Episode1 Chapter 2: Alaska Author Ron Walden … Influences of the Silver Valley, so that’s where the heck he came from © Ugly Moose AK

Episode1 Chapter 2: Alaska Author Ron Walden … Influences of the Silver Valley, so that’s where the heck he came from © Ugly Moose AK

Welcome to The Wisdom of the Donut Hole, where we dig into backdrops, characters and plots of more than a dozen books from Ron Walden: Author of True to Life Alaska Crime & Other Alaska Stories.

I’m your host, Scott Walden. And yes, Ron Walden is my dad. Wanted to clear up any confusion caused by my narration last episode, where I spoke as narrator then as Ron being my dad. Either way, he’s my dad. And I’m proud of him.

I too, grew up in the Silver Valley. Experienced those Walden Grocery Christmases, the freedoms of living in such a wild place so full of history.

It was sad to see the area be devastated by an unmonitored industry, yet it’s been satisfying to see the transition to what it is today. A beautiful Place and good people.

I got an early start in the 1970s as a firefighter for Shoshone County District 2, in Kellogg. The Station had a brass fire pole from the upstairs dorm area that was used for many years, even after I left. Wasn’t unusual to slide down the pole, bunker up (put fire gear on), jump on the fire engine tailboard and finish buckling pants, suspenders and helmet on the road while the siren wailed.

The area still had a frontier feel to it.

Responded to many incidents in and around the mines and smelters mentioned in Ron’s bios. Responded to many friends and family that needed help with fires, accidents, rescues and medical responses. We even created a fire and arson investigation unit, trained and certified for the job.

Learned a lot pretty young. Proud to see the progress of the department. Beautiful Stations with dedicated, well-trained people. The Chief was gracious enough to allow me to display a career-long collection of fire engines and other memorabilia in the new Station next to Interstate 90, near the gondola.

My grandkids, great grandkids and now great-great grandkids can see them and know where they came from.

Around the start of the 80’s, when Superfund issues began to depress the area in so many ways, I also relocated to Alaska, worked in jails and seasonal law enforcement. I returned to firefighting as a member of the City of Kenai Fire Department, retiring after 20 plus years. Responded to structural, aircraft, industrial and HazMat incidents, conducted fire investigations, public education programs and provided emergency medical services.

I was fortunate to be involved in design and construction of a regional aircraft fire training center in Kenai in the 1990’s. Our department has a great history in establishing Statewide Fire Investigation Training and Certification Programs and Statewide Public Education Programs.

We built an impressive mobile Fire Safety House to provide multi-lingual information and fire safety training in English and for people speaking indigenous languages and Russian. It’s been used across Alaska. And we partnered with the first Safe Kids Child seat program, and many others.

I was ONE of many. Not the ONE that did all this. I retired as Kenai’s Fire Chief many years ago. I’m proud there’s an impressive group still there keeping the community safe.

In retirement I was humbled to be recruited to serve as Director of Emergency Management for the Kenai Peninsula Borough in South Central Alaska. More on that area in coming podcasts as it plays a large role in many of Ron’s books. Served under several mayors for about a decade, responding to and coordinating recovery and mitigating damages from numerous disasters.

Volcanic eruptions, tsunami warnings, earthquakes, floods, terrorist threats, weather emergencies and many manmade disasters are still real, seasonal probabilities.

Now, I’m one of those geezers from the old Moose is Loose Bakery that heads to Ron’s most mornings for coffee now-a-days.

It’s a bit embarrassing to talk about oneself like this. One of our sons says some listeners of the Podcast would like to know more about me. So that’s that.

A couple years ago, my dad Ron and I created Ugly Moose Alaska, better known as Ugly Moose AK, a little publishing company for his books. From that came this podcast about those books. We thought it was important to explain who Ron is and where he came from. Episode 1 Parts 1 and 2 do that. We’re learning together. Sincere thanks for your help as listeners.

Last episode we learned who Ron Walden is and for the first time, used the new “Wisdom of the Donut Hole Theme” written, performed and provided by Ray Lankford of Ron’s old home, Shoshone County Idaho.

This is The Wisdom of the Donut Hole Episode 1 Part 2. We call this one: “Idaho’s Silver Valley. So, that’s where the heck Ron came from!”

This podcast was always intended to be about Ron’s novels. And it will be.

