English, Joseph E.
Primary Name: English, Joseph E.
Filed as: joseph_e_english
Also known as: Joseph E. English
Occupation / Association: Master Sergeant; Aircraft Mechanic; Honorary Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6
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Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Joseph E English, Joseph English, English Joseph E, Around the World Flyers mechanic, Pioneers of Alaska honorary members
Biography
Master Sergeant Joseph E. English was a mechanic for Plane No. 4 of the Around the World Flyers, which was piloted by Lieutenant Ross C. Kirkpatrick.
He was made an honorary member of Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo No. 6 records
Tags: Joseph E English, English Joseph E, Around the World Flyers, Pioneers of Alaska Honorary Members, Juneau Igloo No 6
Kirkpatrick, Ross C.
Primary Name: Kirkpatrick, Ross C.
Filed as: kirkpatrick_ross_c
Also known as: Lieutenant Ross C. Kirkpatrick, Ross C Kirkpatrick
Occupation / Association: U.S. Army Air Service officer; Around the World Flyers expedition pilot; Honorary Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6
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Associated places: Alaska; Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Ross C Kirkpatrick, Lieutenant Ross C Kirkpatrick, Around the World Flyers expedition, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6 honorary member
Biography
Lieutenant Ross C. Kirkpatrick served as a pilot in the Around the World Flyers expedition. He flew Plane No. 4 during the historic flight, with Master Sergeant Joseph E. English serving as his mechanic.
In recognition of his role in the expedition and his connection with Alaska, Kirkpatrick was made an honorary member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo No. 6.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6 records; historical accounts of the Around the World Flyers expedition
Long, James D.
Primary Name: Long, James D.
Filed as: james_d_long
Also known as: James D. Long; Sergeant James D. Long
Occupation / Association: U.S. Army Air Service Mechanic; Honorary Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6
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Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: James D. Long, Sergeant James D. Long, Long James D., Around the World Flyers mechanic, Plane No. 3 mechanic, Pioneers of Alaska honorary member
Biography
Sergeant James D. Long served as the mechanic on Plane No. 3 piloted by Lieutenant C. E. Crumrine during the Around the World Flyers expedition. In recognition of his association with the historic flight, Long was made an honorary member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo No. 6.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo No. 6 records
Tags: James D. Long, Sergeant James D. Long, Long James D., Around the World Flyers, C. E. Crumrine, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6 honorary members
Crumrine, C. C.
Primary Name: Crumrine, C. E.
Filed as: crumrine_c_e
Also known as: Lieutenant C. E. Crumrine
Occupation / Association: U.S. Army Air Service pilot; aerial photographer; honorary member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6
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Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: C E Crumrine, Lieutenant Crumrine, Around the World Flyers, Juneau Igloo No 6 honorary member
Biography
Lieutenant C. E. Crumrine piloted Plane No. 3 and served as the aerial photographer for the Around the World Flyers. His mechanic was Sergeant James D. Long.
Crumrine was later made an honorary member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Igloo No. 6.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Igloo No. 6 records
Tags: C E Crumrine, Lieutenant Crumrine, Around the World Flyers, Pioneers of Alaska honorary members
Nelson, Erik H.
Nelson, Erik H.
Biography
Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson served as the navigating officer for the U.S. Army Around the World Flyers expedition, the first successful aerial circumnavigation of the globe.
Nelson served aboard Plane No. 2 of the expedition, which was piloted by Lieutenant Clifford C. Nutt. The flight was part of the historic 1924 mission organized by the United States Army Air Service to demonstrate the potential of long-distance aviation.
The Around the World Flyers expedition marked a major milestone in aviation history, completing the first aerial circumnavigation of the globe and establishing the United States as a leader in early aviation exploration.
Sources
- Historical records of the U.S. Army Around the World Flyers expedition
Henriques, Edmund
Primary Name: Henriques, Edmund
Filed as: henriques_edmund
Also known as: Sergeant Edmund Henriques
Occupation / Association: Around-the-World Flyer; mechanic; honorary member, Juneau Pioneers of Alaska
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Associated places: Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Edmund Henriques, Sergeant Edmund Henriques, Henriques Edmund, Around the World Flyer, St. Clair Streett mechanic, Juneau Pioneers of Alaska honorary member
Biography
Sergeant Edmund Henriques was an Around-the-World Flyer. He served as mechanic to Squadron Leader Captain St. Clair Streett, who piloted Plane No. 1.
Henriques was made an honorary member of the Juneau Pioneers of Alaska.
