Biederman's Cabin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ed Beiderman Fish Camp
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 Location in Alaska
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| Location | Left bank of Yukon River, about 56 miles (90 km) northwest of Eagle |
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| Nearest city | Eagle, Alaska |
| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | Ed Biederman |
| MPS | Yukon River Lifeways TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001204 |
| Added to NRHP | July 20, 1987 |
Biederman's Cabin, also known as Biederman's Fish Camp, is a special old cabin found along the Yukon River in Alaska. It's located inside the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. This cabin is kept as a historic site. It shows how people in Interior Alaska lived and survived in the early 1900s, often by hunting and fishing. It's one of the few buildings left in the preserve from that time.
Contents
Building the Cabin
Who Built Biederman's Cabin?
The cabin was built in 1916 by a man named Max Adolphus "Ed" Biederman for his family. Ed came to the United States from Bohemia. He was drawn to Alaska in 1899 because of the Nome Gold Rush, hoping to find gold.
From Gold Miner to Dog Sled Driver
Ed didn't strike it rich looking for gold. Instead, he became a sled dog driver. In 1912, he started delivering mail between Eagle and Circle along the Yukon River.
Life at the Fish Camp
In 1916, Ed built the cabin. It was 31 feet (9 m)-long and made of logs. The roof was originally covered with sod. His first daughter, Nellie Biederman, was born in this cabin that same year.
From 1916 to 1938, the Biederman family used the cabin as their summer home. During winters, they lived in Eagle while Ed ran his dog team. The cabin served as a stopover point on his mail route.
Additions to the Cabin
Because many winter travelers needed a place to rest, Biederman built a small bunkhouse near the main cabin. To feed his many sled dogs, the family used the cabin as a fish camp. They set up two fish wheels to catch salmon swimming upstream. Over time, the cabin got some upgrades. The sod roof was replaced with a tin roof, and an Arctic entry was added. In 1938, the dog sled mail route stopped. Ed Biederman passed away in 1945.
The Cabin as a Shelter
A Rest Stop for Travelers
After Ed Biederman died, his family didn't use the cabin as much. But winter travelers continued to find shelter there. In 1984, the Yukon Quest, a very long 1,000-mile sled dog race, chose the cabin as an official rest area.
Modern Use and Protection
Today, another cabin nearby, Slaven's Cabin, is the official rest stop for the Yukon Quest. It is run by the National Park Service. However, Biederman's Cabin is still an informal place where racers can stop and rest.
In 2007, a wildfire came close to the cabin. The National Park Service put up temporary sprinklers to protect it from the flames.
