Fisher, Tom

Occupation: Riverboat operator / early marine transportation

Associated Places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

Tom Fisher was an early resident of the Juneau–Douglas area and participated in the development of local marine transportation during the late nineteenth century.

By 1888, Fisher and Frank Tibbits installed a boiler and engine in a Columbia River–type sailboat and enclosed the vessel so it could carry approximately twelve passengers. The converted vessel was named the Marion.

The Marion served as one of the early small passenger vessels operating in the waters around Douglas and Juneau, reflecting the importance of locally modified craft in the development of transportation between mining camps and settlements in Southeast Alaska during the territorial period.

During the early years of Juneau and Douglas, small vessels like the Marion played an essential role in transporting residents, workers, and supplies between communities before larger steamships and regular ferry services became common.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: Tibbits, Frank

Filed as: Tibbits, Frank

Also known as: Frank Tibbits

Occupation / Association: Boat builder; early Douglas and Juneau resident

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Gastineau Channel; Columbia River region

Keywords: Frank Tibbits, Tibbits family Douglas Alaska, Tom Fisher boatbuilder, Marion boat Douglas Alaska, early Gastineau Channel transportation, Douglas Alaska pioneers

Biography

Frank Tibbits was an early resident of the Douglas and Juneau area and was associated with early transportation on the Gastineau Channel.

By 1888, Tibbits and Tom Fisher installed a boiler and engine in a Columbia River–type sailboat and enclosed the vessel so it could carry approximately twelve passengers. The small steamboat was named “Marion.”

The vessel represented one of the small passenger boats used during the early development of the Douglas and Juneau communities, when water transportation across Gastineau Channel served as the primary means of travel between settlements and mining camps.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: Early Residents of Douglas Island

Filed as: Early Residents of Douglas Island

Also known as: Early Treadwell Mine families

Occupation / Association: Early residents and workers associated with the Treadwell mining operations

Associated places: Douglas Island, Alaska; Treadwell, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: early Douglas Island residents, Treadwell Mine families, Richard McCormick Douglas Alaska, Nickolas King Douglas Alaska, George Shatter Douglas Alaska, Mike McKanna Douglas Alaska, P H Fox Douglas Alaska, Henry Mead Douglas Alaska, Treadwell mining community history

Biography

By 1886, families of employees working at the nearby Treadwell mining operations began arriving on Douglas Island. These families helped establish the first permanent residential community on the island as the mining industry expanded across the Gastineau Channel from Juneau.

Among the earliest permanent residents of Douglas Island were Richard McCormick, Nickolas King, George Shatter, Mike McKanna, P. H. Fox, and Henry Mead. These individuals were associated with the growing Treadwell mining complex and the development of the community that formed around it.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries.

Primary Name: McKanna, Mike

Filed as: McKanna, Mike

Also known as: Mike McKanna

Occupation / Association: Baker; early Douglas Island resident

Associated places: Douglas Island, Alaska; Treadwell Mine community

Keywords: Mike McKanna, McKanna Mike, Douglas Island pioneers, Treadwell Mine community, early Douglas Island bakery, Douglas Alaska early residents

Biography

Mike McKanna was among the earliest permanent residents of Douglas Island during the early years of development associated with the Treadwell mines.

By 1886, several families of Treadwell employees had begun arriving in the area. Some of the first permanent residents on Douglas Island included Richard McCormick, Nickolas King, George Shatter, Mike McKanna, P.H. Fox, and Henry Mead.

The first bakery on Douglas Island was opened by P.H. Fox and Mike McKanna, serving the growing population of miners and families connected with the nearby Treadwell operations.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries.

Shatter, George

Residence: Douglas Island, Alaska

Associated with: Treadwell mining community

Biography

George Shatter was among the early residents of Douglas Island, Alaska, during the development of the Treadwell mining district in Southeast Alaska.

By 1886, families connected with the Treadwell mines began arriving and establishing permanent homes on Douglas Island. Among those early residents were Richard McCormick, Nickolas King, George Shatter, Mike McKanna, P.H. Fox, and Henry Mead.