Sources
Pioneers of Alaska records
Tags: Edmund Henriques, Sergeant Edmund Henriques, Henriques Edmund, Around the World Flyer, St. Clair Streett, Juneau Pioneers of Alaska
Nutt, Clifford C.
Primary Name: Nutt, Clifford C.
Filed as: Nutt, Clifford C.
Also known as: Clifford C. Nutt
Occupation / Association: First Lieutenant, United States Army Air Service; pilot, Around the World Flyers expedition
Associated places: United States; Alaska
Keywords: Clifford C Nutt pilot, Around the World Flyers 1924, U.S. Army Air Service aviators, Erik H Nelson navigator, early aviation Alaska connections
Biography
First Lieutenant Clifford C. Nutt served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Service and participated in the historic Around the World Flyers expedition. He flew Plane No. 2 during the expedition, with Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson serving as navigating officer.
The Around the World Flyers expedition was one of the earliest attempts to circumnavigate the globe by aircraft and represented a significant milestone in the development of long-distance aviation.
Sources
Historical records related to the Around the World Flyers expedition.
Streett, St. Clair
Streett, St. Clair (Captain)
Occupation: U.S. Army Air Service officer; aviator
Notable role: Squadron Leader, 1924 U.S. Army Round-the-World Flight
Association: Honorary Member, Pioneers of Alaska
Biography
Captain St. Clair Streett was a United States Army Air Service officer and aviator who participated in the historic 1924 U.S. Army Round-the-World Flight, the first successful aerial circumnavigation of the globe.
Streett served as the Squadron Leader for the expedition and piloted Plane No. 1. His aircraft crew included Sergeant Edmund Henriques, who served as his mechanic during the flight.
The round-the-world expedition was a landmark achievement in early aviation history and demonstrated the growing capabilities of long-distance military aviation during the 1920s.
In recognition of his accomplishments and his connection with Alaska during the expedition, Captain Streett was made an honorary member of the Pioneers of Alaska.
Sources
- Pioneers of Alaska records
- Historical accounts of the 1924 U.S. Army Round-the-World Flight
1920 First Alaskan Air Expedition
At 12:33 pm on July 15, 1920, five officers and three enlisted men were to take off on the first international cross-country flight in history. The four aircraft used were DeHavillandD H-4B's powered https://poajuneau.nationbuilder.com/henriques_edmund by 12-cylinder 400-horsepower Liberty engines.
Read moreAlaska Coastal Airlines Hangars
Alaska Native Tlingit and Haida people reportedly occupied Southeast Alaska for hundreds of years prior to European contact.
The Haida lived primarily in the southwestern portion of Southeast Alaska, while the Tlingit resided in the rest of the region. The Auk, Taku and Sumdum tribes of Tlingit people lived in what is now the City and Borough of Juneau at the time George Vancouver's crew noticed smoke from a campfire at an Auke Bay village. This first recorded account of the Auks was in 1794.
In 1867, The United States bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. Gold was known to exist in Southeast Alaska as early as the 1860s located in a string of highly mineralized deposits along the coastline from Windham Bay to Berners Bay.
George Pilz, a Sitka miner, was convinced that gold existed in the Gastineau Channel area when Chief Kowee of the Auk people brought him ore from the mouth of what was to be called Gold Creek. He outfitted two prospectors, Richard T. Harris and Joseph Juneau, and sent them to investigate. Following the creek to its headwaters in Silverbow Basin, they staked a claim on October 4, 1880.
Harris and Juneau established a 160 acre townsite at the beach near the mouth of Gold Creek on October 18, 1880 and named it Harrisburg. In early 1881, a town meeting resulted in the name being changed to Rockwell in honor of the Naval Commander that was sent to the area to establish law and order. By the end of 1881, Joe Juneau lobbied the local miners, complaining nothing in the district had been named for him, and it was agreed to change the town's name to Juneau. In 1900, Juneau was incorporated and named the seat of government for the Alaska Territory.
As early placer mining operations gave way to large underground mines, transportation of vast amounts of goods, materials, and people became increasingly important. The glacial, mountainous, and coastal terrain surrounding the Juneau area made overland transportation impossible. The only reasonable options were by sea and later air.
Juneau's harbor developed with a number of ship docks to handle the influx of commerce to support the growing community. By1901, the Pacific Coastal Steamship Company had a wharf and warehouse facility at the subject site. The facility served the shipping needs of the community until 1924, when Pacific Coastal was purchased by Admiral Line, a competing shipping company, and moved to another location on Juneau's waterfront.
The Juneau Motor Company purchased the property in 1924, and erected a garage and office on the wharf to serve their new business. This was Juneau's first Ford dealership as automobiles became popular.
