Big Delta State Historical Park [AK]
The Big Delta State Historical Park contains Rika's Roadhouse, erected in 1909 to house travelers on the historic Valdez-to-Fairbanks Trail. The structure remained in use until 1947. Part of the original kerosene crate floor has been restored, and the bedroom and kitchen are furnished in the styles of the 1920's and 1930's. Also located in the park is a Washington Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System (WAMCATS) station. In 1900, it took a year to send a message from interior Alaska to Washington D.C. and receive an answer. To speed communications, the U.S. Signal Corps, a branch of the Army, built the WAMCATS. McCarty Station, was established in 1907 to maintain the telegraph. The Delta Historical Society maintains a museum housing artifacts, dating from 1900 to 1950, such as blacksmith tools, horse tack, dog harnesses and sleds, household items, and historic photographs.
The park offers guided and self-guided tours, a museum with exhibits, and period rooms.