Adison J. Hill


Adison Hill’s wife, Divena (born 1870 in Iowa) died on April 1, 1898 from puerperal fever or childbirth fever, in Everett, Washington. Adison came to Skagway with his three daughters to manage the Allen Brothers Hardware Store on Broadway.
Hill was the former Postmaster of Arlington, Washington.
On this morning, July 18, 1899 he shot himself in the head at the hardware store. He had for some time been despondent, and often expressed the wish that Mr. George Allen would return from Arlington soon and relieve him. Hill was thirty years of age. His remains were sent to Everett for burial. I wonder what became of the three girls? I found the two older girls, Eva and Helen, living with grandparents in 1910 on a Washington State census, but the baby girl born in March 1898 is missing.
The Allen Brothers Hardware store from 1898 to 1903 was at the location of the former Moe’s Bar.
Seen above is a cute picture of Mae Busch who was an actress who played with Oliver Hardy in early movies. She has nothing to do with the Hill family.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer 7/29/1899; rootsweb posting; Skagway death record.

The Saint of Dawson


William Henry Judge was born into a religious family in Baltimore, Maryland, April 28, 1850. In addition to William, four of his siblings also entered Holy orders.

As a youth, he was frail and sickly, but he survived, and at age 25, he embarked on years of study and teaching, in the Jesuit order. At the age of 40, in 1890, he volunteered for service in Alaska.

After a lengthy journey which lasted several months, he arrived at Holy Cross Mission, the principal Jesuit centre on the Yukon River, where he joined the Father Superior, two brothers, and three Sisters of St. Ann, who taught fifty resident school children.

Judge had acquired many useful skills before he became a priest: carpenter, cabinet-maker, blacksmith and baker. Later, at Nulato he spent his time teaching native children in their own language, constructing a church, and travelling widely to visit both whites and natives in a large region. Here he had established himself happily and was content with his assignment. From there he was sent to the small mining town of Forty Mile, hundreds of miles up the Yukon River from Nulato.

His fortitude was tested at Forty Mile, where he alone served the spiritual needs of the Catholic community. Father Judge noted: “…everybody is looking for gold, some finding it and some getting nothing, a few becoming rich, but the greater number only making a living, and all working very, very hard. You would be astonished to see the amount of hard work that men do here in the hope of finding gold… Oh if men would only work for the kingdom of heaven with a little of that wonderful energy, how many saints we would have.”

In March 1897, Father Judge went to Dawson and secured 3 acres of land near the north end of town. Once he was settled there, he set about building a church, a residence, and a hospital. The hospital was completed August 20th, 1897.

With harsh climate, poor nutrition and deplorable sanitation conditions in the new town, the hospital was in immediate demand. He was soon tending to 20 patients a day, which rose to 50 during the winter, then, with the influx of humanity and typhoid epidemic in the fall of 1898, 135 patients daily. This dramatic increase made necessary the construction of an addition to the hospital.
For two years, he worked without thought or concern for himself, devoted solely to the care of others. Worn out and exhausted by his own labors, in early January of 1899, he fell ill and for days battled pneumonia, finally succumbing at the age of 52, on January 16 1899.

When Father Judge died, the sadness was shared by the entire community, regardless of religious persuasion. His contributions to the community were widely recognized, as was his spiritual work. He was indeed a hero of the Klondike and is known as the “Saint of Dawson.”

At the north end of Dawson today you will find a quiet clearing overlooking the Yukon River near where his great works were performed. It is here that his grave is found, and nearby, a plaque, mounted on a huge block of stone by the people of Canada, which recognizes his contribution to the physical and spiritual well-being of the miners.

Michael Gates in an article for the City of Dawson history webpage; Pierre Berton; Charles Judge: An American Missionary – A record of the work of the Rev. William A. Judge, S.J. Catholic foreign Missionary Society, Ossining, NY; Mills.

Albert Kinaston


Albert was born in Roxburgh, Otago, New Zealand in 1875. He paid his 20 pounds for passage and boarded the S.S. Monowai in January 1896 in New Zealand heading for San Francicso. From there he went to Alaska and on to Dawson. Though only 21, he was a blacksmith. Shortly after arriving in Dawson he fell ill with a fever, possibly spinal meningitis or typhoid and died. His friend, William Hiscock wrote in his diary that when he inquired after him with the local police they could not find a record, but he ran into a mate of Albert’s who showed Hiscock the grave and the headboard in the snow. This account is from the book “A Kiwi in the Klondike, A New Zealander’s Quest for Gold” published by his granddaughter, now 103 years old. Her daughter just gave me this book yesterday, so I will bring you more New Zealand stories in the coming days!
Seen above is the S.S. Monowai.

