Jack of all Trades

John Hajdukovich, a sourdough and frontiersman, shaped the people and land of the Upper Tanana River Valley through nearly sixty years of work in the region. After leaving Montenegro, Yugoslavia, to seek his fortune in Alaska, he arrived at Big Delta in the fall of 1906 and went on to become influential in the area's development. Over the course of his life he worked not only as a miner, but also as a roadhouse operator, trader, contractor, U.S. Commissioner, big game hunting guide, Alaska Game Commissioner, and sawmill owner. He joined prospectors at a gold discovery site on the Goodpaster River, ran the McCarty Trading Post and Roadhouse and the ferry at Big Delta, mined at Jarvis Creek, established trading posts and caches between Big Delta and Nabesna, improved the trail from Big Delta to Tanacross, petitioned the government to ship bison to Big Delta, helped Chief Peter Joe establish the Tetlin Reservation, and during World War II partnered with Louis Grimsmore to supply lumber for construction of the Big Delta Army Airfield and Alcan Highway. He staked his last claim in 1951 on Morning Star Creek, and the Coal Mine Road he built to reach it remains in use. In his later years he spent more time at Rika's Roadhouse, where his knowledge of the area made his advice invaluable to newcomers.

Big Delta, Alaska · United States