He’s a technology-shy guy that loves donuts, friends, coffee and amazing almost true stories. The podcast’s name, The Wisdom of the Donut Hole, suggests a choice between pessimism and optimism. Ron has always chosen the latter. He’s referred to and recited the poem for decades as encouragement to appreciate what you have. It goes like this:

As you ramble through Life, Brother, Whatever be your goal.

Keep your eye upon the doughnut, And not upon the hole.

It’s Optimistic like Ron.

In this episode we’ll hear where Ron came from, with a stroll through Idaho’s Silver Valley and some of the area’s history; What it’s become since the Ron Era; and How he ended up in Alaska writing books.

Even the condensed story of Idaho’s Silver Valley is captivating. It has a unique beginning, a defeating collapse, a massive positive transformation and an amazing resurrection.

Historical figures explored here. American history was made here. The people of the Silver Valley proved they’re made of tough stuff. They never quit.

They found opportunities to succeed. Like Ron did. The Silver Valley’s historical influences are reflected in Ron’s stories, style and characters.

His sense of humor and optimism reflect where he came from... An area with a colorful history, with highlights found in this episode, including:

The Silver Valley’s hungry, unusual, accidental founding father. What a Jackass! Noah Kellogg and his jackass Bill.

An OK Corral connection amid Idaho’s Huckleberry patches. Wyatt Earp and brother Jim bring peace, roads and a circus tent to the first County Seat.

A kind-hearted Madam. Molly B’Damn, risks her life for others…more than once. She’s not forgotten.

An explosive collision between Industrialists and Workers Brings Boomtown Violence, Pinkerton Agents and Martial Law. Including the famous lawman, cowboy and undercover detective pioneer, Pinkerton Agent Charlie Siringo. Well-known cowboy from Texas, the famous Wild West lawman with an Alaska connection… Probably a result of his undercover success in Idaho, Siringo would be dispatched to the Treadwell Gold Mine in Douglas, Alaska near Juneau, due to similar mining strife. He went on to author many books about his adventurous life. All worth a read.

The Pacific Northwest’s Version of “Love Canal”. The Silver Valley earned the creepy moniker “Superfund Site”. A 2-edged sword that nearly destroyed the area before resurrecting it.

No longer a Garbage Pail Kid. The Valley’s reborn as a highly desirable recreational gold mine.

A story of resilience and recovery: Mines prosper again; Rivers run clear again; Mountains have trees again! And fog is now just…fog. No longer smelter smoke as in the days of Ron’s youth.

The “Rails to Trails” Program. Rises to recreational prominence with the Death of railroads and Birth of bike trails. And the longest gondola in North America takes recreation and tourism to a higher level.

All in this Episode! You’ll hear how it happened in the story of the Idaho stomping grounds of Alaska’s True to Life Crime author Ron Walden. And what became of North Idaho’s Silver Valley after he moved on.

Beginning next episode We’ll delve into his books, characters and plots. Some influenced by history he grew up around. All deeply Alaskan.

But right Now. Welcome to Kellogg, Idaho! In the heart of the Silver Valley! The “Historical Marker Database” claims to have Bite-Size Bits of Local, National and Global History. Historical Marker #290 is in Kellogg at the intersection of West Cameron and Bunker Avenues, less than a half mile from the site of Walden’s Grocery, Ron Walden’s family store.

That database and an October 2020, KTVB TV Boise report by Dani Allsop about Kellogg and Bill, are sources used here:

A prospector’s donkey stumbled upon what would become Bunker Hill Mine. That led to the founding of the City of Kellogg, a small town at the base of a Ski Area that probably wouldn’t have been founded, if not for the hungry jackass named Bill. In 1885, Noah Kellogg came to the area grubstaked by businessmen in Murray, Idaho with food and Bill the donkey. Bill wandered from camp one September night. Kellogg searched the wilderness a couple weeks looking for Bill.

Two miles South, in an area later called Wardner, he found Bill grazing on grass near an obvious lead-ore deposit of “galena”. Bill the jackass was dining atop what would become the world-famous Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mine, Founded by Noah Kellogg with partners Phil O’Rourke and Jim Wardner. Wardner became a partner mainly because his water claim was needed to mine Bunker Hill. He later founded Wardner, Idaho and Wardner, BC in Canada.

