Brondino, Giacomo “James”
Primary Name: Brondino, Giacomo "James"
Filed as: brondino_giacomo
Also known as: James Brondino
Occupation / Association:
Born: 1880, Italy
Died: circa 1914, Sitka, Alaska
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Italy; Sitka Alaska; Douglas Alaska
Keywords: Giacomo Brondino, James Brondino, Douglas Eagles Cemetery
Biography
Giacomo “James” Brondino was born in Italy in 1880.
He later lived in Alaska and died in Sitka at approximately age 34. He was buried in the Douglas Eagles Cemetery.
Sources
Tags: Giacomo Brondino, James Brondino, Douglas Eagles Cemetery, Alaska pioneers
King, Catherine L.
Primary Name: King, Catherine L.
Filed as: king_catherine_l
Also known as: Catherine L. King; Kate King
Occupation / Association:
Born: July 1893, Alaska
Died:
Parents: Nicholas King; Alice Develin King
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Alaska
Keywords: Catherine L King, Catherine King, King Catherine, Nicholas King daughter, Alice Develin King daughter, Alaska pioneer families
Biography
Catherine L. King was born in Alaska in July 1893 to Nicholas King and Alice Develin King.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska family records
Tags: Catherine L King, King Catherine, Nicholas King, Alice Develin King, Alaska pioneers
King, Alice J.
Primary Name: King, Alice J.
Filed as: king_alice_j
Also known as: Alice King
Occupation / Association:
Born: August 1889, Alaska
Died:
Parents: Nicholas King; Alice Develin King
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Alaska
Keywords: Alice J King, Alice King, King Alice J, Nicholas King daughter, Alice Develin King daughter, Alaska born pioneers
Biography
Alice J. King was born in Alaska in August 1889 to Nicholas King and Alice Develin King.
Sources
Family records; U.S. Census records
Tags: Alice J King, Alice King, King Alice J, Nicholas King, Alice Develin King, Alaska pioneers
Dalton, Josephine
Primary Name: Dalton, Josephine
Filed as: dalton_josephine
Also known as: Josephine Dalton; Josephine Grant
Occupation / Association: Daughter of Alaska pioneer Jack Dalton
Born: 1916
Died:
Parents: Jack Dalton; Anna Krippeahne-Dalton
Spouse: U. S. Grant
Children:
Associated places: Alaska; Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California
Keywords: Josephine Dalton, Josephine Grant, Dalton family Alaska, Jack Dalton daughter
Biography
Josephine Dalton was born in 1916 to Jack Dalton and Anna Krippeahne-Dalton, about the time the Dalton family left Alaska for the Seattle area.
She later married U. S. Grant, a descendant of the Civil War general and President of the United States, and became a well-known citizen of San Francisco, California.
Sources
Dalton, Jack
Primary Name: Dalton, Jack
Filed as: dalton_jack
Also known as: Jack Dalton, Jack Miller
Occupation / Association: Freighter, Explorer, Entrepreneur, Klondike Transportation Pioneer
Born: June 25, 1856, Michigan (most probable)
Died: December 16, 1944, San Francisco, California
Parents: Unknown
Spouse: Anna Krippeahne Dalton; earlier unnamed spouse
Children: Jack Dalton Jr., Margaret Dalton, James W. Dalton, Josephine Dalton
Associated places: Juneau Alaska, Haines Alaska, Pyramid Harbor Alaska, Porcupine Mining District Alaska, Cordova Alaska, Yakutat Alaska, Chickaloon Alaska, Klondike Yukon
Keywords: Jack Dalton, Dalton Trail, Klondike freighting, Dalton Trail Company, Porcupine Mining District, Copper River Northwestern Railway
Biography
Jack Dalton's life of nearly ninety years spanned an era of extraordinary change in Alaska and the Yukon. As Alaska's premier freighter during the Gold Rush era, he witnessed the transition from pack animals and human labor to the mechanized age of railroads and aircraft.
Accounts of Dalton's early life are inconsistent. His birthplace has been listed as Oklahoma, Kansas, or the Cherokee Strip, but his California death certificate records that he was most likely born in Michigan on June 25, 1856.
Dalton had only a limited formal education but became largely self-educated through reading and writing. He possessed a wide range of practical frontier skills and developed a reputation as a formidable and capable man with a quick temper. He was known as a skilled horseman, hunter, cook, and boatman.
As a young man, he traveled widely across the American West, at one time using the name Jack Miller. By the early 1880s, he had moved to Burns, Oregon, where he operated a logging business. A violent altercation there resulted in the fatal shooting of a cook during a struggle, prompting Dalton to leave the area.
Dalton eventually traveled to San Francisco and joined a sealing ship bound for the Arctic coast. The crew was arrested for illegal sealing and jailed in Sitka. After gaining his freedom in the mid-1880s, Dalton remained in Alaska and quickly developed a reputation as a skilled wilderness guide and negotiator with Indigenous communities. He learned Chinook Jargon, the regional trade language of the Pacific Northwest.