The settlement of these families helped form the foundation of the Douglas community as it developed alongside the Treadwell group of mines, which would become one of the largest gold mining operations in the world during Alaska’s territorial period.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: King, Nickolas

Filed as: king_nickolas

Also known as: Nicholas King

Occupation / Association: Early Resident, Douglas Island; Treadwell Mine Community

Born:

Died:

Parents:

Spouse: Alice Develin King

Children: John H. King; Sarah "Sadie" A. King-Cashen; Alice J. King; Catherine L. King

Associated places: Amador City, California; Juneau, Alaska; Douglas Island, Alaska

Keywords: Nickolas King, Nicholas King, King Nickolas, King family Douglas Island, Treadwell Mine families, Amador City California residents

Biography

Nickolas King was among the earliest permanent residents of Douglas Island. By 1886, several families of Treadwell Mine employees began arriving on Douglas Island. Some of the first permanent residents included Richard McCormick, Nickolas King, George Shatter, Mike McKanna, P. H. Fox, and Henry Mead.

Nickolas King and his wife, Alice Develin King, moved to Douglas from Amador City, California. Nicholas first came to Juneau in June 1885, and the rest of the family followed on July 24, 1888.

The couple had four children. John H. King was born in January 1879. Sarah "Sadie" A. King-Cashen was born on December 3, 1882, in Amador City, California. Alice J. King, born in August 1889, and Catherine L. King, born in July 1893, were born in Alaska.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Nickolas King Nicholas King King Nickolas King Nicholas

Tags: Nickolas King, Nicholas King, King family, Douglas Island pioneers, Treadwell Mine families, Amador City California residents

McCormick, Richard (Senior)

Biography

Richard McCormick, Senior, was born on August 8, 1859, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

By 1886, a number of families connected with the developing Treadwell mining operations began settling on Douglas Island. Among the earliest permanent residents were Richard McCormick, Nicholas King, George Shotter, Mike McKanna, P.H. Fox, and Henry Mead. Their arrival marked the beginning of the residential community that grew alongside the mines on Douglas Island.

In 1888, McCormick married Nora Connors-McCormick. The couple had eleven children, including Richard McCormick, Junior.

McCormick worked for many years in positions connected to the mining industry that dominated Douglas Island. He served as a blacksmith at the Mexican Mine, one of the early mines associated with the Treadwell mining complex. In 1911, he served as postmaster at Treadwell and later worked at the Treadwell Foundry.

Richard McCormick, Senior, died on May 3, 1934, at the age of seventy-four in Pacific Grove, California. He was buried in the Douglas Catholic Cemetery.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: Aanalahaash

Filed as: aanalahaash

Also known as: Anna-Cla-Ash

Occupation / Association: Tlingit Chief

Born:

Died:

Parents:

Spouse:

Children:

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska

Keywords: Chief Aanalahaash, Anna-Cla-Ash, Douglas Indian Cemetery, Douglas Alaska Tlingit leaders

Biography

Chief Aanalahaash, whose name has been misspelled in historical records as Anna-Cla-Ash, is one of the prominent individuals buried in the Douglas Indian Cemetery in Douglas, Alaska.

The cemetery contains the graves of many early Tlingit residents of the Douglas and Juneau area and represents an important cultural and historical site documenting the Native community associated with the early mining settlements in the region.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries (1995); Find-A-Grave

Aanalahaash Anna Cla Ash Anna-Cla-Ash Chief Aanalahaash Chief Anna Cla Ash

Tags: Aanalahaash, Anna-Cla-Ash, Douglas Indian Cemetery, Douglas Alaska, Tlingit leaders

Records were not available to confirm the establishment of the Douglas Indian Cemetery, the earliest burial date noted was June 9, 1901.

The earliest identifiable grave marker was in 1909 of Mrs. Gilbert Jackson. Her burial marker lies within one of the two grave houses that exist on the site. These hexagonal buildings were constructed of wood, with wood shingles, and one features wooden columns.

The cemetery site is located within the boundaries of the City of Douglas across from the Gastineau Elementary School. It is surrounded on three sides by residential development and on the fourth side by Third Street.

The site includes a wooden sign which refers to the cemetery as the burial site for the Taku Tribe, Crow Clan. A representative of the Douglas Indian Association indicated that persons other than Taku Tribe members were buried there and that the local Natives refer to it as the Douglas Indian Cemetery.