The City of Kellogg incorporated 22 years later. After a century producing tens of millions of tons of metals, Bunker Hill was forced to close in 1981, putting thousands out of work, decimating the tax base and leaving massive lead contamination areawide.

Bill's legacy lives on… 1967, Jackass Ski Bowl, named in honor of Bill, opened near the mine. 1973, Jackass went bankrupt, was sold and renamed Silverhorn. 1990, it changed names again, still known as Silver Mountain Resort.

The City of Kellogg holds true to its donkey discovered destiny. Its welcome sign, even Post Cards tout being founded by a jackass and still inhabited by his descendants. Noah Kellogg trekked from the County Seat of Murray to the Silver Valley to find less “prospected” areas. He may have bumped into Molly B’Damn; Maybe even the Earp brothers before leaving town with Bill.

Molly B’Damn in Murray, Idaho. A 2019 story by Milana Marsenich provides insight into Molly’s history. Show notes link the full article and other works by the author.

A Hero’s Acts. Molly B’Damn, was Idaho’s best-known Madam and local folk hero.

In 1884 she joined a pack train crossing Thompson Pass to Murray, Idaho during a blizzard. Part way over the Pass, she risked her life to help a mother and child struggling to keep up. She sat ‘em on her horse with her. Not dressed for the cold, Molly was concerned for their safety.

She found a rough shelter where she holed up with the mother and child, telling the pack train go on, she’d catch up in the morning. The pack train left, not expecting to see Molly, the mother or child again. Draped in Molly’s furs and warmest clothes, they huddled together to stay warm until the blizzard passed.

Next morning, they rode into Murray on Molly’s horse. She ordered food and a place to stay for the mother and child. She paid the bill and earned instant admiration. She’d likely saved the mother and child’s lives.

Turning down an offer for a hotel room, she announced she’d take up residence in Cabin #1, the cabin reserved for Madams that appeared in mining, logging and railroad towns.

When Noah Kellogg’s partner Phil O’Rourke asked her name, She replied with her married name: “Molly Burdan”. The marriage failed, but she’d kept the name. She spoke with a strong Irish brogue and O’Rourke thought she said “Molly B’Damn” rather than Burdan. The name stuck to become part of Silver Valley history.

Molly was born Maggie Hall in Dublin, Ireland in 1853. She left home at age 20 aboard a boat to America. It was rough in America. Not at all what she’d planned. By 1884 she’d already been traveling Western States as a high-end prostitute, for years.

When she arrived in Murray, people welcomed her with open arms. She’d finally found a home. Molly was the proverbial prostitute with “a heart of gold”. She cared for the sick, returned stolen goods, fed the poor and contributed to charitable causes. Legend says she took good care of the women who worked for her, treating them fairly.

Her last great deed happened in 1886 when a stranger rode into town. He drank whiskey and fell over dead of Small Pox, after exposing the entire town. Soon, others were dying. While most folks stayed inside to avoid illness, Molly tended to the sick. She rallied the women working for her and lectured townspeople, telling them to care for each other and NOT hide inside. With O’Rourke, she cleared out the hotel for use as a makeshift hospital. She worked tirelessly, caring for the sick, with little sleep or food. Many died, but she saved many others.

The people of Murray still honor her with Molly B’Damn Days every August. It’s said Maggie Hall came to America a Catholic no-nonsense girl full of wit and charm. She turned bad luck and compassion into a business. She was a good neighbor. You can still get to Murray over Thompson Pass from Wallace. Just follow the route Molly Burdan took, to become Molly B’Damn.

“Wyatt Earp…Business in Idaho” by Casey Tefertiller October 2018, historynet.com, is a source used here. Show notes have more info.

Saloon owner and lawman turned roadbuilder. Most of Idaho’s panhandle was settled by Lemhi Shoshone Indians. Sacagawea, who guided Lewis and Clark from North Dakota across Idaho in 1804 and ‘05, was of the same tribe.

Miners found gold near the Clearwater River in 1860. That gold rush continued through 1875. Among prospectors going North for gold was A.J. Prichard. He found gold in creeks near Murray, Idaho in 1883. Later that year, prospectors in Burke Canyon near Wallace, found gold in Canyon Creek. That was soon followed by hard-rock miners cutting drifts into mountains for other precious ores. Dozens of mines and processing mills opened. A rail line along the Coeur d’Alene River’s South Fork hauled people, equipment and ore.

