Scope and Content Restrictions on Use Restrictions on Access
Inventory
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Subject Terms
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Preliminary Guide to the Alaska
Railroad Commission Photograph Collection
1914-1923
| Creator:
| Alaska
Railroad Commission, creator | | Title:
| Alaska Railroad
Commission photograph collection | | Date Span:
| 1914-1923 | | Quantity:
| 1220 photographic prints | | PH Collection No.:
| 495 | | Location:
| HC483 (boxes 1a and 1b) | | K166 (boxes 2-3) | | Languages:
| Collection materials are in
English. |
Scope and ContentCollection consists of 3 albums and loose photographs from the
collection of Colonel Frederick Mears of Alaska railroad survey and
construction carried out by the Alaskan Engineering Commission between the
years 1914 and 1925. Col. Mears was appointed to the Alaskan Railroad
Commission by President Taft in 1914 to survey routes for railroads in Alaska.
Two albums (circa 1914) document the survey of the Anchorage-Iditarod-Innoko
Route (Susitna-McGrath section) which follows the Susitna Valley to the
confluence of the Skwentna and Yentna Rivers, the north bank of the Skwentna
River and Happy River, to McGrath via the Kuskokwim River. This railroad line
was apparently surveyed, but never built. The loose photographs document the
construction what now is the Alaska Railroad (Seward-Anchorage-Fairbanks Route)
from Seward, passing around Turnagain Arm across the Matanuska Valley, up the
Susitna Valley, over Broad Pass and then along the Nenana River to Tanana,
across the Tanana and then on to Fairbanks, 1915-1923. Restrictions on UseRestrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication.
Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for
details. Restrictions on AccessThe collection is open to the public.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Box |
Date
| | | Albums | | | | "Alaska Engineering Commission. Kuskokwim
Reconnaissance," J.L. McPherson, Reconnaissance Engineer. | | | 3 albums | | 1a | | Album 1 | circa 1914 | | 283 b/w photographs | | Localities noted: Ship Creek (present day Anchorage), Knik,
Little Susitna River, Yentha River/Valley, Willow Creek, Susitna River,
Skwentna River/Valley, Rainy Pass, Happy River Valley, Pass Creek, Kuskokwim
River, Teocalli Pass. Road houses noted: Swentna Road House, Anderson Road
House. Also included: members of the expedition, camp sites, examples of
vegetation, pack trains. | | 1b | | Album 2 | circa 1914 | | 293 b/w photographs | | Localities noted: Kuskokwim River, Houston Pass, Happy Valley,
Simpson Pass, Moose Creek Valley, Tatina River Valley, Post River, Pitka
Divide, Salmon River, Big River, McGrath, Tacotna River, Tacotna, Innoka
Divide, Bonanza Creek Valley, Flat City, Iditarod Valley, Iditarod, Iditarod
River, Indian village on Innoko River, Innoka River, Russian Mission, Yukon
River, Marshall, Kotlik. Road houses noted: Rohn Road House, Salmon River Road
House, Cloughs Road House, McLeans Road House, Moore Creek Road House. Also
included: Pacer mining at "Discovery", rafting down rivers, pack trains,
possible expedition members (Dexter, Blake, Nichols, Denny, Reed, Martindale,
Chenery, Perry, Blake), Eskimo in kayak off Stebbins Point, Bering Sea. | | 2 | | Album 3 | 1914 | | 344 b/w photographs | | Personal photograph album dated 1914. Images of unidentified
expedition . Localities noted: Chulitna River, Broad Pass, Jack River, Nenana
River, Chena, Tanana River, Delta River, Gulkana River, Copper River, Copper
Centre, Mt. Wrangel. Also included: Reaburn's camp, expedition members, rafting
freight, Mr. Gray's party, Coal seams at Healy Fork, S.S. General Jacobs taking wood, signal station at
Richardson, Lt. Charles Mason, Alaska Road Commission's auto, Gulkana River
bridge, Copper Centre Road House, Lt. Kunsig (Alaska Road Commission), Mr.
Riggs and Lt. Mears at Copper Centre. |
| | | |
| | Box
/
Folder |
Date
| | | U.S. Alaska Engineering Commission
photographs | 1914-1922 | | Photographs of Alaska Railroad route survey and construction from
the collection of Frederick Mears. | | 2/1 | | Commission staff; route map; Christmas card | 1914-1922, undated | | Photographer: Edward S. Curtis
Photographer: H.G. Kaiser
Photographer: A.J. Johnson | | 3 undated photographs of office staff headed by F. Mears,
including C.L. Mason, Wm. Gerig, H.P. Warren, F. Hansen, B.H. Barndollar; 1
portrait of Alaska Engineering Commission (1914): F. Mears, W.C. Edes, Thomas
Riggs; 1 photograph of map showing proposed railroad construction routes; 1
photographic Christmas card from Col. and Mrs. Mears. | | 2/2 | | Railroad construction | 1914-1917 | | 46 b/w photographs | | Photographer: Sidney Lawrence
Photographer: A.J. Johnson
Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | Includes: Auction of lots at Nenana (1916), Turnagain Arm
(1917), Ship Creek (Anchorage), First passenger train on standard gauge line
(Sept. 2, 1917). | | 2/3 | | Railroad construction | 1918 | | 18 photographs | | Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | Includes: snowslides, washouts and floods. | | 2/4 | | Railroad construction | 1919 | | 42 photographs | | Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | Includes: Nenana River, government railroad roundhouse
(Anchorage), New dock (Anchorage?). | | 2/5 | | Railroad construction | 1920 | | 11 photographs | | Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | Includes: Freighting with caterpillar, snowslides, Turnagain
Arm. Sec. of the Interior John Barton Payne, Sec. of the Navy Josephus Daniels
and Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman on an inspection trip of the Government Railroad
and coal fields, July 15, 1920. | | 2/6 | | Railroad construction | 1921 | | 30 photographs | | Includes: Hurricane Gulch Bridge (First train over bridge),
Chickaloon, Susitna Bridge. | | 2/7 | | Railroad construction | 1922 | | 19 photographs | | Includes: Tanana River Bridge, Nenana. | | 2/8 | | Construction of bridge | 1925 | | 3 photographs | | 2/9 | | Railroad construction | undated | | 46 photographs | | 2/10 | | Miscellaneous Alaska | 1913-1917, undated | | Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | 1 photograph of Alaska Moving Picture Corp. railroad car,
McKinley Park; 1 photograph of a battery of 50 steam points in operation 75 ft.