In 1886, Dalton joined the Schwatka–New York Times expedition attempting to climb Mount St. Elias. The expedition reached approximately 5,700 feet before being forced to retreat due to illness. Dalton remained in the Yakutat region afterward, prospecting and exploring coastal areas around Disenchantment Bay.
In 1890, Dalton participated in the Frank Leslie Newspaper Expedition led by E. Hazard Wells with explorer E. J. Glave. The expedition crossed Chilkat Pass and explored interior river systems, including the Alsek River. Dalton and Glave became the first known non-Native explorers to descend the lower Alsek River by canoe.
During the early 1890s, Dalton pioneered the use of pack horses for transportation between the Alaska coast and the Yukon interior. He developed what became known as the Dalton Trail, running from Pyramid Harbor near present-day Haines across the coastal mountains toward the Yukon River.
The trail was completed before the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 and quickly became a major transportation route. At its peak, trains of more than 250 horses carried freight and livestock to the goldfields. Dalton received permission from the U.S. government to collect tolls along portions of the trail while allowing Chilkat people to travel freely.
Dalton was closely associated with Juneau attorney John F. Malony, who frequently partnered with him in business ventures. Together, they operated the Dalton Trail Company, the Dalton Trading and Transportation Company, and the Dalton Pony Express Company.
Dalton also played a role in the development of the Porcupine mining district near Haines after gold was discovered there in 1898 by prospectors he had grubstaked. Dalton and partners established the Porcupine Trading Company to support mining operations.
Later, Dalton assisted with survey efforts for the construction of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway. His reconnaissance helped demonstrate that a rail route up the Copper River was feasible, eventually leading to the construction of a railroad to the Kennecott copper mines.
Dalton continued to work as a freighter and transportation contractor into the early twentieth century. In 1913, he undertook a difficult contract hauling 900 tons of coal from the Chickaloon mine to Cook Inlet for testing by the U.S. Navy. The expedition required constructing over forty miles of winter road and hauling coal by horse-drawn sleds.
Dalton later moved operations to Cordova, where he ran sawmills and transportation companies. In 1915, many of his Cordova holdings were purchased by interests associated with the Kennecott Copper Corporation.
Dalton married twice and had four children, including James W. Dalton, an engineer whose name was later given to the Dalton Highway on Alaska's North Slope.
After leaving Alaska, Dalton lived in the Seattle and San Francisco areas and even prospected for diamonds in British Guiana in the early 1920s.
Jack Dalton died in San Francisco on December 16, 1944, at the age of eighty-nine.
In 1942, the United States Army reopened portions of the historic Dalton Trail while constructing the Alaska-Canada Highway.
Sources
Berton, Pierre. Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush 1896-1899. Coutts, R. C. Yukon Places and Names. Blakemore, F. B. Grit and Gold. Cracraft & Cole. A History of Coal Mining in the Sutton-Chickaloon Area. DeArmond, R. N. “Miners and Cattle Used Dalton's Trail.” DeLaguna, Frederica. Under Mt. St. Elias. Glave, E. J. “Our Alaska Expedition,” Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. Hakkinen, Elizabeth. Haines, the First Century. Russell, Israel C. An Expedition to Mt. St. Elias. Wier, Gary. “The Man Behind the Dalton Trail.” Alaska State Library Malony Files.
Tags: Jack Dalton, Dalton Trail, Alaska freighters, Klondike Gold Rush transportation, Haines Alaska history, Porcupine mining district, Copper River Northwestern Railway, Alaska pioneers, Alaska Mining Hall of Fame
Lynch, Molly
Primary Name: Lynch, Jenny Amy “Molly”
Filed as: molly_lynch
Also known as: Molly Lynch; Jenny Amy Wittanen; Jenny Amy “Molly” Wittanen
Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Igloo No. 6; Telephone operator
Born: March 28, 1899, Douglas, Alaska
Died: April 5, 1981, Seattle, Washington
Parents: Matthew Hermann Wittanen; Mary T. Brevig Wittanen
Spouse: Frederick Albert Lynch
Children:
Associated places: Douglas, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Seattle, Washington
Keywords: Jenny Amy Molly Lynch, Molly Lynch, Jenny Amy Wittanen, Jenny Wittanen, Wittanen family, Frederick Albert Lynch, Juneau Igloo No. 6, Douglas Alaska, Seattle Washington, telephone operator, Alaska pioneers
Biography
Jenny Amy “Molly” Wittanen Lynch was a charter member of Juneau Igloo No. 6.
She was born on March 28, 1899, in Douglas, Alaska, to Matthew Hermann Wittanen and Mary T. Brevig Wittanen.
She married Frederick Albert Lynch on February 19, 1917, in Douglas, Alaska.