Stella M. Hull, 242 Hull Rd, RD 2. Waiuku 2682, New Zealand.(copies available for $20 pp); immigrantships.net – an online listing of people onboard ships.

Capt. Moore and Hendrika

Captain William Moore and his wife Hendrika Fenn Moore retired to Victoria after founding Skagway, or Mooresville as they preferred it to be called. When they died in 1909 and 1911 they were buried in the Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I could not find his grave after hours of searching, but recently a fellow sleuth, Suzy Kerrigan took the tour by the local docent and found the grave. It is not marked but there is a big tree growing there. She sent me a photo of it which I am sharing with you all. Hats off to Capt. Moore and Hendrika!

Johnnie Johns


Happy Birthday to Johnnie Johns who was born in the midst of the Gold Rush at Tagish on this day, July 10, 1898. He was the eldest son of Maria and Tagish Johns and was a member of the Crow clan of the Deishheetaan tribe. His Tlingit name was Yeil Shaan, which means Old Crow.

During his lifetime, his contributions towards the development of the Yukon were numerous. At the age of 19, he started his own guiding outfit. During his time as an outfitter he was known as one of the top ten guides in the world. As a life-long trapper and fisherman, these talents were second to none. He helped blaze the way for the construction of the Alaska Highway.

He was one of Yukon’s best gems and most widely respected elders, who generated warmth and kindness. His domain was the outdoors and all it had to offer. He sang, drummed and danced the stars to bed.

Johnnie Johns died in 1988.

from A CKRW Yukon Nugget by Les McLaughlin

Amazing Race


Mssr. Lelouvier entered the great race of automobilists from New York to Paris on January 30, 1908. He decided to race his Werner Car and for kicks, drive across the United States then take it on a boat from Victoria to Skagway. Then on the railroad to Dawson and down the Yukon River. Then he and his two companions would go across the Bering Strait, across Siberia and Europe.
I wonder if they made it Skagway?
Anyway, off to the Soapy Wake!
I think I hear the theme from “Those Amazing Young Men in their flying Machines”…

New York Times, January 31, 1908.

Edward Howard Hatch


Ed Hatch was born in 1872 in West Farmington, Ohio. He came to Skagway from Port Angeles, Washington in 1897 and was Secretary for the Brackett Road as well as a river pilot in the Yukon. He opened a store in Skagway which he ran until 1901 when he moved back to Washington and opened a clothing store in Bellingham. In 1913 he became the manager for the Pacific Brewing & Malting Company. However, prohibition was only a year and a half down the way, so his tenure there was short lived. He became a prominent industrialist in Everett and in 1917 moved to Seattle where he managed a manufacturing concern until his retirement in 1931.
Hatch was a counselor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at one time president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and vice president and manager of the Arctic Club at his death. He died on this day, July 7, 1942 in Seattle.
Seen above is an ad from the B&M Company – they just don’t make ads like this anymore!

1900 Skagway census; Skagway News 12.31.1897; 1910 Everett census; Olympia pioneers website; Illustrated History of the Everett Brewing Company.

82 Saloons


I had heard over the years of the 80+ Saloons in Skagway so I decided to make a list. This list is of the Gold Rush Saloons in Skagway, Dyea and on the trail, and even at White Pass city. I have the owners also if anyone is interested. Seen above is an early picture of Skagway in 1897 with the Cripple Creek Saloon (owner John Doe) on the right.

5th Ave Hotel and Saloon
Alert Saloon
Al-ki Saloon
Annex Saloon
Arctic Hotel
Arctic Saloon
Astoria Hotel
Balmoral Saloon
Bay View Hotel
Beer by the Quart Saloon
Bloom & Korach
Board of Trade Saloon
Brady’s Saloon
Broadway Saloon
California Pack Train Saloon
City Brewery
Clancy’s Saloon
Club Saloon
Colosseum
Comet Saloon
Comique Variety Hall & Saloon
Commerce Saloon
Cosy Saloon
Cripple Creek Saloon & Peoples theatre
Dewey Saloon
Everyman’s Saloon & Douglass Lodging House
First and Last Chance Saloon
Gem Saloon
Hannah Marr Bar
Hoff & Gem Saloon
Horseshoe Saloon
Hotel Chilkoot
Hotel Grand Bar
Idaho Saloon
Jeff’s Place
Jewell Saloon
Jimmy Ryan Nuggett Saloon
Klondike Saloon
La Fiesta Saloon
Little Star Saloon
Lobby Music Hall or Libby Saloon
Log Cabin Saloon
Louvre Saloon
Merchant Saloon
Midway Saloon
Miner’s hotel
Mint Saloon
Mirror Saloon
Montana Saloon
Monte Carlo Hotel
New Brewery Saloon
Owl Saloon
Pack Train Saloon
Palace Hotel Bar Bennett
Palace of Delight
Pantheon
Hot Scotch Saloon
Payne & Peterson saloon
Picture Saloon
Pioneer Saloon
Princess Saloon
Pullen House Hotel
Rainier Saloon
Red Onion Saloon
Seattle Bar
Seattle Saloon or the Gentleman’s Saloon
Skagit Saloon
Smug Saloon
Summit Roadhouse
Surprise Saloon
The Bank
The Kentucky House Saloon
The Monogram Saloon
The Monte Carlo Bar
The Office Saloon
The Palace Royal
The Peerless Saloon
Theatre Royale
Victoria House Lodging & Saloon
White Navy Saloon
Wonder Saloon

