George Gordon Cantwell


George Cantwell was born on this day November 5, 1870 in New York. He was a birder and wrote articles for the ornithology publications. He collected and photographed specimens and later wrote both popular and scientific articles and books. He wrote the “Report of the Operations of the US Revenue Steamer Nunivak on the Yukon River 1899-1901” in 1902, published by United States Printing Office, Washington D.C.

When Hegg’s Dawson studio was devastated by a fire, it was rebuilt in November of 1898 and George G. Cantwell joined the staff in Dawson to assist with outside photographic work.
In 1913 he wrote the screenplay for a silent movie called “The Golden Heart.” It is the story of a young gold miner meeting a young woman in the mountains, staking a claim and marrying her. Unfortunately, the Library of Congress holds only a five minute remnant of the last known print of this film.
Seen above is a picture of Cantwell (on the left smoking a pipe and scrubbing a pan) camping on the Yukon river.
He died in March 1948 in Los Angeles or Palms California.

wrote “Birds of the Yukon Trail” in 1898; The Klondike:a souvenier in 1901; CA death record; online records

Frank Edward Simons


Frank Simons came to Skagway with his brother William in the Gold Rush and started the Simons Theatrical Company or Sapho Dance Company at the Mondamin Hotel. In the 1900 census there were 14 performers working for them as singers, dancers, acrobats, and stage managers. Frank and William were born in 1864 in Illinois, barely 10 months apart.
After the Gold Rush was waning in Skagway, the troup headed to Dawson and Nome.
Frank died on this day, November 4, 1928 in Skagway.

1900 census; Strange Things Done by Coates; Skagway Death Record

D’arcy Edward Strickland


Inspector Strickland of the NWMP was born on this day, November 2, 1868 in Ontario Canada. IN 1898 he was in charge of the Canadian border station at White Pass. Strickland was a big, beefy man and, judging from the photos taken of him, he tended not to wear the standard NWMP uniform. According to his disapproving superior, Inspector Charles Constantine, Strickland was a fun-loving person, “what is generally known as a good fellow” with “a taste for low company [and] a decided fondness for drink.”
Strickland was accompanied to the Yukon by his wife Tannis and their son Roland (seen above); his daughter Frances was born at Tagish Post in 1899. Strickland was an important figure in the early days of the NWMP in the Yukon. He supervised the construction of the Tagish Post in 1897.

After leaving the Yukon he went to the Boer War in South Africa as Adjutant of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He died at Fort Saskatchewan in 1908 at the age of 40 from cardial dropsy, perhaps something he contracted in Africa.

www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca; familysearch; Dobrowolsky

John Nicholas Hansen


John Hansen, known as “Nels” was born on this day, November 1, 1874 in Bornholm, Denmark. He came to Skagway in 1897 and married Ethel Mae Feero about 1907. His three children, John Egbert born 1908, Aden Nels born 1909, Frank born 1917 and William born 1919 were all born in Skagway and stayed here most of their lives.

Nels worked as the White Pass bridge foreman and as a fisherman. He was a member of the Arctic Brotherhood and was Skagway councilman from 1920 to 1922. Nels and Ethel were in Skagway for the 1929 census but I have no idea what became of them after that.

1910,1920, 1929 censuses; 1915 directory; 1909 AB book; rootsweb posting; WW1 registration.