| Summary: | The Norwegian dog-musher Leonard Seppala participated in a myriad of races in Alaska and later in the Lower Forty-Eight and was active in the Nome Kennel Club from its inception in 1908. Working with Russians and Canadians, Seppala was also involved in the breeding of sled dogs and the attempt to maintain the traits of the original Siberian Huskies. However, it is the legendary serum run to Nome for which Seppala is best known. The town of Nome, Alaska was experiencing a diphtheria epidemic in the winter of 1925 and had dog sledding as the only form of transportation available. Seppala and other mushers relayed the serum to Nome from Nenana in 129.5 hours. After the famous serum run, Seppala toured the U.S. and participated in dog sled races in the lower forty-eight for several years. Seppala stayed in Nome and worked in the mining industry for many years until his retirement in 1946 when he and his wife moved to the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle. This photograph shows Leonhard Seppala with three of his sled dogs. The dog on the right is Fritz, a cream colored Siberian Husky born in 1915. At the time this photo was taken, Seppala and fourteen of his dogs were about to return to Nome, Alaska after their nationwide tour in late 1926, and after participating in some of the New England dog team races in early 1927. Seppala and his dogs arrived in Seattle on March 24 and left on March 30 aboard the Pacific Steamship Company liner Admiral Watson. Caption information sources: Nome Kennel Club History web site; Leonard Seppala: the musher legend from Norway web site. Lance Jensen email communication, 2012 Date photograph was filed at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (date of photograph and file date may differ by a month or more): April 13, 1927 1 glass negative: b&w; 4 x 5 in.
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