Families migrated to the area. Trees were stripped from hills. Air became hazy and rivers mucky with mine tailings. Most flat ground was buried under blasted rock and waste. The string of towns near mines became known as the Silver Valley. Even legends like Wyatt Earp needed to make a living. That’s exactly what brought Wyatt and brother James to Coeur d’Alene country. They landed in Murray, in Idaho Territory during the 1884 gold rush, prepared to make money. They brought a circus tent 45 feet high and 50 feet across to serve as a dance hall they’d call the “White Elephant Saloon”. The Coeur d’Alene Weekly called it “The Largest, Finest Saloon in the Coeur d’Alenes”.

The Earps served the most basic needs: “Barrels of whiskey to lubricate thirsty miners, And swirling women to keep them entertained.” The Earps settled in, running the saloon and taking on other duties.

Wyatt was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Kootenai County; A complex situation as the district was claimed by both Kootenai and Shoshone Counties since the legislature hadn’t determined boundaries yet. The job definitely had risks. In March 1884, two groups of miners disputed property ownership and chose guns over courts. The Spokane Falls Review reported about 50 shots fired before Wyatt and Jim stepped in, writing: “With characteristic coolness they stood where bullets from both parties flew about them, Joked with participants upon their poor marksmanship, and although they pronounced the affair a fine picture, used their best endeavors to stop the shooting.”

Shoshone County Deputy Sheriff Hunt arrived shortly to help quiet the battle. He encouraged both sides to “have a smoke and reach an understanding”. The only casualty was an onlooker shot through the fleshy part of his leg.

Decades later, Researcher Tom Gaumer discovered Wyatt Earp had become a road builder during his short stay.

Access over Montana’s Thompson Falls Trail took too long to ship goods to Murray. Earp decided a quicker route was in order. May 1884, Earp’s crew cut a trail to the Montana Trout Creek rail stop, establishing the shortest route to Murray. Earp’s Trail moved supplies faster, cutting days of travel time. The side-benefit? Miners wouldn’t be separated from Earp’s barrels of whiskey as long.

Soon, Earp and partner Jack Enright escorted 200 ounces of gold over the trail to Helena, Montana. The mining boom fizzled fast in 1884. No records indicate how long Earp was in Idaho. He’s identified in New Mexico Territory in December 1884. He must have left before snow hit the Coeur d’Alenes.

Wyatt later found his way to Nome, Alaska as a business owner during Nome’s Gold-On-The-Beach Rush. Then, he sailed south to California to live out his days.

Our Author Ron Walden wrote a novel about a fictional 5th generation descendant of Earp: “Wyatt Earp the Fifth, Alaska Bush Guardian” is imagined as a modern, fictional village public safety officer in remote Alaska. We’ll explore settings and people in that novel soon.

Silver Valley labor unrest, natural calamities, workplace tragedies and environmental injuries, would be unmatched by any other region in the US. Maybe even the world. A vicious war between miners and owners over pay, safety and unionization lasted from the 1880s through the 1890s. Bombings, kidnappings and murders were common until quelled under Martial Law. An Idaho Governor was assassinated in 1905 by a bomb. Union organizers were charged with murder but acquitted in 1907.

Owner Cabals, “The Dynamite Express”, Pinkertons and Martial Law were volatile components of 2 major uprisings, as workers struggled with high risk and low pay. In 1892, a pioneer in the art of being an “Undercover Detective”, Charlie Siringo was discovered by the union as an undercover spy in their midst. Sympathetic to miner’s plights yet loyal to employers, Siringo’s efforts seemed to help reduce strife, at least in the short term.

Owners reduced worker’s pay to offset increased operating costs and they increased work hours. Miners went on strike for a "living wage" for everyone working underground in any position.

In Burke Canyon, the strike turned into a shooting war between miners and companies. To restore order, Governor Willey declared Martial Law, sending Federal troops to arrest and detain miners. Dozens of casualties were incurred, including six deaths and destruction of the “Frisco” Mill.

In 1899, a confrontation arose with a union organizing at mines not yet unionized. Bunker Hill and Sullivan miners earned up to a dollar less per day than others. On April 29th in Burke Canyon, 250 union members seized a train at gun point. At each stop, more miners boarded the "Dynamite Express".