Lynch worked as a telephone operator in Douglas and later in Seattle. She twice won popularity contests sponsored by the Douglas Fire Department.
She died in Seattle, Washington, on April 5, 1981.
Sources
1900 U.S. Federal Census, Douglas; 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Douglas; 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Seattle; U.S. Social Security Death Index; Douglas Island Weekly News, February 23, 1917; Alaska Daily Empire, May 4, 1981
Tags: Jenny Amy Molly Lynch, Molly Lynch, Jenny Amy Wittanen, Wittanen family, Frederick Albert Lynch, Juneau Igloo No. 6, charter member, telephone operator, Douglas Alaska, Seattle Washington, Alaska pioneers
Keithahn, E.L.
Primary Name: Keithahn, E. L.
Filed as: keithahn_e_l
Also known as: E.L. Keithahn, E. L. Keithahn
Occupation / Association: President (1961), Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6
Born:
Died:
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: E L Keithahn, EL Keithahn, Keithahn E L, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6
Biography
E. L. Keithahn served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 in 1961.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 records
Leivers, J.W.
Primary Name: Leivers, J. W.
Filed as: leivers_j_w
Also known as: J.W. Leivers, J. W. Leivers
Occupation / Association: President (1960), Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6
Born:
Died:
Parents:
Spouse:
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Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: J W Leivers, JW Leivers, Leivers J W, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6, Juneau pioneers
Biography
J. W. Leivers served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 in 1960.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 records
Markle, William J.
Primary Name: Markle, William Jennings
Filed as: markle_william_jennings
Also known as: William J. Markle, William Jennings Markle
Occupation / Association: Marine engineer, fireman, Deputy U.S. Marshal; President, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 (1939–1940)
Born: November 7, 1896, Ballard, Washington
Died: October 15, 1976, Boise, Idaho
Parents: Louis N. Markle; Catherine Markle
Spouse: Ethel Ellen Wilson (m. June 18, 1918; div. September 29, 1947)
Children: Florence Markle; William C. Markle
Associated places: Ballard, Washington; Skagway, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; Boise, Idaho
Keywords: William Jennings Markle, William J Markle, Markle William Jennings, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 president, Deputy U.S. Marshal Juneau, Alaska marine engineer
Biography
William Jennings Markle served as President of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 in 1939 and 1940.
Markle was born on November 7, 1896, in Ballard, Washington, to Louis N. Markle and Catherine Markle. By 1917, he was living in Skagway, Alaska, where he worked as a marine engineer and fireman. During this period, he applied for residence in Victoria, British Columbia, and worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
On June 18, 1918, he married Ethel Ellen Wilson in Seattle, Washington. The couple had two children. Their daughter, Florence Markle, was born in Canada about 1920, and their son, William C. Markle, was born in Alaska about 1928.
Markle enlisted in the United States Army on October 23, 1918, and was discharged on December 27, 1918. He later worked in Juneau as a Deputy United States Marshal. William and Ethel Markle were divorced on September 29, 1947, in Idaho.
William J. Markle died on October 15, 1976, in Boise, Idaho.
Sources
U.S. Census records; marriage records, Seattle, Washington; military enlistment records; Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6 records
Chase, William H.
Primary Name: Chase, William H.
Filed as: chase_william_h
Also known as: William H. Chase
Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo; Grand President, Pioneers of Alaska (1938); Mayor of Cordova, Alaska; author
Born: January 19, 1874, Warsaw, New York
Died: October 1, 1965, Seattle, Washington
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Warsaw, New York; Skagway, Alaska; Dyea, Alaska; Dawson, Yukon Territory; Fairbanks, Alaska; Valdez, Alaska; Katalla, Alaska; Cordova, Alaska; Seattle, Washington
Keywords: William H Chase, Chase William H, Pioneers of Alaska Grand President 1938, Cordova mayor William Chase
Biography
William H. Chase was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo and served as Grand President of the Pioneers of Alaska in 1938.
Chase was born in Warsaw, New York, on January 19, 1874, and completed high school there. He later attended Bellevue Hospital in New York City as a medical student with an emphasis on natural history.
He came north during the gold rush years and lived in Skagway, Dyea, and Dawson between 1897 and 1903. He later resided in Fairbanks from 1903 to 1904 and in Valdez from 1905 to 1906.
Chase moved to Katalla in 1907 and eventually settled in Cordova, Alaska, where he became a prominent civic leader and served twenty-four terms as Mayor.
He was also an author. His works include The Sourdough Pot (1943) and Capt. Billie Moore and Pioneers of Alaska (1951).
William H. Chase died in Seattle, Washington, on October 1, 1965.
Sources
Who's Who in Alaskan Politics: Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities, 1884–1974, Evangeline Atwood and Robert N. DeArmond, p. 16.
Tags: William H Chase, Chase William H, Pioneers of Alaska Grand Presidents, Cordova mayors, Alaska pioneers