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| Below: Northern Lights
RV Park is just outside of Dawson Creek. It had dirt and gravel roads and
sites, satellite TV channels 3-14, free Wi-Fi, and 30 and 50 amp level pull-throughs
with full hook-ups. No washing of rigs or toads in sites, and no generators
allowed to run. |
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| Below: Dawson Creek
is known as Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. It is located
between 4 highways: Alaska Highway 97 North; John Hart Highway 97 South;
Highway 2 and Highway 49 to Alberta. The City is named after George Mercer
Dawson, a 19th century railroad surveyor, geologist and anthropologist that
was one of the very first white men to travel through the area. |
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| Below: A Pioneer
Surveyor Statue - a scrap iron sculpture pointing the way to Alaska. Surveyors
were the first stage of the road, setting out the path for construction
crews. The statue's garments and equipment are authentic to the 40's era. |
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| Below: Mile 0 Post:
Designated by local artist, Ellis Gislasson for the Jaycees Junior Chamber
of Commerce, the Mile 0 Post has become one of the most photographed markers
on the Alaska Highway. The first wooden Mile 0 Post was stolen by Halloween
pranksters and replaced with an outhouse. This post is metal and is bolted
into place. |
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Below: A few of the SIGNS
ON LIGHTPOLES IN DAWSON CREEK |
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| HISTORY: Explosion
block - Supper time February 13, 1943, a fire ignited 60 cases of dynamite
causing an explosion that rocked the area, destroyed the block and shattered
most of the windows in town. Five confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries,
and a loss of $350,000 (1940 wartime dollars) for the buildings destroyed. |
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When the Alaska
Hotel (Dew Drop Inn) was built in 1933, it was a 6-room hotel with a lobby
and cafe. In 1942, the Inn became licensed to sell alcohol. The 1940's
beer parlor was so busy that lines stretched around the building and customers
were allowed in for a drink and then forced to go out to the end of the
line. Today it holds the distinction of being the same type of business
occupying the same building for the longest period. |
| Below: Blue Bird
Hotel was one of 3 hotels in town in 1934. It was reminiscent of the many
small operations established by Chinese immigrants in prairie towns during
the era of the west being opened up. The original building is still in use
and is part of the Mile 0 Hotel |
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Below:
Murals on Memory Lane allows visitors to wander back in time to the Dawson
Creek of the 1930's and 1940's. |
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The 5¢ to $1 Store was established in
the early 1930's and sold many varieties of dry goods. Shown in the window
are gum balls and toys. In 1942, in preparation of the troops arriving,
this building became the U.S. Army Quartermaster staff headquarters. |
The mural
image of the moose depicted in the livery stable of the Central Livery
Barn below evolves from an event from 1930's Dawson Creek folk lore. The
moose caused a lot of excitement the day it wandered into town. The moose
was discovered in the livery stable where he was contentedly munching
the grain from the stable floor, and flirting with the mares. By mistake,
someone locked the critter in. After being set free that evening, the
moose casually wandered away. |
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Halverson's Beauty Salon's original building
still stands on its location at 925-103 Avenue and it is still a hairdressing
shop. The outlet was established in 1945 by Anne Halverson and remained
open for business until 1982. Anne was also well-known for her fabulous
pioneer outfits that she wore during Bonanza Days (now Dawson Creek's Fall
Fair & Rodeo) and other occasions. Because of her superb attire, someone
nick-named her Bonanza Bonnie and it stuck. |
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| Below: At the end
of the above alley is the main street of Dawson Creek as it was in 1946.
Many of these original buildings (although renovated) are
becoming permanent fixtures on Dawson Creek's downtown street scene. The
Mile 0 Post of today is slightly different than the post shown in the mural.
The flags of the City of Dawson Creek, the Province of British Columbia
and Canada have been fastened to the top of the post; and another Alaskan
City, Delta Junction and its distance from Dawson Creek has been acknowledged. |
| Notice how neatly they painted the pole
and wire to match the mural. |
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| These murals depict
scenes of the construction of the Alaska Highway (1942) and show the formidable
terrain that met the men and machines building the highway. After 8 months
of construction, the road was officially opened on November 20, 1942 at
Soldiers' Summit near Kluane Lake in the Yukon. The ceremony was called
the Sharing of the Golden Scissors. Engraved gold scissors were
used to cut a red, white and blue ribbon to open the road. Then the scissors
were broken apart; one blade went to the American President and the other
went to the Canadian Prime Minister. |
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The mural map is part of the Alaska Highway
Park Mural that is a pictorial view of life on the Alaskan Highway. The
map is of the original route of the Alaska Highway that has some locations
that no longer exist. |
A mural giving a glimpse
into some memorabilia of a soldier's life.
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 Two
REAL dogs driving a Winnebago ?? LOL
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