Happy Birthday to Harry Ask, born on May 8, 1894 in Washington. His family moved to Skagway and arrived in February 1898. His father Charles, a Norwegian by birth worked as a clerk and bookkeeper for Kalen and then opened his own store, Ask and Sons General Merchandise. Harry married Irma Williams in Seattle in 1928 and then returned to Skagway and opened his own grocery store in 1929 and was a City Councilman in 1934. The family moved to Washington, and return to Skagway occasionally to visit. Charles Ask, the grandson will be arriving tomorrow here for the Skagway Reunion. This reunion of “old-timers” from Skagway usually meet in Seattle, so it will be a real treat to have them all here this weekend.
John Beagle Lincoln
John was born June 10, 1873 in Montgomery, Illinois. He came to Skagway from Seattle with wife Annie Ellen Douglas and son Herl. John ran a grocery store and a travel business. The 1900 census also shows a James B. Lincoln (born June 1871) married to Annie L. with son Fred who was born on this day, March 6, 1895 in Washington. The first family returned to Washington sometime after 1900 where they all lived out their lives. Herl served in WWI and died in 1918 at age 22 of influenza.
Now I would say that John is actually James, the two Annies are the same and Herl is Fred, but no, they are actually different because Herl died in 1918 but Fred died May 1969.
Now of course I was wondering if they were related to President Abraham Lincoln who was also from Illinois, although born in Kentucky. And the answer is yes, but you have to go back to the 1600’s in Hingham England to find a common grandfather. So they were maybe 6th or 7th cousins.
John and his wife Annie Ellen are seen above in November 1901. The family website says that indeed John and family were in Alaska, but even they have questions about the various relations.
family website; familysearch; 1900 census; Washington death records.
Herman Grimm
Herman was born in 1865 in Denmark. He ran the Seattle Saloon on the northwest corner of 6th and State Street known as “the Gentleman’s Saloon”. Grimm stood for no nonsense. “No women, no gambling, no trouble,” was his motto. On January 22, 1904, when Army deserter Jeff Halloway, “a drunken roysterer (sic)” and “flourishing a revolver,” caused some trouble at the Seattle, Herman personally ushered him out the back door. He also owned the Pack Train Bar.
Grimm built a house in 1898 at the northwest corner of 6th Avenue and Alaska (or Holly and Ivy on original street maps). The present owner has been remodeling and meticulously restoring it over the past 9 years. It features a “widow’s walk,” hipped roof, bay windows, gable roof dormers, and barge boards over the porch. Past additions to the rear and a rock fireplace have been removed, and the house was raised. Property records show that the property sold for $150 in 1898. In 1902 he had a garden, 50 feet by 100 feet where he raised strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, carrots, celery, parsley, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, rhubarb and potatoes. He also had cherry and apple trees. The garden was one of the federal government’s experimental stations. Seen above is his neighbor’s garden with the Grimm house in the back.
Herman Grimm died on this day, March 30, 1928 and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.
1900 census;1902 directory;1905 directory; 1915 directory;1910 census; Skagway death record. U.S. Congressional report of the Office of Experiment Stations, issue 4425, 1902.