THE TOPIC OF Seppala Siberian Sleddog history is a huge one! The definitive history of these wonderful working dogs has yet to be written, although there have been some efforts to cover at least parts of the field. Until the day when someone writes a comprehensive breed book about Seppalas, with a large, thoroughly-researched history section, interested fanciers must pick up their historical knowledge a bit at a time from a variety of scattered sources. Here are a few of the more obvious and easily-accessed ones to start you off. Bear in mind that these sources must be read critically, with the viewpoint and prejudices of each one kept firmly in mind!
"Seppala -- Alaskan Dog Driver" by Elizabeth M. Ricker (1930, Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company; reprinted 1981, Arvada, CO: Hoflin Publishing Ltd.) 295 pages, illustrated with photo plates, a good account of Leonhard Seppala's career as a dog driver through the 1935 Nome Serum Run, written by his partner in the Poland Spring, ME, kennel operation.
"The Siberian Husky" by Raymond M. Thompson and Louise Foley (1962, Washington: Raymond Thompson Press) a praiseworthy attempt to discover the true facts of Siberian sleddog origins by examination of Siberian expeditionary records from the turn of the century.
"The Seppala Siberian -- A Breeder's Manual" by J. Jeffrey Bragg (1976, Vicksburg, MS: Self-published) Breeding history of the pure Seppala strain from the 1930s through 1975. This out-of-print booklet sets forth the breeding standard, ancestry requirements, and exhaustive pedigree information used in the 1970s Markovo rescue of Seppala strain.
"The Seppala Siberian" by Douglas W. Willett (1986, Viola, ID: Heritage North Press) this 115-page, photo illustrated, spiral-bound booklet contains a good deal of basic Seppala history along with information on mainstream racing Siberian Husky bloodlines (nearly all of which owe a great deal to Seppala lineage influence). It is very weak on the Markovo and immediate post-Markovo periods, though, giving a confused and patchy account that leaves out many crucial players.
"International Siberian Husky Club, Inc. presents The Siberian Husky" third edition, Eds. Thomas, Stead and Wolfe (1994, Elkhorn, WI: International Siberian Husky Club, Inc.) This is a major source for accounts of several major historic Seppala kennels. Pages 3 through 32 of the "History Section" of this paperbound breed book contain good basic capsule summary articles including:
Eighty-Five Years Ago - by Louise Foley
The Siberian Dog - by Irving Reed
The Serum Run of 1925 -- Togo and Balto - by Bob Thomas
Seppala Arrives in New England - by Bob Thomas
Seppala/Ricker Kennel 1927-1931 - by Bob Thomas
Elizabeth "Peg" Miller Ricker Nansen - by Elsie Chadwick
Harry Wheeler Kennel - by Bob Thomas
Belford Kennel - by Bob Thomas
Foxstand - by Bob Thomas
Cold River Kennels - by Bob Thomas
"International Siberian Husky Club, Inc. presents The Siberian Husky" second edition, Eds. Arnett and Hills (1977, Estacada, OR: International Siberian Husky Club) This out of print paperbound booklet contains the following articles of interest on pages 1 through 15:
Norwegian from Alaska - by Linda Arnett, D. McLeod and Peggy Olsen
A Personal Glimpse...Notes from Leonhard Seppala and His Daughter - by Sigrid Seppala Hanks
Rememberances - by Leonhard Seppala
