SAVE THE ROADHOUSE

As recent visitors well know, erosion along the banks of the Tanana is threatening to sweep Roadhouse into the river. Urgent efforts are underway to plan, fund, and implement measures to preserve this irreplaceable piece of history. Options for stabilizing the bank and moving the roadhouse out of the danger zone are being explored with the help of hydrologists, engineers and experts in historical preservation. Respecting that the river will do what it will, we are committed to working towards saving this legacy. 

Saving the Roadhouse will likely be a multi-phase project, spanning the next few years. It will take a coordinated effort, and consistent support will be needed through each phase. Since its restoration in the early 1980s, the Roadhouse has developed a community around it – from people who travel the interior trails in the winter or the river in the summer, to folks who appreciate the unique role this landmark has played in the history of Alaska, from the establishment of mail routes to otherwise inaccessible villages, to supply lines for the gold rushes that laid the groundwork for the Alaska we know today, to the legacy of the Serum Run and the values it represents; community, solidarity, sacrifice and hope. The unique reality of this place is that it holds all of that deep history, and continues to play a active, lifesaving role as an emergency shelter for travelers in one of the last, vast wildernesses of this country – a legacy reflected in the logbook where those stories are told in real-time. 

Please join this community by signing up for our mailing list. We will keep you up to date on progress and current needs throughout this journey. We will need help in many ways, from sourcing experts, writing grants, fundraising, and recruiting boots-on-the-ground once a plan is in place. Sign up to stay in touch, and become a part of this legacy. I hope you will join me to preserve this priceless piece of Alaskan history.

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