Random True Story Behind 'Balto' Is Even More Intense Than Animated Film (14 items)

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  (#10) Sled Dogs Like Balto Inspired The Famous Iditarod Race

  Balto and the other sled dogs of his day traveled what came to be known as the Iditarod trail, which runs about 1,150 miles from Anchorage, AK, to Nome. Once used by settlers, the path also allowed for the delivery of mail and other supplies. 

  By the 1960s, dog sleds had become less popular than snowmobiles, also known as "iron dogs."

  In 1967, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Alaska becoming a US territory, people began considering a way to preserve this culture. They proposed a dog sled race that traveled the Iditarod Trail, reconstructing the route run by Balto. The race has been held annually since 1973.
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  (#1) A Diptheria Outbreak in 1925 Threatened Balto's Home Town Of Nome, AK 

  In January 1925, several children in Nome, AK contracted the respiratory disease diphtheria. People feared the illness since the bacteria was highly contagious and deadly. Though the town's only doctor quarantined the children, he feared other residents might become infected since the disease spread quickly.

  To make matters worse, the nearest supply of antitoxin serum resided in Anchorage, AK, over 1,000 miles away. Travel by airplane wasn't an option in subzero temperatures, and ice in the harbor counted out boats.

  The people of Nome turned to an older method of travel, one used to deliver mail for years: the dog sled. 
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  (#11) Balto's Statue Still Stands In New York's Central Park

  In December 1925, the city of New York unveiled a statue of Balto in Central Park. Fredrick Roth created the bronze image of Balto with a plaque below that reads:

  Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin 600 miles over treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925 - Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence.
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  (#8) A Businessman Raised Money To Save Balto From The Sideshow

  In 1927, a businessperson named George Kimble discovered Balto in the sideshow. The situation he found the dogs in appalled Kimble, who asked the sideshow owner if he could purchase Balto and his team. The owner agreed to sell the dogs for $2,000. 

  Kimble returned to Cleveland and began a campaign to raise money with the help of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. Children, local shops, waitresses, and factory workers all helped by donating what they could. The Western Reserve Kennel Club and the Animal Protective League also supported the cause, along with a local judge.

  Kimble's benefit managed to raise $2,300 in just 10 days, and he rescued Balto and the other dogs. 
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  (#13) People In Alaska Want To Display Balto At A Local Iditarod Museum

  In the '90s, a group of children in Alaska wanted their beloved hero to come home. They put together a campaign attempting to persuade the Cleveland Natural History Museum to give them Balto to display at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Museum located in Wasilla, AK.

  The people of Cleveland refused, reasoning Balto spent half his life living in their city.
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  (#5) The Real Balto Was Not Part Wolf And Wasn't Considered An Ideal Lead Sled Dog

  In the animated film, Balto is half wolf; the real Balto was a Siberian husky, thought to be born sometime in 1919. Balto had a black coat with a patch of white on his chest and paws.

  Though the real Balto didn't live his life as an outcast, people did not consider him an ideal lead sled dog. Balto's barrel chest and boxy build made him very strong, however, so Seppala gave him work as a member of the sled team for miners.

  When it came time to make the serum run, Seppala chose Togo as his lead dog, while Gunnar Kaasen gave Balto a chance.

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