Original 1933-1937 Scrapbook of Yukon Gold Mining in Atlin, British Columbia
Tacoma, Washington: 1933. Disbound. Very Good. Item #452
A 60-page scrapbook measuring 21cm x 29cm and containing 78 original pictures, 23 postcards, and 22 paper clippings attributed to Jasper S. Coxey (1854-1946). Jasper was an early Alaskan gold prospector and the brother of the infamous General Jacob S. Coxey who raised Coxey’s Army in 1880s and marched to Washington D. C. in support of the unemployed. This album was created by Jasper Coxey during the years 1933-1936 and includes pictures and reminiscences of his 1898 participation in the Atlin, B. C. gold rush. The contents cover a six-month trip Jasper Coxey took in 1933 across Alaska and British Columbia where he visited many of the sites that featured during the late 19th century when he owned numerous mining claims in the area. He was again, more than 30-years later, looking to mine for gold in Atlin. The album begins with a handwritten account of Jasper S. Coxey as told by his daughter Edythe to historian Jerome Peltier in 1962. The account tells of Coxey’s involvement with a claim jumper named Charles Esterbrook and of his involvement in the Lynching of Soapy Smith [Jefferson Randolph Smith, II]. Having handled numerous Peltier manuscripts, the handwriting of this account match his. The majority of the album’s contents have written, first-person descriptions and are signed J. S. Coxey. The scrapbook does not have the tie that originally secured the pages. The pages are loose, which is good for keeping further deterioration to a minimum. The majority of the photos and postcards are adhered to the pages and/or secured by corner mounts. The scrapbook pages are made of acidic pulp paper. Several pages have become loose, brittle, toned, and chipped in places. Several pages have their edges reinforced with similar paper. This reinforcement can be seen in the pictures. With the exception of one word, the chipping does not affect the written text. The firs page has the most significant wear with the inside hinge nearly separated and the outer edge heavy chipped but repaired. Additional photos are available on the bookstore website. The scrapbook is from the estate of Jerome Peltier.
Contents:
POSTCARDS:
1. [page 2] S. S. Northwestern
2. [page 2] Ketchikan, Alaska (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.) [annotated by Coxey]
3. [page 6] Bear Totem Square, Wrangle, Alaska (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.) [annotated by Coxey]
4. [page 8] Alaskan Dog Team (H. H. T. Co.) C143
5. [page 9] Chilicoot Pass -Trail of ’98. Real photo postcard. [annotated by Coxey and addressed to his niece Dorothy. Dated June 29, 1933.]
6. [page 10] Caribou Bill Cooper. “Mail carrier and close friend in 1898” [annotated by Coxey] Addressed to William F. Cooper, Ridpath Hotel, Spokane, Washington (not posted). [▲AZO▲ Stamp box]
7. [page 10] Cooper and his dog team (illustration by Mae Dowell) [Annotated by Coxey] ◊VELOX◊
8. [page 24] Taku Glacier – Alaska. Real photo postcard. [Annotated by Coxey] [■AZO■ Stamp box]
9. [page 26] Caribou Bill [duplicate]. Trimmed postcard. [▲AZO▲ Stamp box]
10. [page 26] Cooper and his dog team (illustration by Mae Dowell) “Compliments of Caribou Bill” [◊VELOX◊ Stamp box]]
11. [page 27] Taylor’s Photo Shop, Atlin, B. C. [■AZO■ Stamp box]
12. [page 27] Capital City of Juneau, Alaska (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.) [annotated by Coxey]
13. [page 31] Caribou Swimming Yukon River. [Annotated by Coxey, not posted. Dated July 1st, 1933, addressed to Dorothy] [■AZO■ Stamp box]
14. [page 31] Placer Mining on Spruce Creek, Atlin, B. C. (Gowen, Sutton Company, Ltd. Vancouver, B. C.)
15. [page 32] First Dance Hall at Skagway, Alaska. (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.)
16. [page 33] Indian Traders (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.)
17. [page 33] A Malamute Chorus (Scenic Photo Publishing Co., Seattle, Wa.)
