 At the Willow Winter Carnival, Dorothy G. Page and Joe Redington
Sr. had a conversation that helped revive and reenergize the sport of mushing in
Alaska. Their conversation also would lead, years later, to the 1049 mile
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome. For her role as "mother" of
the Iditarod and for all her later contributions to the race before her death in
1989 at age 68, Dorothy Page was chosen as the Honorary Musher for Iditarod
25.
A self-described history buff, Page saw her first sled dog race in 1960,
shortly after moving to Alaska from New Mexico. Six years later, she was
named president of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee. Her primary task was
to organize an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America's purchase of
Alaska from Russia. She decided to state "a spectacular dog race to wake
Alaskans up to what mushers and their dogs had done for Alaska".
The Iditarod trail seemed ideal for such an event. It was, after
all, a famous route used by mushers during the Gold Rush years. It passed
through both Knik and Wasilla, which would bring the race closer to home. There
was only one problem, but it was a big one - no dog driver would back the idea.
Then Page crossed paths with Redington at the Willow carnival. Joe Sr. future
"father" of the Iditarod, loved the idea. In February 1967, an all-star field of
58 mushers competed in the 50 mile Iditarod Trail Seppala Memorial Race which
was run in two 25 mile heats.
Public enthusiasm for an Iditarod Trail Race waned soon after,
though the dream would be kept alive by Redington. Though hardly anyone believed
it would succeed, a thousand mile race from Anchorage to Nome along the Iditarod
Trail, was staged in 1973 to much second-guessing.
Now, years after that first 50-mile centennial race, the Iditarod
has grown into Alaska's greatest sporting spectacle, known around the world as
"The Last Great Race on Earth".
Besides her role in founding the Iditarod Race, Page later would
help to form both the Iditarod Trail Committee and the Musher's Hall of Fame (in
the Knik Museum). From 1973 to 1989, she wrote, edited, and published the
Iditarod's annual race program, and edited the race's news magazine, the Iditarod
Runner. She also was a longtime member of the Alaska Press Women.
Besides all her Iditarod work and writing, Page also found time to
be active in Mat-Su Borough politics. She served four terms on the Wasilla City
Council, was elected Mayor for two years (1986-1987) and also was on Wasilla's
Republican Committee for many years. An active volunteer, Page served on
Wasilla's library board for many years, was president of the Wasilla-Knik-Willow
Creek Historical Society and worked as curator of the Wasilla and Knik
Museums.
For all her many interests, Page is likely to be remembered most
for her connection to the Iditarod, though she never was a musher. Dorothy died
November 16, 1989. After her death the Wasilla Museum was renamed the Dorothy G.
Page Museum in memory of her.
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