Arriving at Bunker Hill mine near Wardner, miners carried 3,000 pounds of dynamite into the mill, completely destroying it. They set fire to the company office, boarding house and home of the mine manager. As in 1892, current Governor Steunenberg declared Martial Law. Arrests and mass incarcerations were used to return order.

By 1903, Burke Canyon was the most developed mining region in the Coeur d'Alenes. After WWII the district had 34 concentrating mills and 24 mines. During the 1970s, nearly half the nation's silver production was from the Silver Valley. After a century of mining and smelting, operations were severely curtailed in the early 1980s, resulting in massive unemployment and population loss. On top of economic difficulties, the Valley had enormous environmental challenges.

Amidst Mining Strife: "The Great Fire Of 1910" raged through the area. Ed Pulaski, a Forest Service ranger in Wallace, a descendant of Polish nobleman and American Revolutionary War General Casimir Pulaski, would become a hero, then an inventor.

One of the deadliest fires in U.S. history burned 3 million acres in Idaho and Montana. It destroyed much of Wallace, Kellogg and other Silver Valley towns, killing 87 people.

Pulaski was credited with saving all but 5 of his 45-man crew during “The Big Blowup”. He led his crew to safety in an abandoned prospector's mine. 40 firefighters survived. Pulaski was burned and severely injured, maimed for life.

The mine entrance, The Pulaski Tunnel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1911, Pulaski invented the “Pulaski Tool”, a wildland firefighting hand tool in use today. Milwaukee Railroad engineers saved about 600 folks from the flames by stopping their trains in the safety of long tunnels during this fire...Tunnels now part of the Rails to Trails Hike and Bike program later in this podcast.

The Sunshine Mine Disaster began on day shift, May 2, 1972, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of 91 men. The mine closed for seven months after the fire. It was one of the worst mining disasters in American history. Absolutely the worst in Idaho’s history. One of Ron’s in-laws and several friends were killed that day. Two friends were the only survivors. The Memorial found at the intersection of Silver Road with I-90, at the mouth of Big Creek Canyon is a moving tribute to those men and their families.

The Superfund Site Designation was decades in the making. Bunker Hill’s lead smelter air pollution control equipment failed in the 1970’s. Smelting continued for years in spite of failed systems. Contamination of air, water and soil was bad. Human lead levels soared, with concentrations affecting central nervous systems.

In 1981, Federal agencies began to address health risks. Inspectors combed mines for violations. Global markets capsized and Bunker Hill’s lead operations closed, eliminating 2,000 jobs. The Valley’s population, employment, income and prospects collapsed. Over 6,000 people, a third of the County population, simply left. For years, North Idaho led unemployment, poverty, suicide and hit the bottom of income charts.

Uncontrolled processes ignited the era of the Designated Superfund Site, a Federal-Industrial-Local effort to create economic, health and environmental priorities. In 1983 the Silver Valley became one of the Nation’s first Superfund sites. One of the country’s largest, most complex and expensive projects. Polluters were compelled to clean up after themselves under strict supervision and guidelines.

Forty years later, the project expanded from 21-square-miles to over 1,500 square-miles of mine sites and sediments full of heavy metals. Lead contamination was scraped from 3,500 properties in and around the City of Kellogg.

Residential yards were excavated, while work continued to identify and stop seepage of toxic metals into watersheds of the Coeur d’Alene River and Lake Coeur d’Alene. The massive project met local resistance because of the sheer scale, immense cost, and new barely understood science. The intrusive presence of Federal managers was viewed as demoralizing, curbing new development with a stigma of toxicity.

Results were impressive! Communities of Kellogg, Wallace, Coeur D’Alene and Harrison are thriving now. Restoration returned the area to healthy, natural habitat. Success is seen with the return of tundra swans, even pelicans and fish. Mountains have trees, a thriving lumber industry exists, and clear water fills rivers and lakes. Along with mining, the Silver Valley forged a future on recreational tourism and light manufacturing.

Rails to Trails, Hike and Bike Successes. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Hiking and Biking trails opened in 2004. On the route of an old Union Pacific rail line, it’s one of the nation’s finest rails-to-trails assets. The 73-mile route is smooth asphalt for all abilities. It winds through mountains from Mullan, Idaho in the historic Silver Valley, Into a chain lakes region. Then, along the shore of Lake Coeur D’ Alene over the historic Chatcolet Bridge and ends with a climb to the northern Palouse prairie and on to Plummer, Idaho. Trail users can continue along a bike path in Washington to Spokane. Mountains, forests, farms, wetlands, rivers and lakes line the entire route.