Identifiable markers indicate a Tlingit chief, wife of a chief, and a member of the Kaagwaantaan-wolf clan buried in the cemetery. Several of the markers are rather elaborate with relief carvings of the individual's clan crest.

There are numerous family plots surrounded by low concrete walls. One grave marker has rounded low pillars at the comers of the concrete walls. Several of the graves have solid concrete covers with no identification. Some of the concrete tops have an open section in the center in the shape of a cross. Others have small smooth stones embedded in the concrete.

Known Individuals Interred in the Cemetery:

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: Sanders, W. A.

Filed as: Sanders, W. A.

Also known as: W. A. Sanders

Occupation / Association: Mining engineer

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Lawson Creek, Alaska

Keywords: W A Sanders Douglas Alaska, Lawson Creek Douglas cemetery history, Douglas Alaska cemetery committee, P H Fox Douglas Alaska, M J OConnor Douglas Alaska, Reverend Peplogle Douglas Alaska, W C Boyd Douglas Alaska, early Douglas Alaska development

Biography

In 1899, mining engineer W. A. Sanders agreed to give the people of Douglas the “dry knoll this side of Lawson Creek” for use as a cemetery if they would not object to his mining patent. Sanders also agreed to construct a road to the grounds, though he declined to put the promise in writing, stating that his word was sufficient.

Immediately following the meeting, a Cemetery Committee composed of P. H. Fox, M. J. O’Connor, Reverend Peplogle, and W. C. Boyd took possession of the knoll and surveyed a line from Third Street in Douglas to the area. Their actions helped establish the early cemetery grounds serving the Douglas community.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries.

Primary Name: Sanders, W. A.

Filed as: Sanders, W. A.

Also known as: W. A. Sanders

Occupation / Association: Mining engineer

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Lawson Creek, Alaska

Keywords: W A Sanders Douglas Alaska, Lawson Creek cemetery history, Douglas Alaska cemetery origins, P H Fox Douglas Alaska, M J OConnor Douglas Alaska, Reverend Peplogle Douglas Alaska, W C Boyd Douglas Alaska, early Douglas Alaska development

Biography

In 1899 mining engineer W. A. Sanders agreed to give the people of Douglas the “dry knoll this side of Lawson Creek” for use as a cemetery if they would not object to his mining patent. Sanders also agreed to construct a road to the grounds, but declined to put the promise in writing, stating that his word was sufficient.

Immediately following the meeting, a Cemetery Committee composed of P. H. Fox, M. J. O’Connor, Reverend Peplogle, and W. C. Boyd took possession of the knoll and ran a line from Third Street in Douglas to the site. Their actions helped establish what became one of the early cemetery grounds serving the Douglas community.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries.

Fox, P.H.

Occupation: Baker; Douglas community organizer

Active in Alaska: 1880s–1890s

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Douglas Island, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

P.H. Fox was among the early residents of Douglas Island during the 1880s, when the Treadwell mining operations drew workers and their families to the Juneau–Douglas area.

By 1886 a number of families connected with the Treadwell mines had begun settling permanently on Douglas Island. Among the early residents were Richard McCormick, Nickolas King, George Shatter, Mike McKanna, P.H. Fox, and Henry Mead.

Fox participated in Douglas's early commercial life. The first bakery in the community was opened by P.H. Fox and Mike McKanna, providing baked goods and supplies for the rapidly growing mining town.

Fox was also active in civic affairs in Douglas. In 1899, mining engineer W.A. Sanders agreed to give the residents of Douglas “the dry knoll this side of Lawson Creek” for use as a cemetery if the community would not object to his land patent. Sanders also agreed to build a road to the cemetery grounds, though he declined to put the agreement in writing and stated that his word was sufficient.

Immediately following the meeting, a Cemetery Committee consisting of P.H. Fox, M.J. O’Connor, Reverend Peplogle, and W.C. Boyd took possession of the knoll and ran a line from Third Street in Douglas to the site, helping establish what would become one of the early burial grounds serving the Douglas community.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Douglas Cemetery Practices

Laura McCarley, author of Treadwell, Alaska, reports that blanket burials in unmarked graves were the standard practice of the mining companies in the early years of the Treadwell and Douglas mining communities.

