Two step Louie


A couple of years ago I was working in Arizona manning (womaning?) a booth for the City at the Quartzite show when the great-grandson of Louis Pollak (born 1883 Missouri) told me this story. Perhaps it qualifies as a tall story for today:
Louie came to the Yukon in the gold rush but did not do so well, so after the rush he returned to Chicago. Not satisfied with the city, he set out for the West again. He built a cabin at Nunn Creek (?) and was attacked and eaten by wolverines. Hmmm.

Ok, so it isn’t the best tall story, but it is true according to his great-grandson, and family stories are sometimes the best.

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3 Replies to “Two step Louie”

  1. I do not know about any of Louie’s Grandchildren, my Grandfather was either his brother or nephew. Never quite knew, those who knew are gone. He died in his cabin and then the wolverines got to him. We have been told he earned the nickname two-step due to his propensity to spend money in the Dance Halls. Do not know how much was dancing or something else. I have pictures of him, with my Grandparents in Illinois. He also went by a few other last names.

    1. I don’t believe he ever married, but he had a woman he met in San Francisco live with him for a time out on Nome Creek. He eventually told her to go back, that he was too old for her! He died alone.

  2. I am the great, great niece of Two Step Louie (Uncle Louie). He was the uncle of my grandmother, Anna Moran nee Pollak. My Dad talked about him all through my childhood, he was a legend in the family. In 2010 I was able to travel to Alaska, made the trip out to Nome Creek where we saw the remains of his cabin, and the great memorial that was in place for him. Everybody we met knew about Uncle Louie, still a legend after all this time.

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