Searching For Fannie Quigley

2008 WILLA Literary Awards finalist At the age of 27, Fannie Sedlacek left her Bohemian homestead in Nebraska to join the gold rush to the Klondike. From the Klondike to the Tanana, Fannie continued north, finally settling in Katishna near Mount McKinley. This woman, later known as Fannie Quigley, became a prospector who staked her own claims and a cook who ran a roadhouse. She hunted and trapped and thrived for nearly forty years in an environment that others found unbearable. Her wilderness lifestyle inspired many of those who met her to record their impressions of this self-sufficient woman, who died in 1944. To many of the 700,000 annual visitors to Denali National Park she is a symbol of the enduring spirit of the original pioneers. Searching for Fannie Quigley: A Wilderness Life in the Shadow of Mount McKinley goes beyond the mere biographical facts of this unique woman’s journey. It also tells historian Jane G. Haigh’s own story of tracking and tracing the many paths that Fannie Quigley’s intriguing life took. Uncovering remote clues, digging through archives, and listening to oral accounts from a wide array of sources, Haigh has fashioned this rich lode into a compelling narrative. In Searching for Fannie Quigley, Haigh separates fact from fiction to reveal the true story of this highly mythologized pioneer woman.

In May 1891, Joe Quigley embarked on a journey north to try his luck prospecting for gold in Alaska. Although he had been wandering across America since leaving home at 15, this would be the biggest adventure, and the biggest risk, Quigley had ever taken. A project that began as genealogical research into a family's history, this biography traces the life of a fascinating character before, during and after the great Klondike gold rush. Deeply researched, including quotes from Quigley and numerous photographs, this book is more than another tale of the Klondike Gold Rush. It is an intimate look at the inspiring life of a pioneer prospector, who witnessed the exploration and development of one of America's most harsh, beautiful and captivating landscapes.

Born in Washington in 1917, Ginny Hill Wood served as a Women's Airforce Service pilot in World War II and flew a military surplus airplane to Alaska in 1946. Settling in Fairbanks, she went on to cofound Camp Denali, Alaska's first wilderness ecotourism lodge. This title presents an oral history of Ginny Hill Wood.

Czech it Out: Czech American Biography Sourcebook provides a wealth of information on a variety of sources relating to biographical information on notable Americans with Czech roots. Besides the national figures, also included are information sources on significant individuals at the state, regional, and local levels. Beyond that, we saw it fit to also incorporate ethnic information sources, which frequently contain a wealth of information on pioneer settlers and individuals active at the community level. Having in mind the interests of genealogists in individual families and their descendents, a listing has also been provided on family histories and genealogies. Even though Czechs have been living in the US practically since colonial times, no composite biographical dictionary exists about the accomplished Czech Americans. Biographical information about them is scattered in a plethora of sources, which are difficult to find and some are not readily accessible. The present author, who, literally, devoted several decades of his life to the study of Czech-American history, has canvassed hundreds of sources at national and local levels to identify, not only notable individuals but also pioneer settlers who played a significant role in the growth and development of the US. This publication should fill a great void in literature until a comprehensive biographical compendium about Czech Americans has been written.

This is a comprehensive history of immigrants from the historic lands of the Bohemian Crown and its successor states, including Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, based on the painstaking lifetime research of the author. The reader will find lots of new information in this book that is not available elsewhere. The title of the book comes from a popular song of the famous Czech artistic duo, Voskovec and Werich, who described America in those words when they lived here, reflecting on their love for this country. It covers the period starting soon after the discovery of the New World to date. The emphasis is on the US, although Canada and Latin America are also covered. It covers the arrival and the settlement of the immigrants in various states and regions of America, their harsh beginnings, the establishment of their communities, and their organization. A separate section is devoted to the contributions of notable individuals in different areas of human endeavor, including Bohemians, Moravians, Bohemian Jews, and the Slovaks. These people excelled in just about every facet of human undertaking. Even though a total number of these immigrants were fewer than other ethnic groups, their accomplishments were phenomenal. Nothing like this has ever been published since the time Thomas Capek wrote his classic The Cechs (Bohemians) in America some one hundred years ago.

CLICK HERE to download the first chapter from Denali National Park (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) "The beauty of Sherwonit's writing style is not flash, but rather a subtlety that renders him nearly invisible. A journalist by trade, he demonstrates considerable skill in blending voluminous historical detail into highly readable prose." —Climbing magazine * Part history, part field guide, and part recreation tool, this is an up-to-date and comprehensive guidebook for Denali—one of the nation's most beloved national parks * Includes checklists for wildlife watching and details on winter fun Denali National Park: The Complete Visitors Guide to the Mountain, Wildlife, and Year-Round Outdoor Activities is the most comprehensive guide to one of North America's most wild and varied places. This authoritative reference to Denali National Park and adjacent lands details all the information a traveler needs for a great Alaska experience, whether by bus, car, train, bike, boat, or foot. With this guide in hand you can explore the park's visitor facilities, raft whitewater rapids, pick berries, climb the continent's highest mountain, backpack through forest and tundra, watch grizzlies dig for ground squirrels, share a ridgetop with Dall sheep, attend sled-dog demonstrations, go on ranger-guided hikes, camp in solitude within glacially carved valleys, and much more. From the natural history of the region to the human history of the mountain and the park, Alaskan author Bill Sherwonit captures the mystique of this fascinating place. Even casual travelers to Denali National Park will appreciate his in-depth information about the park's popular entrance area and traveling the Park Road, and the helpful checklists for mammals, birds, and plants.

Denali means The High One in Athabascan. Standing at 20,237 feet, Denali is the tallest mountain in North America and has roughly 14,000 feet of vertical relief from base camp to summitmore even than Mount Everest. While native populations had lived within the boundaries of todays Denali National Park and Preserve for over 7,000 years, white settlers only arrived en masse starting in the 1890s. When they did arrive, it was to chase after Denalis abundant game supply and placer gold in the Kantishna mining area. Only a handful of renegades made attempts on the peak at the turn of the century. Setting off with two thermoses of hot chocolate and six donutsand a 14-foot spruce pole to set on the summitthe Sourdough Expedition reached the mountains north peak in 1910. Today, Denali draws over a thousand climbers each year, and the park provides a safe haven for wildlife and a beautiful natural playground for other backpackers and explorers.