George Dickinson ran the Northwest Trading Post with his wife, Sarah, a Tongass Tlingit as early as 1880. In 1886 he partnered with J.J. Healy at the trading post in Dyea. He became ill and died in San Francisco on November 10, 1888.
His obituary in the Juneau City Mining Record of November 29,1888 gave his age at death as 45. Sometime later, the Healy and Wilson trading post is seen above in this Anton Vogee picture.
Neufeld:Juneau City Mining Record Nov 29 article; Daniel Lee Henry book online excerpt; San Francisco Call.
Thank you for this detail. NOTE George Dickenson died in San Francisco 10 November 1888 (not 29 November). Interesting that he married a Tongass woman, Sarah. It appears they may have had a daughter Jessie. George’s first child was born with Chief Sonihat’s daughter Maggie Peele who lived from abt1860-aft 1900.
Hi Jan, thank you for the correction on George Dickinson death date, I corrected the entry. I would like to post a link to a Findagrave listing for him, but have not seen a memorial for him there. I did some research on which San Francisco cemetery he may have been buried in during 1888. Many of those cemeteries were abandoned and literally paved over especially after the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed the records. I could still make a listing for him with burial “unknown” but I thought I would first ask you if you would prefer to do that as you seem to have a specific interest in that family.
Here is my account Contributor ID number on Findagrave:
48666319
As you can see I do mostly my family and Skagway History people which includes Haines sometimes. I have been working on making family connections and adding pictures when I find them.
I did a little background info on Jessie and found her living in Skagway in 1900 at the Peniel House with two other orphans under the care of Victoria Tooley who was a minister then in Skagway. The census states she was born in Alaska but that there was no info on her parents. Approximate age was 10 but no info on birthdate. This might indicate that Sarah had died before then and that Jessie never knew her father. I found this at the Mormon Family Search site. Small piece of the puzzle. – Marlene