18. [page 34] Lake Keechelus Inn, Hyak, Wash. (Bloom Bros., Minneapolis)
19. [page 35] Keechelus Inn (by Veich) E K K P
20. [page 35] Mollie Walsh, the wonder girl of White Pass Trail. (Copy by Van Ness-905 Pike St.-Seattle) [■AZO■ Stamp box]
21. [page 40] Hydraulicing on Pine Creek, Atlin, B. C. [Annotated by Coxey] “I was on this creek in August 1898. They have been working it ever sense…” [■AZO■ Stamp box]
22. [page 40] Placer Mining on Spruce Creek, Atlin, B. C. (Gowen, Sutton Company, Ltd. Vancouver, B. C.) [Annotated by Coxey]
23. [page 40] Packer Jack Newman, 5 Miles from Skagway – 1898. Copy by Van Ness—905 Pike St.—Seattle. [■AZO■ Stamp box]
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS:
24. [page 3] Bull Cook and Blue Creek Mine (Washington) [6cm x 8cm]
25. [page 3] Copper Production Co. Mine Entrance at Blue Creek Washington [6cm x 8 cm]
26. [page 3] Copper Production Mill at Blue Creek Washington [8cm x 6cm]
27. [page 3] J. S. Coxey with mining engineers at Blue Creek Washington [8cm x 6cm]
28. [page 5] View of Haden Island dated June 9, 1933 [11cm x 7cm]
29. [page 5] Entrance to Wrangle, Alaska dated June 10, 1933 [11cm x 7cm]
30. [page 6] Taku Glacier, Alaska dated June 11, 1933 [11cm x 7cm]
31. [page 7] Alaskan Cannery [11cm x 7cm]
32. [page 7] Light House Buoy near Juneau, Alaska [9cm x 7.5cm]
33. [page 7] Juneau Mine [11cm x 7cm]
34. [page 11] Atlin, B. C. [11cm x 7cm] on VELOX paper. [Annotated by Coxey] “Show these to my wife. All is well here, only cold.”
35. [page 11] Lake Atlin, B. C. [7cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as “No. 11 – Sample.”
36. [page 11] Indian Villiage with Atlin, B. C., in the distance [Annotated by Coxey]
37. [page 12] Sunset on Lake Atlin. [7cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as “No. 10 – Sample.”
38. [page 12] Abandoned Church on Lake Bennett. [7cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey]
39. [page 13] Coxey’s cabin on Pearl Street, Atlin City, B. C. [7cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as “No. 13 – Sample.”
40. [page 13] Blacksmith shop in Atlin, B. C., with owner Pete. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as “No. 29 – Sample.”
41. [page 14] “Home of one of my men last summer. Mr. Hunt.” [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as “No. 31 – Sample.”
42. [page 14] Main Street, Atlin, B. C., showing the Bender House, Royal Hotel, and Coxey’s cabin. Dated June 1933. [5.5cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey]
43. [page 15] View of Atlin, B. C., residential housing section. [11cm x 7cm] Identified as “No. 30 – Sample.”
44. [page 15] View of Coxey’s summer cabin in Atlin, B. C. [11cm x 7cm] Identified as “No. 14 – Sample.”
45. [page 16] Looking south on Wilson Creek in Atlin, B. C. [7cm x 11cm] Identified as “No. 20 – Sample.”
46. [page 16] Looking south on Coxey’s Wilson Creek property showing exposed gravel. [7cm x 11cm]
47. [page 17] View of Pine Creek. [7cm x 11cm] Identified as “No. 21 – Sample.”
48. [page 17] View of Coxey’s property taken from the lower end and the upper end of the Buster Lease. [7cm x 11cm] Identified as “Sample 1933 – No. 3.”
49. [page 18] Palmer Lake. [Annotated by Coxey. “…if there is any more beautiful places, in any one hundred mile space, than around Atlin, B. C., lead me to it.” Dated October 3rd, 1933] [15cm x 9cm]
50. [page 18] Coxey’s operational Sluce Box with its operator. [7cm x 11cm]
51. [page 19] Men shoveling gravel into sluce boxes. [7cm x 11cm] Identified as “No. 16A – Sample.”
52. [page 19] Notice of Trespass sign on Wilson Creek. [11cm x 7cm] [Coxey annotation under photo “to Kirk = May 18 – 37 as a lone.”
53. [page 20] View outside of the White Pass Inn, Atlin, B. C. [14cm x 9cm] [annotated “Film #8-1- Photographer. Our no. 32 Sample”]
54. [page 20] Cook House showing Coxey and others. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey and dated August 1933] Identified as “no. 4.”
55. [page 20] Sleeping quarters from June to September 1933. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey “let Mrs. C. and Mrs. Buckler see this.”] Identified as 18-A.
56. [page 21] Cook House [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Identified as 17-A.
