Lee and Karen Duquette,
The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

arrived at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada

The Beginning of The Alaska Highway

Dawson Creek is a trading, transportation and service centre for the Peace River District that stretches for 46,000 square miles throughout northern British Columbia and Alberta.

A stroll around Dawson Creek's downtown provided the two RV Gypsies with a flavor of its historical, vibrant and rather quirky past through murals, statues and original photography. Dawson Creek is comparatively young but its colorful history is definitely alive.

Northern Lights RV park
the motorhome (RV) of the two RV Gypsies
Below: Northern Lights RV Park is just outside of Dawson Creek. It had dirt and gravel roads and spaces, satellite TV channels 3-14, free Wi-Fi, and 30 and 50 amp level pull-throughs with full hook-ups. No washing of rigs or toads in sites, and no generators allowed to run.
sign - welcome to Dawson Creek
Below: Dawson Creek is known as Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. It is located between 4 highways: Alaska Highway 97 North; John Hart Highway 97 South; Highway 2 and Highway 49 to Alberta. The City is named after George Mercer Dawson a 19th century railroad surveyor, geologist and anthropologist that was one of the very first white men to travel through the area.
Karen Duquette - Alaska or Bust
sign - Dawson Creek Historical Site
sing - Mile 0 Alaska Highway
Below: Pioneer Surveyor Statue - a scrap iron sculpture pointing the way to Alaska. Surveyors were the first stage of the road, setting out the path for construction crews. The statue's garments and equipment are authentic to the 40's era.
Pioneer Surveyor Statue
Karen Duquette and the sign - entering the World Famous Alaska Highway

Below: Mile Post 0 (1946): Designated by local artist, Ellis Gislasson for the Jaycees Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Mile 0 Post has become one of the most photographed markers on the Alaska Highway. The first wooden Mile Post 0 was stolen by Halloween pranksters and replaced with an outhouse. This post is now made of metal and is bolted into place.

Mile 0 Post
Below: SIGNS ON LIGHTPOLES IN DAWSON CREEK
SIGNS ON LIGHTPOLES IN DAWSON CREEK
SIGNS ON LIGHTPOLES IN DAWSON CREEK
SIGNS ON LIGHTPOLES IN DAWSON CREEK
cafe entrance sign
HISTORY: Explosion block - Supper time February 13, 1943, a fire ignited 60 cases of dynamite causing an explosion that rocked the area, destroyed the block and shattered most of the windows in town. Five confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries, and a loss of $350,000 (1940 wartime dollars) for the buildings destroyed.
Dew Drop Inn
When the Alaska Hotel (Dew Drop Inn) was built in 1933, it was a 6-room hotel with a lobby and cafe. In 1942, the inn became licensed to sell alcohol. The 1940's beer parlor was so busy that lineups stretched around the building and customers were allowed in for a drink and then forced to go out to the end of the line. Today it holds the distinction of being the same type of business occupying the same building for the longest period.
Below: Blue Bird Hotel was one of 3 hotels in town in 1934. It was reminiscent of the many small operations established by Chinese immigrants in prairie towns during the era of the west being opened up. The original building is still in use and is part of the Mile 0 Hotel.
Blue Bird Hote
Blue Bird Hote
Mile Zero Hotel
Below: Murals on Memory Lane gives minds the chance to wander back in time to the Dawson Creek of the 1930's and 1940's.
mural - The 5¢ to $1 Store
The 5¢ to $1 Store was established in the early 1930's and sold many varieties of dry goods. Shown in the window are gum balls and toys. In 1942 in preparation of the troops arriving, this building became the U.S. Army Quartermaster staff headquarters.
The mural image of the moose depicted in the livery stable of the Central Livery Barn below evolves from an event from 1930's Dawson Creek folk lore. It caused a lot of excitement the day it wandered into town. The moose was discovered in the livery stable where he was contentedly munching the grain from the stable floor, and flirting with the mares. By mistake, someone locked the critter in. After being set free that evening, the moose casually wandered away.
mural - Central Livery Barn
mural --Halverson's Beauty Salon
Halverson's Beauty Salon's original building still stands on its location at 925-103 Avenue and it is still a hairdressing shop. The outlet was established in 1945 by Anne Halverson and remained open for business until 1982. Anne was also well-known for her fabulous pioneer outfits that she wore during Bonanza Days (now Dawson Creek's Fall Fair & Rodeo) and other occasions. Because of her superb attire, someone nick-named her Bonanza Bonnie and it stuck.
mural - Smoke shop
mural - bakery
mural - Ford sales and service
mural - Ford sales and service
At the end of the above alley is the main street of Dawson Creek as it was in 1946. Many of these original buildings (although renovated) are becoming permanent fixtures on Dawson Creek's downtown street scene. The Mile 0 Post of today is slightly different than the post shown here. The flags of the City of Dawson Creek, the Province of British Columbia and Canada have been fastened to the top of the post; and another Alaskan City, Delta Junction and its distance from Dawson Creek has been acknowledged.
mural - Dawson Creek's downtown street scene
Note how neatly they painted the pole and wire to match the mural.
mural - Dawson Creek's downtown street scene
Lee Duquette and a mural - Dawson Creek's downtown street scene
These murals depict scenes of the construction of the Alaska Highway (1942) and show the formidable terrain that met the men and machines building the highway. After 8 months of construction, the road was officially opened on November 20, 1942 at Soldiers' Summit near Kluane Lake in the Yukon. The ceremony was called the Sharing of the Golden Scissors. Engraved golden scissors were used to cut a red, white and blue ribbon to open the road. Then the scissors were broken apart; one blade went to the American President and the other went to the Canadian Prime Minister.
mural - trail of 42
mural - scenes of the construction of the Alaska Highway
scenes of the construction of the Alaska highway
mural - scenes of the construction of the Alaska highway

The mural map is part of the Alaska Highway Park Mural that is a pictorial view of life on the Alaskan Highway. The map is of the original route of the Alaska Highway that has some locations that no longer exist.

A mural giving a glimpse into some memorabilia
of a soldier's life.

mural - a glimpse into some memorabilia of a soldier's life
 
laughing clipart dude2 real dogs driving a Winnebago ?? LOL
2 real dogs driving a Winnebago ??
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