Chicken: Too Remote to Spell Ptarmigan

Deep in the Interior of Alaska, at the end of the Taylor Highway, sits a town that owes its name to a spelling bee that never happened.

In this episode of Drive-Thru Towns, host Andrew Wilcox takes us to Chicken, Alaska—a community founded by gold miners a full decade before the Klondike became a household name. When it came time to name the post office in 1902, the locals wanted to honor the ptarmigan, the ubiquitous game bird that kept them fed through brutal subarctic winters. There was just one problem: nobody could agree on how to spell it. Rather than risk the embarrassment of a misspelled official document, they settled on "Chicken."

We explore the history of the "Sixteen Liars" (the area's first legendary storytellers), the life of Anne Hobbs Purdy (the famed schoolteacher known as "Tisha"), and the modern-day absurdity of a fast-food giant claiming to "buy" a town for 10,000 sandwiches.

• The "Sixteen Liars": Why the first 16 prospectors on the Fortymile River were more famous for their tall tales than their gold.

• Gold the Size of Cracked Corn: A look at the 1898 USGS report suggesting the name "Chicken" might actually refer to the size of the local gold nuggets.

• Anne Hobbs Purdy: The incredible story of the woman who arrived by pack train in 1927, married a miner, and raised 11 children in a town with no power grid.

• The Jack in the Box "Takeover": How a 2021 ad campaign "bought" the town to end the "Chicken Wars," and the $10,000 donation that actually helped the 12 year-round residents.

If you’re ready to visit a place where outhouses are still the standard and the "Chickenstock" music festival is the highlight of the year, follow us on Spotify.

• Instagram: @50statefamily

• LinkedIn: Andrew Wilcox

• Email: wilcoxlegal@gmail.com

• Host: Andrew Wilcox

• Theme Music: Special thanks to Chloe Jones for the music. Hear more at chloejonesmusic.co.uk.