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Reader, This book is a collection of letter’s detailing our first building season in the Slana Homestead Settlement. Enjoy!
Please embrace this work with the knowledge that we are touching souls and sharing the eternity of love.
Print - Read - Enjoy
Introduction
May 3rd 1903, the Homestead Act of 1897 is extended to Alaska for a period of 99 years. Then in 1983 the last Federal Government homestead land is offered in Slana Alaska, 20,000 acres are opened to public staking. Hundreds of would-be settlers from across the U.S. make their way to the Slana area, to stake a claim and try their luck on the land. Reality, winter, countless rigors and challenges weed out the crowd, leaving a determined community of modern day pioneers to build a page in Alaskan history.
The Larson's sailed north the spring of 1986, aboard the Alaska State Ferry MV Malispina. Crossed the mountains from Haines Alaska to the interior towing 3600 pounds of food and equipment, and arrived at the frozen Slana River landing on the 25th day of March 1986. Three days later the temperature plummeted to minus -40 below zero and stayed there for two weeks. Survival in their 18 foot Tee-Pee depended entirely on the ability to keep the small wood burning stove fed. It was a Far-North Welcome that set the pace for a decade of
Adventure
Homesteading the 19-90’s
The following letters offer a glimpse of daily life for one young family in the Alaska Bush. Like their pioneer ancestors they came with what they could carry and made due with what they found, hard work, and determination to follow a dream. Each letter is RAW un-edited material as written at the time. They reflect the ideas and emotions of experience as it happened.
This printing covers our first season on the land, if there is sufficient interest, I will be motivated to commit the remaining shoe box full of material to PDF print. A small black and white picture gallery is included.
(Hovercraft on Grayling Lake 1994)
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©Bruce Larson*Moore
Rainbow Brain Productions