Primary Name: Britt, William Engle
Filed as: britt_william_engle
Also known as: William E. Britt
Occupation / Association: Druggist; Business Owner; Member, Juneau City Council; President, Alaska Board of Pharmacy; Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska
Born: September 12, 1868, Norway
Died: April 24, 1932, Juneau, Alaska
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Norway; Chicago Illinois; San Francisco California; Skagway Alaska; Dawson Yukon; Atlin British Columbia; Juneau Alaska
Keywords: William Engle Britt Juneau, Britt's Pharmacy Alaska, Alaska Board of Pharmacy president
Biography
William Engle Britt was a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska and a prominent pharmacist, businessman, and civic leader in Southeast Alaska.
Britt was born in Norway on September 12, 1868. He graduated from the University of Christiana with a degree in chemistry and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He came to the United States in 1893 and settled in Chicago, Illinois. There, he passed the examination before the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy and worked as a druggist until 1898.
When the Klondike Gold Rush began, Britt set out for Alaska in a remarkable journey. He bicycled from Chicago to San Francisco, where he boarded a steamer to Skagway. From there, he attempted to reach Dawson on a scow and participated in the Big Salmon stampede. He later joined the rush to Atlin, operated a ferry across Taku Arm from Golden Gate, and worked as a freighter at Summit Lake.
In 1899, Britt returned to Skagway and established a drug store known as Britt’s Pharmacy. He soon became active in civic affairs, serving on the Skagway School Board and holding positions as a city councilman, school treasurer, and municipal magistrate.
In 1913, Britt moved to Juneau, where he opened another Britt’s Pharmacy while retaining ownership of his Skagway store. The following year, he was elected to the Juneau City Council and served on several important committees.
Governor John F. A. Strong appointed Britt to the first Alaska Board of Pharmacy after the board was created by the Alaska Legislature. He was later chosen by fellow members to serve as the board's president.
William Engle Britt died in a tragic accident in Juneau on April 24, 1932. While attempting to start a car with a dead battery by pushing it and jumping onto the running board, the vehicle went out of control and struck a utility pole near the top of Gold Street.
Sources
Daily Alaska Dispatch, October 18, 1914; Daily Alaska Empire, April 25, 1932
Ferrell, Ed. Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Volume 2, pp. 32–33; Volume 3, p. 37
Atwood, Evangeline and Robert N. DeArmond, Who's Who in Alaskan Politics: Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities, 1884–1974, p. 10
Tags: William Engle Britt, Britt's Pharmacy, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau City Council members, Alaska Board of Pharmacy, Skagway business leaders, Alaska gold rush pioneers