Aviation history was made on April 15, 1929, when Enscel Eckmann flew into Juneau in his Lockheed Vega named "Juneau." It was the first non-stop flight from Seattle to Alaska. Shortly after arriving, Eckmann formed Alaska-Washington Airways, Juneau's first airline. Alaska-Washington Airways operated out of a hangar built atop a large log raft anchored in front of the Juneau Motor Company facility. During the 1930s there were a number of companies providing float plane service out of the Juneau Harbor. These included Alaska Southern Airways, Pacific Alaska Airways, Panhandle Air Transport,Alaska Air Transport, and Marine Airways.
In 1936, the Juneau Motor company's building and dock were demolished by Alaska Air Transport (AAT) to make way for a hangar and repair shop. Local investors funded the hangar which was built to house five planes. The 5,000 square foot hangar was used in conjunction with a floating hangar already owned by AAT. A wood and steel ramp connected the new hangar to the sea level floating dock allowing loading/unloading of passengers and cargo.
In addition, a lift system, composed of a long boom, slings, pulleys and railroad tracks,was developed to lift planes out of the water and transport them into the hangar on the wharf. The 'crane' was designed by Shell Simmons and used for the first time to lift AAT's Bellanca on August 27, 1936.
Fire destroyed the Alaska Air Transport hangar on June 10, 1938. The Daily Alaska Empire (currently Juneau Empire) reported the fire started from a welding torch that ignited the fabric of a Bellanca Skyrocket float plane. Damage from the fire was estimated at $25,000 and included destruction of the Bellanca Skyrocket, substantial damage to the buildinq, and destruction of machinery, parts and tools. The buildinq was insured and plans were made to rebuild.
Sheldon "Shell" Simmons, owner of Alaska Air Transport, was quoted as saying, "We're in the flying business, same as usual."
Between 1938 and 1939,a new Alaska Air Transport hangar was constructed. In July 1940, Alaska Air Transport and Marine Airways merged to become Alaska Coastal Airlines. After the merger the new company purchased the hangar from the private owner from whom they had been leasing. In 1946, the building underwent a major renovation including a hangar addition of approximately 10,000 square feet. In addition, office space was added in 1951, and a baggage handling area was constructed in 1957. In the 1950's, Alaska Coastal Airlines served 33 towns throughout Alaska, only four of which had airports. Alaska Coastal Airlines was recognized as a model of independency because they were at least 1,000miles away from any repair-shop or parts department, thus all servicing and repairs were done in house.
In the July1959 issue of Popular Mechanics the article, "Alaska's Flying Bus Line", praised Alaska Coastal Airlines as being, "...a most unique air operation that's a tribute to old-fashioned American ingenuity." Many innovations came out of the Alaska Coastal Airlines hangar over the years, in order to combat the harsh Alaska climate and lack of available parts as well as making planes more efficient. Alaska Coastal Airlines retrofitted the first "Turbo Goose" by replacing the original engines with Pratt and Whittney PT6A turboprops.
Coastal Ellis Airlines continued their operations out of the Alaska Coastal hangar. They owned and operated the greatest exclusively amphibian airline in the world, with the largest fleet of the legendary Grumman Goose in private hands. Today five of Alaska Coastal Ellis Airline planes sit in museums around the world. These museums include the McChord Air Force Museum in Washington, DC, the National Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa, the Tongass Historical Museum in Ketchikan, the Yanks Air Museum in Greenfield,California, and the Swedish Air Force Museum in Linkoping.
In 1968, Alaska Airlines purchased Alaska Coastal Ellis Airlines. Alaska Airlines did not wish to continue float plane operations based out of the Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar building, so Dean Williams and Bill Bernhardt formed Southeast Skyways in late 1968 to fill the void, renting the hangar facility from Alaska Airlines. Southeast Skyways was strictly charter until 1969, when Alaska Airlines asked Southeast Skyways to take over the former Alaska Coastal Ellis Airline routes.
In 1974, Henry Camarot, Louis Dischner, and Frank Irich purchased the Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar. The building was remodeled for use as a retail center with restaurants, shops, and offices. They named the bulldinq "Merchant's Wharf" which continues to serve as a retail center today.
About this time Southeast Skyways was purchased by Wings of Alaska. Although the hangar and repair facilities have been converted to retail uses, Wings of Alaska continues to operate from a floating dock to serve the tourist trade. These floats and associated aircraft activity are reminiscent of former operations at this location and serve as a reminder of the history and historic events of this aspect of Juneau's past.
Alaska Coastal Airlines Hangar Historic Survey, September 2006