underground, Center Creek, Nome, Alaska; 1 photograph of J. Johnson's racing
team of Siberian wolf dogs;1 photograph of Bench no. 2 below Dry Creek, John
Lutschinger, Nome; 1 photograph of S.P. Railway, Nome, Alaska; small railroad
flatbed pulled by team of dogs; 1 photograph of Steamer Senator in the Nome road, June 15, 1914; steamer in ice
floes; 2 photographs of Alaska brown bears; 1 photograph of dredging Bering Sea
in winter; 1 photograph of Revenue cutter Bear and
steamer Corwin in the ice (3 copies); 1 photograph
of "The Stampeders;" 1 photograph of Chechacos first stampede, Nome, Alaska; 1
photograph of Darling and Allan team - winners of 5th Annual All Alaska
Sweepstakes, Nome, 1913; dogsleds; 1 photograph of Alaska reindeer camp; 1
photograph of Alaska reindeer; 1 photograph of winners of Reindeer Race,
Kougraruk, Alaska; 1 photograph of Anchorage sunset, 1917;1 photograph of
winners of prizes at First Alaska Agricultural Fair, circa 1917;1 photograph of
dogsled team. | | 2/11 | | Eskimos | undated | | 4 photographs | | Photographer: H.G. Kaiser | | 1 photograph of Eskimo ivory carver; 1 photograph of Madonna of
the North (Eskimo woman and child); 1 photograph of Diomede Island Eskimo; 1
photograph of Katesarina. (young Eskimo girl). | | 2/12 | | Scenes in Fairbanks, Alaska | 1907-1913 | | 8 photographs | | Photographer: Weldon | | 1 photograph wild lilies, 1913; 1 photograph on the meadows
Hinkley's dairy herd, circa 1911; 1 photograph "Good old summer time" (Two
children with dogs in water); 1 photograph of oats, 1911. 1 photograph of
sunrise at 1:30 a.m, June 22, 1911; 1 photograph of Alaska mid-night, Aug 14,
1907; 1 photograph "As the moon rose over the city"; 1 photograph of June
sunset. | | 2/13 | | Alaska scenes | undated | | 14 photographs and photographic
postcards | | Unidentified Alaska scenery, Resurrection Bay, Healey River Coal
Corporation Mines, Dead Horse Road House. |
| | | |
| | Box
/
Folder |
Date
| | | Photographs by P.S. Hunt | 1915-1922 | | Photographer: P.S. Hunt | | Photographs of U.S. Alaskan Engineering Commission showing Alaska
Railroad route survey and construction from the collection of Frederick
Mears. | | 3/1 | | Numbers G2-G99 | undated | | 54 photographs | | Matanuska Junction, Eagle River Bridge, Eklutna River Bridge,
Knik River Bridge, Moose Creek, river steamboat "Omineca" at Groto Landing,
Susitna River | | 3/2 | | Numbers G100-G300 | 1916 | | 68 photographs | | Talketna, Potter Creek, Turnagain Arm, Matanuska River, Mt.
King, King River (town), Matanuska coal mine, Eska Creek Canyon | | 3/3 | | Numbers G300-G500 | 1917 | | 68 photographs | | Turnagain Arm, Wassila, Unloading freight from Panama from "S.S.
Turret Crown" at Anchorage, "Sourdough" train | | 3/4 | | Numbers G500-G700 | circa 1917 | | 40 photographs | | Anchorage scenes, excursion of Anchorage baseball fans to Potter
Creek, July 1917. Potter Creek baseball grounds. Talketna, Susitna River,
Deadhorse, Wasilta townsite, Harmann Ranch, Weiss Ranch, Capt. F. Mears in
private car. | | 3/5 | | Numbers G700-G900 | undated | | 18 photographs | | G.H. Saindons Ranch, Eska Creek coal mines, Pomer Station. | | 3/6 | | Numbers G120--G4200 | undated | | 26 photographs | | Spencer Glacier, Entrance to Portage Bay, Seward scenes, Alaska
Central Railway Co.'s office and warehouses in Seward, Rainbow Creek, Knik,
Ship Creek (Anchorage), Turnagain Arm, Glacier Valley | | 3/7 | | J Series | 1914 | | 49 photographs | | Twenty Mile Flats, Spencer Glacier Flats, Kuskalana River
Bridge, Baird Glacier Flats, Miles Glacier Bridge. Lieut. Mears private train
standing at Chitina Depot, 1914. W.C. Edes getting his picture taken on S.S.
Mariposa, Sept. 1914, Old Knik Roadhouse, Knik, Copper Creek Rapids, Chitna,
Orca Inlet, Ship Creek (Anchorage), Turnagain Arm |
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