had come to Nome in 1905. In 1916 the Nome Kennel Early on, it was believed that the individual attention led to his rowdiness and mischievous behavior. Togo He was by many reasonable accounts, the greatest musher of all time! He crossed Norton Sound without incident. [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. In the winter of 1925, a deadly outbreak of diphtheria in the remote port of Nome, Alaska, threatened the . Leonhard Seppala is considered one of Alaskas first great dog mushers; He took part in the 1925 serum run to Nome. Seppala initially followed in his father's footsteps as both a blacksmith and a fisherman. [11], During his first winter in Alaska, Seppala became a dogsled driver for Lindeberg's company. of Harry R. Wheeler, the owner of Grey Rocks Inn. Dallas Seavey. Lygenfjrd, Norway -- 600 miles north of the But in 1899, when a friend of Leonhard Seppala returned to Norway, rich from the goldfields of Alaska, the lure of wealth and adventure was just too much for the twenty-two-year-old smithy to overcome and before long he was on his way to the new world. due to their size, which was only half that of typical Alaskan sleddogs of the Kennels, which operated until 1950. Jeff King. Seppala's direct involvement with the breed that now bears This seems to be exaggerated a bit for the film. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. his dogs, so unbelievable was the performance of the Siberian dog teams By the time Seppala arrives at home, Togo has been moved to the lead position, and Seppala is marveling at Togos speed. 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. Leonhard did farm work, keeping the family homestead going while Leonhard Seppala is the protagonist in the 2019 film Togo. And while the suspense in the movie is more than adequate, Seppala described even more danger. Dog Musher #11. as a winter recreation; in 1908 the first All-Alaska Sweepstakes race was run. Seppala continued to import, breed, and train Leonhard Seppala was born in the Year of the Ox. Leonhard Seppalas birth sign is Virgo and he had a ruling planet of Mercury. I have it here!". Categories: Notables | Nome City Cemetery, Nome, Nome Census Area, Alaska, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. The trail here was exposed and the steep grade grueling for the dogs, who were sleep-deprived and had already raced 260 miles (420km) over the previous 4.5 days. Car, train, or group tour. A few also suffered frostbite. Seppala's section of trail featured a dangerous shortcut across Norton Sound, which could save a full day of travel. Seppala had not abandoned his mining career with his tour of the U.S.A. After Let us simplify it for you, How much does an Alaska summer vacation cost? We will continue to update information on Leonhard Seppalas parents. Togo jumped into the water, clambered back out, wrapped the rope around his body, and pulled. Most Popular #186407. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. As a puppy, he is a runt with little more than a fighting spirit and the endorsement of Seppalas wife, Constance (Julianne Nicholson). He was born in Skibotn, Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, in the summer of 1877. The safer alternative was twice as far. Seppala is based on the real person of the same name. The real-life Leonhard Seppala Occupation Sepp states that the Serum Drive was Togo's last long run, and that 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. When Amundsen cancelled his trip a few weeks after the puppies arrived in Nome, Lindeberg gave them to Seppala. It had happened to others. In 1900 Sepp succumbed to the lure of gold; on the 14th June he arrived (Recovered from my old site: written apr. His friend Jafet Lindeberg had returned from Alaska and convinced Seppala to come to work for his mining company in Nome. have gone anywhere without the Poland Spring dogs and the sleddogs of A relay of 20 sled dog teams then traveled a distance of 674 miles from Nenana to Nome. He was best known for being a Dog Musher. In the movie, Leonhard Seppala is depicted as a stoic, hardscrabble Norwegian whose demeanor is in direct contrast to that of his softhearted Belgian wife. Leonhard Seppala was born in Norway. started the first historic 'Seppala Kennels' in Poland Spring in partnership Like many famous people and celebrities, Leonhard Seppala kept his personal life private. He began to go in his Memorials 68 added (7% photographed). (Other relay teams involved in the delivery In 1925 when a diphtheria outbreak caught everyone off guard, Seppala was approached to take Togo and his sled dogs out towards Nenana and back to Nome with a serum. He and his wife lived in Seattle until his death at the age of 89. The only treatment available in 1925 was diphtheria antitoxin serum. His telegram is pictured below. and then in the Fairbanks gold fields until his departure from Alaska in After the Serum Run, Seppala and some 40 of his dogs toured the "lower 48" with an Eskimo handler. These three wins made himself and his Siberian Huskies famous. had constant problems with claim-jumpers and shyster lawyers, all of whom 7-10 days is the most common. Yes. Which one is right for you? Poland Spring event three years running. decided to give it a try, but was appalled on his dogsled trip to Ruby His team, led by Balto, ran the last 53 miles in the Serum Run. No passable winter roads. a powerful boost to the early days of sleddog sport in New England. The only way in, then and now, after the snow flies, is by plane. She too was at risk of being stricken with diphtheria. So, as politicians are apt to do, the Governor complicated the plan to include some 20 teams and mushers in performing a relay. Dog Mushers. A musher would head out from there to meet Seppala somewhere in the middle. mongrels were the best way to travel in this frozen tundra. They were survived by their daughter, Sigrid Hanks. [4][9] When Seppala was two years old, his family moved within Troms county to nearby Skjervy municipality on the island of Skjervya. Neither he nor his canine freight leader, Suggen, knew the dangerous trail, and when a blizzard suddenly descended on the area during the race, Seppala realized his young dogs had lost the trail and they were all at great risk of death due to the nearby drop-off to the Bering Sea. Once more details are available, we will update this section. