The Moose Pass Public Library received a $3,241 Major Grant from SCF’s Unrestricted Fund to help produce two videos chronicling the Moose Pass community’s history. The two videos tell of Moose Pass, an Alaska frontier town, just after the turn of the century. Life during the early days of Moose Pass reflected the hardships, grit, and resilience of Alaska’s early settlers.
The videos build upon the success of a recent history project started by the Moose Pass Sportsman’s Club in 2016 titled “Discover the Story of Moose Pass: People, Paths and Places”. The project oversaw the collection, digitization, and preservation of hundreds of historical photos that eventually became five interpretive panels that now hang in the Moose Pass Public Library.
The first video, titled “Where the Alaska Pioneering Spirit Lives On”, is a 27-minute overview of local history focusing on the 1930s and 1940s. If you never knew Alaska Nellie, Moose
Pass’s most famous resident, you’ll always remember her after watching this video. The video was made by award-winning videographer, Bjorn Olson, and includes a script that was researched and written by Rodger Painter, narrated by Willow Hetrick Price, Jeff Hetrick, and Kim McNett, with visuals from the Library’s panels.
The second video, titled “Moose Pass Interviews”, is a longer 1-hour 16-minute video featuring one-on-one documentation of life in Moose Pass starting in the 1940s. Several community elders who grew up in Moose Pass (Jeff & Lee Estes, Bob Condit, Donna Giles, and Clara Elge) were interviewed and longtime community member Shawn McDonald. The interviews were led by Moose Pass born and raised community members Willow Hetrick-Price and Ryan Gaule. Bjorn Olson was the videographer and editor.
Willow Hetrick-Price said, “These stories comprise the unique culture of Moose Pass and are often the center of discussions. Memories come alive with the photos and stories of the past. The comfort of knowing that history is being preserved brings good feelings into our minds and hearts.”
“It is our hope that the words, images, and excerpts of these videos will bring to life the history of this special community.”- Rodger Painter.
You can visit the Moose Pass Library Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between 2 PM to 6 PM. The videos are available on the Library’s website: https://www.library.moosepassalaska.com/.