Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve, interpret and share the history of the upper Knik Basin (including Knik, Wasilla and surrounding areas) passing on to new generations the stories, values and ideas of those who lived here before us.
Who we are
The Wasilla Knik Historical Society provides a window into the past showing the Knik settlement during the heyday of its existence. The vision includes recognition of the Alaska Native settlement as an integral part of the Knik settlement.
What we do
The Knik Museum and Mushers’ Hall of Fame is housed in one of the two remaining historic buildings from the original Knik townsite. Besides opening the site to the visitors, we also sponsor the local Wasilla Farmers’ Market, the Alaska Day Dinner, the Annual Potluck Picnic and Mushers’ Hall of Fame and other events to connect to our community.
Knik Museum
Established in 1967, the Knik Museum and Mushers Hall of Fame honors the heritage and culture of the Knik area. Knik was an important village and trade center for Native Alaskans long before miners, trappers, tradesmen and homesteaders arrived. The village became a trailhead for the winter dog sled and summer wagon trails to mining areas and grew to a large town by the early 1900s.
Mushers’ Hall of Fame
We celebrate those who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for their contributions to dog mushing in Alaska.
Wasilla Farmer’s Market
Every summer from June through mid-September, the Wasilla Knik Historical Society sponsors the Wasilla Farmers’ Market. Local farmers, gardeners, bakers, artisans and more sell their fresh produce, jams, jellies, breads and Alaskan made gifts. Looking for that taste of Alaska to send to friends and family? Come on down.
Events
Join us at our annual picnic in July each year at the Knik Museum and celebrate the induction of a new member into our Mushers’ Hall of Fame. Or attend the Alaska Day Dinner each October and share your yummiest dessert to be sold to the highest bidder in the Famous Dessert Auction!
Orville Herning Diaries
Written by Orville George “O.G.” Herning
1898 – 1917 Knik, Alaska
1917 – 1947 Wasilla, Alaska
Transcription of Herning’s original leather journals was done between 2005-2011 by Coleen Mielke of Wasilla.
Donate
The Wasilla-Knik Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Your contributions are tax deductible.
The Earliest Matanuska Valley Roads
Very little is written about the earliest roads here in the Valley. The following information comes from the Chief Engineer Reports for the Alaska Road Commission 1911-1920.
Transcription of these documents was done by Coleen Mielke of Wasilla.
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Wasilla Knik Historical Society | Wasilla Farmer’s Market | Knik Museum
Introducing our fifth 27 1/2" x 22 3/4"placard to be printed on aluminum and displayed in the Mushers' Hall of Fame upstairs!
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On July 21st, 2002, every dog that helped in the 9/11 search-and-rescue effort was inducted into the Knik Museum’s Canine Hall of Fame. There were over three hundred total, including recovery and therapy animals.
Best-known among them are...
Bretagne - A two-year-old Golden Retriever who, on her very first mission with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, navigated Ground Zero without a leash to locate numerous deceased victims.
Sage - An 18-month-old black and white Border Collie with FEMA, who found the remains of al-Qaeda terrorist Hani Hanjour inside the Pentagon.
Jake - A five- or six-year-old black Labrador Retriever with Utah Task Force 1, who spent seventeen days at Ground Zero.
Trakr - A roughly seven-year-old German Shepherd from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who found the World Trade Center's last survivor, Genelle Guzman-McMillan, before collapsing from chemical and smoke inhalation, exhaustion, and burns.
Riley - A four-year-old Golden Retriever with FEMA’s Pennsylvania Task Force 1, who found many deceased victims and was captured in one of the most famous photos ever taken at Ground Zero.
Apollo - An eight- or nine-year-old German Shepherd who arrived with the New York Police Department’s K-9 unit fifteen minutes after the South Tower collapsed and worked 18 hours each day for weeks until stopping from exhaustion.
Roselle - A three-year-old Labrador Retriever who led his visually impaired owner, Michael Hingson, and thirty other people down the North Tower from Floor 78 just before the building collapsed.
Salty - A four-year-old Labrador Retriever who helped lead his visually impaired owner, Omar Rivera, down the North Tower from Floor 71 just before the building collapsed.
Coby - A six-year-old black Labrador Retriever with the California Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 6 who worked twelve-hour shifts at Ground Zero for eleven days.
Guinness - A five-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever with the California Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 6 who worked twelve-hour shifts at Ground Zero for eleven days.
Sirius - A four-year-old Labrador Retriever with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department who perished in his kennel below the South Tower when it collapsed.
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Alaska State Historian Dr. Katie Ringsmuth takes her turn behind the original Knik Bar!
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