Edward Frederick Doree


E.F. Doree is quite famous or infamous among union and union-busters. Edward was born in Philadelphia in 1889 to Swedish immigrants Frederick and Maria. The family moved to Coeur d’Alene and from there to Skagway after 1900. Frederick and his son Edward worked for White Pass and lived in company housing. Edward had 5 siblings ranging in age from 3 to 16 – Edward was the oldest. According to his daughter who wrote a book in 2004, here is the story:

One day there was a railroad accident and Edward lost the fingers of one hand. He was fired. His parents requested some compensation from White Pass and instead were told to clear out of White Pass housing, they no longer worked for the railroad.
This created a fire in the heart of Edward Frederick Doree. He moved to Washington and became an organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World more commonly known as the Wobblies. He once mocked the idea of rural work as wholesome and benevolent with the famous joke that in the wheat states, the “eight-hour work day” prevailed—“eight hours in the forenoon, eight hours in the afternoon.”
The IWW fought for the rights of workers—common laborers, migrants, immigrants, black workers—unprotected by the craft unions. In the face of beatings, kidnappings, and lynchings by vigilantes, company detectives, and hired guns, the Wobblies organized in mining and lumber camps, the wheat fields, on docksides and in textile factories. A meteoric career from its beginnings in 1906, the IWW arose with free speech fights, peaked with a membership of over 100,000 workers in 1917, and was devastated in 1918 by the imprisonment of its leadership for violations of wartime legislation.
Doree was a key IWW organizer, union head, writer, and defense committee officer who experienced all of this first-hand. From 1918 to 1922, Doree was one of over a hundred Wobblies imprisoned in Leavenworth Penitentiary when the government cracked down on these activists.
Doree wrote many letters and his writings provide a different view of American labor history. The most interesting irony is that while White Pass saved the money to compensate the Doree family in early 1900’s, by their actions, labor gained a hero. Thousands of companies and millions of workers from that time to present have benefited from the simple rights that unions won for the worker. I will classify Doree as another one of Skagway’s heroes, despite the lack of recognition he has received.

Wikipedia; “A Wobbly Life: IWW Organizer E.F. Doree”, 2004, by Ellen Doree Rosen

3rd Infantry


The 3rd Infantry arrived in Skagway in July 1904. I only have a few records of men from that who were here: Private Curtis Hubbard (who was convicted for forgery), Quartermaster William Payne Jackson, Captain Charles Dwyer, Captain John W. Barker, James W. McAndrew, Lt. Samuel C. Orchard, and Col. Thomas Childs Woodbury.
However, there was one man, John Woods, who was quite freaked out by the thought of coming to Alaska with his regiment. This is from the Cincinnati Times Star of June 30, 1904:

“The departure of the Third regiment of infantry from Ft. Thomas, [Arizona] for Alaska was the cause of one of the Soldiers attempting to commit suicide. The regiment left Ft. Thomas on the 20th inst. for San Francisco, from which place they will sail July 2 for Alaska. Some of the soldiers of the regiment did not like to be stationed in the far North, but the most of them accepted the orders to leave in soldierly manner. John Woods of Company D of the Third infantry, however, brooded over the matter until he thought life would be unbearable in Alaska and that death here would be better, and not wishing to have the dishonor of being known as a deserter, attempted to commit suicide. His attempt at self-destruction occurred in the Grand Canon (sic) of the Colorado river in Arizona on the Santa Fe train, which was bearing the regiment to San Francisco. The train had stopped at a little station by the name of Canon Diable when, taking the razor, which is issued to all soldiers, he attempted to cut his throat. Comrades prevented him from succeeding in his attempt. It is thought that he will recover.”

Skagway Museum Rec; “Duty Station Northwest” by Lymon L. Woodman; Cincinnati Times online.