Chicken, AK

       

                                       

Tuesday, July 14 the Top of the World Highway took us to Chicken, a small frontier town in the late 1800’s, which has maintained that frontier charm over the years by choice. Early miners in 1886 wanted to name the town ptarmigan, but were unable to spell it so they settled instead for “Chicken,” which is the name in the North for ptarmigan.  As a result of this choice, Chicken, AK is the place to find various chicken items. 

Chicken remains a gold-mining town where most of the gold items for sale are locally mined at the 40 Mile Mining District, of which Chicken is the center. 

Dredge  for Gold in Chicken

Chicken is also well-known as the home of the late Anne Hobbs Purdy, whose story is told in her book, Tisha.  Ann came to Chicken at the age of 19 from Kansas and was determined to teach in the little town of Chicken.  She endured many obstacles but nothing made her give up and quit. Her dedication to teach all children, both white and Indian, drove her to extreme sacrifice. Her popularity fell and she became an outcast, but she never wavered from her decision.  Tisha is a book all teachers should read. 

The building in the background is a picture of the school.

Small businesses provide plenty of entertainment, food, and lodging for many tourists who travel through the town on the Top of the World Highway.  Enjoy some pictures below:

Our two-day visit to Chicken was enjoyable but we were without some of our expected conveniences such as WI-FI, water, sewage, power and paved roads.  But we managed to survive and were ready to leave on July 16.

Sunset in Chicken  AK at 2:00 AM
Land of the Mid-Night Sun

On a sad note, while we were in Chicken, we received word that our dear friend and my high school classmate, Ron Wilson, passed away after an extended illness.  We grieved alone since we were 5,000+ miles away.  Ron was a special friend to many, a loving husband to his wife and classmate, Linda Lovelace Wilson, a great father to two sons, and a proud granddad to two beautiful grandchildren.  Ron will surely be missed.