NOTE: The pictures on this page are all from
the beginning of what we now call the Chinook. Arthur Walden established
a line of dogs known as Walden's Dogs. Many years later, his line became
known as Chinook dogs, being named after his famous lead dog, Chinook.
These pictures are all from period post cards that I have collected over
the years. Please have a good time looking at the beginnings of our
breed. The Arthur Walden era started in 1917 with the birth of Chinook
and ran into the 1940s. Toward the last part of this era, Julia
Lombard also paticipated in developing the breed with Arthur Walden.
We are indeed lucky that Arthur Walden recognized the wonderful
characteristics that Chinook carried and passed on to his children.
Through his work and that of Julia Lombard, Perry Greene, and a
number of people still continuing to maintain the Chinook, we have
inherited a wonderful breed that is not only rich in history, but
also brings endless joy into our lives. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will come often, as we
love to have company. Please contact
me if there is anything else I can offer you in this virtual home
for Chinooks of the past. See you later--"HIKE!"
Chinook was known for his great sledding ability as a team leader.
He led Walden's team to break both speed and weight hauling records.
Notably, he also had a wonderful temperament and easily made many friends
of people who were previously skeptical about being around dogs.
Arthur Walden and 16 of his Chinooks accompanied Admiral Richard Byrd
on the first Byrd Antarctic Expedition. Although Chinook was quite
old at the time, Walden took him on the expedition because of his
experience and strength as a leader. Because of Chinooks's age, Walden
only used him when the going got real tough. Chinook provided the extra
experience and determination that Walden sometimes needed.
Unfortunately, Chinook was lost on the expedition to unknown causes.
He was thought to have wandered off and died somewhere in Antarctica.
Quimbo, pictured to the right, was a part of the team that Walden took.
During the expedition,
Admiral Byrd noted that Walden's team was the backbone of the transport.
Walden built his entire line based on Chinook's bloodline. He would
breed Chinook to females outside his line, then breed the progeny
back to Chinook, obtaining some puppies whose
blood was 7/8 from Chinook himself. This produced many
fine quality sled dogs.
Arthur Walden and Julia Lombard were not alone in their work with
Chinooks. Eva "Short" Seeley, the individual who is largely responsible for charting
the course of the Siberian Husky in the United States, was also
involved in Chinooks.
The picture to the left is of Seeley's "Nook." Although they
were active in
Chinooks for some time, they poured most of their energy into developing
the Siberian Husky. However, they did purchase the name "Chinook
Kennels" from the Waldens and enjoyed the Chinook breed very much.
They also provided Malamutes
for the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition. In 1930, "Short" Seeley
co-authored "Chinook and His Family," a children's reader with a
wealth of early Chinook pictures.
Related Article:
EARLE, S. M. (April 1999)
"Explorer Arthur Walden harnessed the
spirit of adventure." Concord Online Monitor.