McCarley also notes that the newer Douglas Cemetery, likely the City Cemetery, was laid out in organized 20-by-20-foot plots with streets and alleyways between the burial sections.

A German cabinet maker and hardware merchant, John Feusi, entered the undertaking business in Douglas. Tombstones for the cemetery were reportedly carved from Tolkeen marble by Frank Weaver, a partially blind Tlingit man from Taku Village.

Source
Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Thomas, Merle

Occupation: Undertaker; funeral director

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

Merle Thomas was associated with the early undertaking business in the Douglas–Juneau mining community during Alaska’s territorial period.

In the early years of the community, there were no morticians as the profession is known today. Cabinet shops commonly produced furniture and caskets, and the owners of those shops often served as undertakers for the town. Advertisements in the Douglas Island News described these businesses as providing “Undertaking … Manufacturers of Furniture, Carpentering, Jobbing, Store & Office Fixtures.”

Other advertisements referred to “Douglas Undertaking Parlors, Funeral Directors and Embalmers.” Among the individuals involved in the undertaking trade in the Douglas area were H.V. Sully, John A. McKanna (a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo), T.P. Sheldon, and L.G. Thomas and Merle Thomas.

The work of these early undertakers was essential to the developing mining community, where burial grounds such as those on Douglas Island served the rapidly growing population connected with the Treadwell mining district.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Thomas, Merle

Occupation: Undertaker; cabinet shop proprietor

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Biography

Merle Thomas was associated with the early undertaking trade in the Douglas–Juneau mining community during Alaska’s territorial period.

In the early years of Douglas, there were no morticians as the profession is known today. Cabinet shops commonly produced furniture and caskets, and the owners of those shops often served as the undertakers for the town. Advertisements in the Douglas Island News described these businesses as providing “Undertaking … Manufacturers of Furniture, Carpentering, Jobbing, Store & Office Fixtures.”

Other advertisements referred to “Douglas Undertaking Parlors, Funeral Directors and Embalmers.” Among the undertakers serving the Douglas community were H.V. Sully, John A. McKanna (a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo), T.P. Sheldon, and L.G. Thomas and Merle Thomas.

These early cabinetmakers and undertakers provided essential services to the rapidly growing mining community associated with the Treadwell mines and the settlement of Douglas Island.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Sheldon, T. P.

Occupation: Undertaker; cabinet and furniture maker

Associated Places: Douglas, Alaska

Biography

T. P. Sheldon was an early undertaker in Douglas, Alaska, during the territorial period.

In the early years of the mining communities of Douglas and Juneau, morticians did not exist in the modern sense. Instead, local cabinetmakers and furniture builders frequently assumed responsibility for preparing the deceased and providing burial services for the community. These craftsmen produced both furniture and caskets, and their workshops often served as the town’s undertaking establishments.

Advertisements in the Douglas Island News described such businesses as offering “Undertaking … Manufacturers of Furniture, Carpentering, Jobbing, Store & Office Fixtures.”

Other notices referred to businesses such as the Douglas Undertaking Parlors, Funeral Directors, and Embalmers. Among those known to have served as undertakers in the Douglas community were H. V. Sully, John A. McKanna, T. P. Sheldon, L. G. Thomas, and Merle Thomas.

These early undertakers played an essential role in frontier communities, providing burial services when professional funeral homes had not yet been established in Southeast Alaska.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries

Primary Name: John Yamanoi

Filed as: Yamanoi, John

Also known as: John Yamanoi

Nationality: Japanese

Occupation / Association: Treadwell Mine worker

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Treadwell Mine; Douglas Asian Cemetery

Died: 1907 – Douglas, Alaska

Burial: Douglas Asian Cemetery

Keywords: Japanese immigrant; Treadwell Mine; Douglas cemetery; Alaska mining history

Biography

In 1907, unrest was reported at the Treadwell Mine because of rumors that if a man died and had no relatives, his body would end up in the mill tailings piles.

That same year, John Yamanoi, a Japanese mine worker associated with the Treadwell operations, was murdered.

A week later, the “Treadwell Funeral Riots” began. Workers demanded special coffins and funerals complete with the Treadwell Band, marked graves, and notification of deaths to relatives. In 1913, the Treadwell Company agreed to pay funeral expenses not to exceed $125 per interment.