The other Rail to Trail Success. The Route of the Hiawatha: The "Crown Jewel" of Rail-To-Trail Adventures starts through the 1.6-mile Taft Tunnel, along the mountain crest at Lookout Pass Ski Area. The family friendly trail is easily enjoyed by all ages and abilities.

In the late 1800's, Milwaukee Railroad expanded West to gain West Coast markets and Pacific Rim trade. 9,000 men from across the globe built the extension between 1906 and 1911. Freight and passenger service began July 1909. Settlements sprouted up nearby. The last passenger train, the Olympian Hiawatha passed through in 1961. The last train west of Butte passed through in 1980. After that the line was abandoned.

The Route of the Hiawatha is now a Scenic mountain bike and hike trail 15 miles long, with 10 large, dark train tunnels (Nine you ride your bike thru.) and 7 sky-high trestles.

“The Longest Gondola in North America” by Chad Albright, www.itstartedoutdoors.com is an info source used here. More info in show notes.

Amazing Tourism & Recreation. Mountaineering’s not for everyone, but that doesn’t mean you can never reach a summit and breath alpine air. Luckily, the gondola lift exists. Base to summit in minutes. Idaho has been on the forefront of alpine technology since the 1900’s. The first-ever ski lift was installed in Sun Valley. 100 years later, Idaho continues to make life easier for skiers and sightseers, with the longest gondola in North America on Silver Mountain, in the small town of Kellogg.

When the mining industry collapsed, Kellogg turned to tourism and recreation as new resources. In 1990, Silver Mountain Resort was built next to Interstate 90, and the longest gondola in North America opened. At about 3 miles, the ride to the top takes a little over 30 minutes. It’s smooth, relaxing and exciting. Silver Mountain has 67 ski runs for all skill levels. For winter lovers with no sports ability, there’s a tubing park at the top next to the gondola. Summer concerts sometimes happen at the mountain top, and bike trails are open in summer on downhill trails.

If you just want to ride the longest gondola in North America for incredible views, ask for a “scenic ride ticket”. May be unadvertised but if available, it’s a cheaper option than a ski pass. Trails and paths range from easy to extreme.

This sums up the area where Author Ron Walden grew up and raised a family. And the changes he saw in the economy and related opportunities or lack thereof. Superfund Site to recreational heaven. The Earp brothers to Molly B’Damn. Pinkerton Agents to Martial Law.

History has always been of interest to Ron, as reflected in his books with insight and descriptions of settings. Everyone including Ron, had to drive Interstate 90, often mentioned in these episodes.

It was originally the route of the Mullan Trail, engineered and built under supervision of John Mullan, a soldier and civil servant. An 1852 US Military Academy Graduate, surveyor and road builder, explorer and even a participant in the Coeur d’Alene War of 1858.

Wikipedia describes the war as the second phase of the Yakima War. A series of encounters by allied Native American Tribes of Washington, Montana and Idaho, where the tribes defeated US Army forces.

North Idaho College developed near a lumber mill on the North shore of Lake Coeur d’ Alene at its outflow into the Spokane River. The campus encompassed an Army fort, renamed for General William Tecumseh Sherman of Civil War fame.

Sherman recommended the site after an inspection tour in 1877. It became Fort Coeur D’Alene in 1879 and was renamed Fort Sherman in 1887, just a few years after his retirement. The fort was unoccupied during the Spanish-American War in 1898 and was soon abandoned. Fort Sherman is now part of the campus of North Idaho College.

Moving North in the early 1970s to a territory only designated a State in 1959, and so important to the Nation, Alaska gave Ron new opportunities to witness history. He contributed to development and security of the Alaska Pipeline, working at pump stations in the remotest areas of Alaska. And he drove long haul supply runs between Fairbanks and Deadhorse during the Alaska Pipeline construction.

Wikipedia is the info source used here, about the Alaska Pipeline. Oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay in 1968. The 48-inch-wide steel pipe was ordered from Japan in 1969. US manufacturers simply didn’t have the capacity at the time. Legal and environmental issues delayed construction about 5 years. Pre-construction work began during 1973 and 1974. This phase included camps for workers, Road construction and bridges where none had ever existed.

