Alaska Highway history you may not have heard
In 1964, from June through September I worked on the Penalty Ranch across the Peace River from Fort St. John . I went back a few times in subsequent years. The man who owned the ranch, René Dhenin had come to the country from Southern Alberta in the 1920s and was a packer, guide, freighter, horse trainer and cattlemen in the area well into the 1990s. This year, 2017, is the 75 th anniversary of the beginning of construction of the Alaska Highway . Although he had already been a guide for several years René was not involved in the initial trail blazing and the following rhyme explains why. The concept of a land route from the “lower 48” states to Alaska had been around for several years. There where three routes in strong contention. Where the Mackenzie Highway is today was one choice, from Peace River town up through Hay River in the North West Territories then west through the Yukon . A much better idea was where the Alcan actually is, from Dawson Creek , BC , nort...