Melvin ended up in Alaska in 1951. He took 160 acres of burned over land and built his piece of paradise. Starting a trucking line, he was the original ice road trucker, he also put in a landing strip on his property before there was an improved road to even get to his home! Stories like Melvin’s were common one hundred years ago in the lower 48, But Alaska wasn’t even close to being a State when he arrived.