Lawrence William Muehleisen

Mr.Muehleisen was born on this day, February 17, 1907 in San Diego, California. He loved airplanes and even helped to build the Spirit of St. Louis for Charles Lindbergh’s historic 1927 solo non-stop New York-to-Paris flight.
His sad connection to Skagway was that on January 30, 1935 he crashed his plane here in Skagway and died and is buried in the Skagway Pioneer’s cemetery.

Pictured above is Muehleisen in 1927 with his co-workers who built the Spirit of St. Louis.

Captain John Irving


Happy Birthday to John Irving born November 24, 1854 in Portland Oregon. He was an early member of the Arctic Brotherhood in Skagway in 1900 and also a member of the Provincial Government. His navigation business was in the building that is now Richters on Broadway near 2nd.

His wife was Jane Munro daughter of Alexander Munro the Chief Factor of Hudson Bay Company, she probably lived in Victoria. His shipping business was the early main competitor to Capt William Moore on same routes around 1860; in 1882 after Capt Moore lost boats and his Victoria home, Irving hired Moore’s three sons: Billie, Henry and John to be captain, mate & purser on Western Slope sternwheeler.

His boat the “Willie Irving” was said to be the first boat through the Whitehorse Rapids under her own steam. It was built on Lake Bennett 1900, by Alex Watson.

The Captain was also a member of the Yukon Order of Pioneers. In his later years Captain Irving lived in a small converted store on West Pender Street in Vancouver. With his tall spruce figure and his white goatee beard he was a very handsome gentleman. His favorite remark when meeting an old friend on the street was “How about a smile?” He died in 1936, poor in everything but friends.