Sources

• Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries
• Douglas Asian Cemetery burial records

Primary Name: Boyd, W. C.

Filed as: boyd_w_c

Also known as: W. C. Boyd

Occupation / Association: Prospector; Manager, Alaska Snettisham Gold Mining Company; Douglas Cemetery Committee Clerk

Born: ca. 1837

Died: 1917, Sitka Pioneer Home, Sitka, Alaska

Parents:

Spouse:

Children:

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Snettisham, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska; California

Keywords: W C Boyd, Boyd W C, Douglas Alaska pioneers, Alaska Snettisham Gold Mining Company

Biography

W. C. Boyd came to Douglas around 1885 and was referred to as the "grand old man of Douglas." He was very active in Douglas civic affairs.

Boyd was a prospector and served as manager of the Alaska Snettisham Gold Mining Company.

In 1899, mining engineer W. A. Sanders agreed to give the people of Douglas “the dry knoll this side of Lawson Creek” for use as a cemetery if the townspeople would not object to his mining patent. Sanders also agreed to build a road to the grounds, stating that his word was sufficient rather than putting the agreement in writing.

Immediately after the meeting, a Cemetery Committee consisting of P. H. Fox, M. J. O'Connor, Reverend Peplogle, and W. C. Boyd took possession of the knoll and ran a line from Third Street in Douglas to the area.

In November 1900, Boyd was appointed clerk of the Douglas Cemetery Committee and was responsible for maintaining all cemetery records. He was also placed in charge of the road gang and later appointed a grave digger because earlier diggers had not been “observing the plan of the streets and alleys as marked out.”

In 1910, Boyd moved to California for health reasons but later returned to Alaska, where he lived at the Pioneer Home in Sitka. He died there in 1917 at nearly eighty years of age.

Sources

Douglas historical records

W C Boyd Boyd W C

Tags: W C Boyd, Boyd W C, Douglas Alaska pioneers, Douglas Cemetery Committee, Alaska Snettisham Gold Mining Company

Primary Name: Douglas Mining Patent Dispute, 1899

Filed as: douglas_mining_patent_dispute_1899

Also known as: Douglas mining patent protest; Douglas lode claim patent dispute

Occupation / Association: Mining claim patent application; Douglas townsite dispute

Born:

Died:

Parents:

Spouse:

Children:

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska

Keywords: Douglas mining patent 1899, W A Sanders, W A Thompson, Minnie Ross Holman, Douglas lode claims, Douglas townsite mining dispute

Biography

In 1899, mining engineer W. A. Sanders, together with W. A. Thompson and Minnie Ross Holman, applied for a patent to mining claims covering the northwest end of the town of Douglas.

The ground consisted of more than fifty acres and included thirteen lode claims and several mill sites. The claims extended over portions of the Douglas townsite, including streets and buildings.

Residents of Douglas organized a committee to protest the patent application.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries, 1995

Tags: Douglas mining patent dispute, W A Sanders, W A Thompson, Minnie Ross Holman, Douglas Alaska mining claims

Douglas mining patent dispute 1899 Sanders Thompson Holman Douglas lode claims

Primary Name: Thompson, W. A.

Filed as: Thompson, W. A.

Also known as: W. A. Thompson

Occupation / Association: Mining claimant; Douglas mining property applicant

Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska

Keywords: W.A. Thompson, Douglas Alaska mining claims, Douglas Alaska land patent dispute, W.A. Sanders, Minnie Ross Holman, Douglas mining history, Juneau Douglas mining claims, Alaska territorial mining disputes

Biography

W. A. Thompson was associated with mining property development in Douglas, Alaska, during the territorial period.

In 1899, Thompson, mining engineer W. A. Sanders, and Minnie Ross Holman applied for a federal patent to mining claims located at the northwest end of the town of Douglas. The proposed patent encompassed more than fifty acres of land and included existing streets and buildings within the community.

The application covered thirteen lode claims and several mill sites. Because the claims overlapped portions of the established townsite, the proposal generated local concern, and a committee was organized to protest the issuance of the patent.

The dispute illustrates the tension that sometimes arose between mining claim holders and developing communities in Alaska’s early mining districts, where valuable mineral claims and growing townsites frequently overlapped.

Sources

Survey and Inventory of Douglas Historic Cemeteries.