57. [page 21] Photo of Coxey and J. Bender. October 1933. [11cm x 7cm]
58. [page 21] Columbia Glacier. May 1933. [11cm x 7cm]
59. [page 22] Unidentified Mountain view. [11cm x 7cm] No. 9 – Sample.
60. [page 22] Float Plane. [11cm x 7cm] No. 8 – Sample.
61. [page 22] Float Plane with Coxey and others. [11cm x 7cm] No. 7 – Sample.
62. [page 23] Unidentified Mountain view. [14.5cm x 9cm]
63. [page 23] Photograph of Coxey’s claim map. [14.5cm x 5.5cm]
64. [page 24] Unidentified Mountain view. [14cm x 9cm]
65. [page 25] Seagull picture taken from the Princess Louisa, November 1933. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey]
66. [page 25] Aboard the Princess Louisa on return, November 17, 1933. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey]
67. [page 25] S. S. Northwestern docked. November 1933. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey]
68. [page 26] Cook house. [Duplicate of 21]
69. [page 26] Duplicate. 17. A. Sample
70. [page 26] Duplicate of 20
71. [page 27] Three duplicate cabin photographs
72. [page 28] Drilling machine on Spruce Creek [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey, dated August 1933]
73. [page 28] Two duplicates aboard the Princess Louisa.
74. [page 29] Coxey photographed at the head of the Foss River [14.5cm x 9cm]
75. [page 29] Lake Atlin mountain view [14cm x 9cm]
76. [page 30] Keystone drill. [13cm x 18cm]
77. [page 32] Minto Mountain [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] “This, was given me by the photographer to send to my wife. That’s you sweetheart. From Dad. Atlin, B. C. July 1—1933”
78. [page 32] Hotel New Vendome [11cm x 7cm]
79. [page 34] Old style Chinese Pump on Spruce Creek. [9cm x 14cm]
80. [page 38] Three duplicate photographs
81. [page 39] Overexposed town scene. [11cm x 7cm]
82. [page 39] Unidentified village scene. [11cm x 7cm]
83. [page 39] Cabin Scene. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] “on my way to Wilson Creek”
84. [page 41] Rasmussen’s Hydraulic on Pine Creek. [11cm x 7cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Dated October 2nd, 1933 and mentions the claims of Reid and Pete B.
85. [page 41] Slucing scene. [11cm x 7cm] No. 6 – Sample
86. [page 41] Unidentified market scene with ox carts. [11cm x 7cm]
87. [page 42] Duplicate of page 14
88. [page 43] Quartz outcrop near Atlin, B. C. [7cm x 11cm] [Annotated by Coxey] Dated September 11th, 1933. Sample 25.
89. [page 43] Unidentified hillside. [11cm x 7cm] Sample 24.
90. [page 44] Unidentified wooded scene [11cm x 7cm] Sample 23
91. [page 44] Unidentified Sluce. [11cm x 7cm]
92. [page 44] Unidentified wooded scene [11cm x 7cm] Sample 22
93. [page 45] Unidentified Cabins [11cm x 7cm]
94. [page 45] No Trespassing sign featuring Coxey’s name [11cm x 7cm]
95. [page 45] Unidentified Lake and town view [11cm x 7cm]
EPHEMERA
96. [page 36] Three articles: Skagway A Town of Memories, Famous Mine may Reopen [Tredwell Mine], and Span Dedicated Alaskans Hold Celebrations.
97. [page 37] Poem dated June 24th, 1931. Attributed to Coxey. Celebrating the birth of a child. Helen Patricia named.
98. [page 46] Article: Gold-Rush Railroad No Take Tourists to Yukon in Comfort. Skagway, Alaska.
99. page McKinley
100. [page 48] Clipped mage of Kenai Lake.
101. [page 49] Clipped article and picture of Sitka
102. [page 50] Clipped image Ketchikan
103. [page 51] Article on Will Rogers and Wiley Post.
104. [page 52] Clipped newspaper picture of Will Rogers and of Mrs. Wiley Post.
105. page Associated Press.
106. [page 54] Clipped newspaper picture of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol dog-sled team.
107. [page 55] Colored newspaper drawing by Lichty picture titled “Grin and Bear it”
108. [page 56] Blank
109. [page 57] Clipped color illustration of “The End of the Trail”
110. [page 58] Clipped color illustration of howling wolves.
111. [page 59] Clipped magazine color illustration of a dog-sled team.
112. [page 60] Clipped newspaper article about Chinook and Naches Passes.
113. Seven loose newspaper clippings related to Alaska and the Northwest.
Price: $550.00