Lee Poleske

Originally from Iowa, Lee Poleske came to Seward, Alaska in 1964 to take a position as a high school social studies teacher. He went on to teach Spanish and photography, as well. He retired from teaching in 1990, but continued to serve the community. Being interested in history, Lee joined the Resurrection Bay Historical Society in 1966, served as the organization's president for a time, and was the volunteer director of the Seward Museum, a collaborative partnership with the City of Seward. Lee soon discovered the town's connection with the original gold rush era Iditarod Trail, and developed a great interest in promoting this fact for historic and tourism purposes. In 1982, he helped found the Seward Trail Blazers, an organization dedicated to promoting, constructing, and maintaining the southern portion of the Iditarod National Historic Trail from Seward to Girdwood. Lee has been their newsletter editor and was active in their statue and sign projects at Mile 0 of the Iditarod Trail at the Seward waterfront. Lee has been a long-time board member of the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, and frequently presents public educational programs about the history of the Iditarod Trail. Lee Poleske passed away in August 2023 at the age of 86. See a tribute to Lee on the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance's website based on an obituary published in the Seward Journal on August 31, 2023.