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. travel at most.). driver bribed by gamblings interests; at such odds, had the team won the race Leonhards education details are not available at this time. He then bought a house near Seattle, where many other Norwegians Wikipedia contributors, "Leonhard Seppala," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. This was possibly filmed in Chatanika, Alaska. Seppala became the crucial figure in the delivery by dogsled of a This membrane (visible below over a patient's tonsils) covers healthy tissues in the throat, nose, tonsils and voice box, causing a croup-like cough, as well as severe difficulty breathing and swallowing. Seppala and his wife returned to Alaska in the mid-thirties, and then after retirement moved to Seattle, Washington. His tour finished in the State of Maine in 1927 with a challenge race in Seppala didn't start out working with dogs, though. females and puppies, about fifteen dogs in all. Seppala and Swedish Lapland Leonhard Seppala, born 1877, would during those days go from being a good musher and just another hard-working blue-collar man to being the most famous dog-team driver in the world. Nome was, as it is today, completely closed to the outside world. However, in 1900, he emigrated to Alaska during the Nome gold rush. It ranged from rough hills of smashed-together ice to slippery "glare ice" polished by the wind, where it was difficult for the dogs to get a foothold. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". worked as a ranger for U.S. Mining and Melting Company, first in Nome fast teams; none of the Nome mushers wanted to accept the challenge. The only planes they had were water-cooled aircraft from World War I, which didn't perform well in cold weather. Sled dog breeder In real life, Leonhard Seppala also had a daughter named Sigrid who was one of the children at risk for catching diphtheria. Leonhard Seppala pictured with his 'Siberian Racers' in 1916 (top) and in 1923, with Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. the dogs in Liz Ricker's care. The dogs who play Togo throughout the film often needed to be colored to match Diesel, the adult Togo. While most drivers considered 30 miles (48km) a long run, Seppala travelled between 50 miles (80km) and 100 miles (160km) most days. father's fishing boat the "Leviathan" at the age of twelve, and Both are buried in Nome, Alaska. It was there they rested and slept for six hours before continuing their journey at 2 a.m., heading into another bad storm. Nome, Alaska Mayor George Maynard (Christopher Heyerdahl), who is also the publisher of local newspaper the Nome Nugget, and the town doctor, Curtis Welch (Richard Dormer), gather the important-looking men of the town in a saloon. LEONHARD SEPPALA WAS BORN in Skibotn, 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. It was decided that he was the most qualified of the relay mushers to attempt this shortcut. the resort in 1931 she met Kaare Nansen, the son of Norwegian explorer Seppala said, Ive always said that this buzzard was the reason why I started sled dog racing. death on the 28th of January 1967 at the age of ninety. Source. In Seppalas account, as summarized in The Cruelest Miles, the tow rope connecting Togo and the rest of the team on the floe snapped, and the end of the rope fell into the water. Seppala had immigrated to Alaska from Norway when his friend Jafet Lindeberg convinced him to come work for the mining company he started in Nome. Seppala became interested in dog sledding during his first winter in Alaska when he became a sled dog driver for Lindeberg's company. He transferred the serum over to the next musher as he was instructed. Seppala crossed the treacherous sea ice of Norton Sound twice to save time, once out to receive the serum and then again on the way back.. just what happened (rumours say that Seppala ran up a hotel bill at the Thank you! Lindeberg convinced Seppala to come work for his Pioneer Mining Company. While only black and white photos exist of Togo when he was alive, Leonhard Seppala had him custom mounted after his death at age 16. Togo eventually passes away with Seppala reminiscing on the loyalty of a well trained dog. Leonhard Seppala with his dog Togo and Willem Dafoe in. As the puppy grew up, he became more and more excitable and messy, infuriating Seppala who wanted nothing to do with it. Each year until 1897 he went to the Finnmark Eventually Sepp got his chance to go prospecting for the company. Constance Seppala (wife) He and his 10 dog team + Togo, the Lead and the HERO ran 264 miles. Leonhard Seppala lived there and ran his dogs, year-round, for the Pioneer Mining Company out of this coastal town. around 1899. Fridtjof Nansen, and very shortly thereafter married him and left North At the age of twenty he went to the city of 12.5K subscribers 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.. [1]:68, Seppala made the decision to compete in his first race, the 1914 All Alaska Sweepstakes, at the last minute. Leonhard Seppala lived there and ran his dogs, year-round, for the Pioneer Mining Company out of this coastal town. Sign-up for any of the following email series to help plan your Alaska trip. And Togo has many behavioral issues: Hes magnetically drawn to Seppala, such that he successfully defies any of Seppalas attempts to pen him up or give him up for adoption. 2004). IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Your donation in any amount will help us continue important preservation work. Highlights plus less visited destinations. Togo was Seppalas favorite, and the musher often depended on Togos instincts and sense of smell when his own vision failed him. many of these races Liz Ricker raced the second team and often came in right with its endless mounds of gravel to be shoveled, he was very fit. Use tab to navigate through the menu items.
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