Construction along a carefully planned right-of-way avoiding difficult river crossings and wildlife habitats, took place between 1975 and 1977. The United States needed domestic oil sources due to steep rises in foreign oil prices. The pipeline filled that need.

As the economy and environment in the Silver Valley hit an all-time low, Ron saw opportunities in Alaska in the early 1970s. The Prudhoe Bay oil boom and its construction jobs with improved pay, created the real possibility of a renewed life, with a home near a salmon-filled river in Alaska as part of a new start.

He was hired by a guy named Fuzzy to work as a carpenter. Later, Ron drove long-hauls to the oilfields of Prudhoe Bay, part of the workforce that built the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. 800-miles long and 48-inches in diameter, it’s a true feat of engineering.

Engineers overcame extreme sub-zero cold and even high temperatures across much of the pipeline’s route through the Last Frontier. The process considered expansion and contraction of materials and soils. It adopted and even created unique designs and processes for pipefitting, welding, insulation, stabilization, protection of wildlife migration routes and other environmental concerns.

The rise and fall of permafrost, the permanently frozen sub-soils in the Arctic, along with the warmth and weight of slow-moving crude oil, were major obstacles overcome. 12 pump stations along the 800-mile route were built to successfully flow the crude oil.

Many years later, after retirement from Alaska Department of Corrections, Ron provided Security at a couple Pump Stations. Places he may have hauled pipe to during construction in the 1970’s.

There were hundreds of miles of feeder pipes. A terminal was built in Valdez to store crude and load large tankers for distribution to refineries. High wages, long hours and free housing in camps attracted tens of thousands of workers from all walks of life. The first barrel of oil traveled the pipeline during the summer of 1977. Full scale production went live by the end of that year.

A future Podcast will have more pipeline history in episodes about “Cinch Knot”, Ron’s very first book. The goal of these first Episodes has been to familiarize readers with Ron, to explain who he is and where the heck he came from and to establish the flow of future Podcasts based on his many books.

Until next episode where we look at people, places, wildlife and history in Ron’s latest book, “The Fishing Hole” An Alaska Bear Tale, Remember these things:

“The Wisdom of the Donut Hole” is optimistic. The “Moose Is Loose Bakery” is where storytelling began National Donut Day, because…well…donuts. And that random day every Fall when a new Ron Walden book is released.

His new novel “The Fishing Hole” An Alaska Bear Tale is on sale wherever books are sold. Including your hometown bookstores and online. Ask for them if you don’t see them.

Episode 2 will delve into this new novel for a front and center look at locations, people, wildlife and history that made the story possible. And that book’s amazing cover? Well, it has a story of its own!

Then we intend to return to the beginning with his very first novel from 1996: “Cinch Knot” Pigs, Politics & Petroleum, the Multinational Plot to Nuke the Trans Alaska Pipeline”.

We plan to release new episodes monthly. More frequently as we can. Check your favorite podcast platform for updates and new episodes. We’re found on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Samsung, iHeart, Audible And more! Please subscribe and like our programs!

Order your books today. Check out RonWalden.com for a look at covers and a synopsis of each book.

I’m your host, Scott Walden. Thank you for listening. Read Ron’s Books! And Visit Alaska!

(Thanks to Ray Lankford for the show’s new theme music titled “The Wisdom of the Donut Hole Theme” an instrumental written, performed and provided with permission by Ray Lankford of Shoshone County Idaho…Look for more of Ray’s music on his website “Ray Lankford Music and Writing”)

SHOW NOTES: Podcast 1: Episode: 2 Idaho Silver Valley: Bio Ron Walden

Historical Marker Database, Idaho DOT Historical Marker #290

HMdb.org

KTVB TV, Boise, Idaho, October 2020, by Dani Allsop: Noah Kellogg & Bill the Donkey

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/history/in-1885-one-mans-donkey-named-bill-stumbled-upon-what-would-become-bunker-hill-mine-leading-to-the-town-of-kellogg/277-b9185cb3-609e-438d-9418-be15a72e3eac

Molly B’Damn in Murray, Idaho March 2019

https://milanamarsenich.com/articles/molly-bdamn-in-murray-idaho/

Milana Marsenich

Https://milanamarsenich.com/contact/

Wyatt Earp Turned to Business in Idaho. By Casey Tefertiller (10/1/2018)

https://www.historynet.com/wyatt-earp-turned-business-idaho/

Molly B’Damn Days