Father of the Iditarod

Joe Redington, Sr., born in Oklahoma on February 1, 1917, and died in Alaska on June 24, 1999, was a homesteader, big-game guide, bush pilot, commercial fisherman, boat builder, fish-plant manager, and mountain climber, but above all he loved dogs and dog mushing. After serving in the Army during World War II, he came to Alaska in 1948 to homestead and established Knik Kennels. Until 1966, he and his dog teams performed search-and-rescue and reclamation work for the Army. In 1979, he mushed a dog team to the summit of Mt. McKinley and showed the world what dogs could do. His interest in the old mail route known as the Iditarod Trail led to its declaration as a National Historic Trail, and he was the driving force behind the creation of the first Iditarod Trail sled dog Race in 1973, fighting to keep the event alive through its most difficult years. Through his tenacity, the Iditarod became a thriving, world-renowned event that continues to this day, and he is remembered as the Father of the Iditarod.

Wasilla, Alaska · United States