White, Elmer "Stroller" J.
Elmer J. White was President of the Juneau Men's Igloo No. 6 in 1922 and 1923.
White was born near Cambridge, Ohio about 1860. He married Josephine Keys in December 1881 in Tacoma, Washington. They had two sons, John McBurney White and Albert Hamilton White, and a daughter, Lenora White.
Before coming to Alaska, White worked as a newspaperman in Washington State and Florida. He began his career in the North in 1898 as a member of the staff of the Skagway News.
He later moved to Dawson to accept a position with the Dawson Nugget. From the “Stroller's Column” in that newspaper, he adopted the pseudonym by which he became widely known to his friends.
White subsequently moved to Whitehorse, where he purchased the Whitehorse Star, which he published and edited successfully for several years. He later came to Douglas and purchased the Douglas Island News.
He maintained the newspaper either as owner or lessor until the abandonment of mining and milling operations at Douglas. At that time, he transferred the printing plant to Juneau and renamed the publication Stroller's Weekly.
In addition to his newspaper activities, White was active in politics as a Democrat. Known for fairness in partisanship, he commanded the respect and often the support of political opponents.
He served the public as Territorial Publicity Director from 1918 to 1921. He was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1918, and his colleagues' regard was demonstrated by his elevation to the Speakership. At the request of party associates, he ran for Congress in 1922 and conducted a respected campaign.
Elmer J. “Stroller” White died in Juneau on September 28, 1930.
Daily Alaska Empire, September 29, 1930
Bishop, Harry A.
Primary Name: Bishop, Harry
Filed as: bishop_harry
Also known as:
Occupation / Association: Miner; Manager, Juneau Water Company; Mayor of Juneau; U.S. Marshal, First Judicial District of Alaska; Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo
Born: 1869, Iowa
Died: May 12, 1920, near Des Moines, Washington
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Juneau, Alaska; Sheep Creek, Alaska; Des Moines, Washington
Property / Address:
Keywords: Harry Bishop, Bishop Harry, Mayor of Juneau, Juneau Water Company, U.S. Marshal First Judicial District Alaska, Democratic Territorial Central Committee, Sheep Creek miner, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member
Biography
Harry Bishop was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska. Bishop was born in Iowa in 1869.
He came to Alaska in 1896 during the early years of the region’s mining development and worked as a miner at Sheep Creek near Juneau.
Bishop later became associated with the Juneau Water Company and served as its manager from 1910 to 1914.
Active in territorial politics, he served as Secretary of the Democratic Territorial Central Committee from 1910 to 1912. Bishop was elected Mayor of Juneau and served from 1912 to 1913.
He later became the United States Marshal for the First Judicial District of Alaska and held that position from 1914 until 1917. He resigned from the office because of declining health and moved to a farm near Des Moines, Washington.
Bishop died there on May 12, 1920.
Sources
Evangeline Atwood and Robert N. DeArmond, Who’s Who in Alaskan Politics: Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities, 1884–1974, p. 7.
Tags: Harry Bishop, Bishop Harry, Juneau mayor, U.S. Marshal Alaska, Juneau Water Company, Democratic Territorial Central Committee, Sheep Creek miner, Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member, Juneau Alaska
Cosgrove, Charles H.
Primary Name: Cosgrove, Charles H.
Filed as: cosgrove_charles_h
Also known as: Charles H. Cosgrove
Occupation / Association: Attorney; City Attorney; City Clerk; Magistrate; Charter Member, Juneau Men's Igloo
Born: ca. 1871, Lowell, Massachusetts
Died: May 15, 1923, Ketchikan, Alaska
Parents:
Spouse: Margaret Whalen (m. 1904, Seattle, Washington)
Children: Three sons; one daughter
Associated places: Lowell, Massachusetts; Worcester, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; Nome, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska
Keywords: Charles H Cosgrove, Cosgrove Charles H, Ketchikan attorney, Juneau Men's Igloo
Biography
Charles H. Cosgrove was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.
Cosgrove was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, about 1871. He attended the public schools of that city and, after graduation, entered Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, completing his collegiate course in 1893. That same year, he entered Boston University Law School and graduated in 1897.
He practiced law in Massachusetts for a short time before moving west, drawn by the pioneer spirit. After a brief residence in Seattle, he joined the stampede to Nome in 1899, where he remained for one season. He then came to Southeastern Alaska, settling in Ketchikan in 1901.
In 1904, Cosgrove married Miss Margaret Whalen of Seattle. They had three sons and one daughter.
During his years in Ketchikan, he served several terms as City Attorney, City Clerk, and Magistrate.
Cosgrove was a Catholic, a Democrat, a member of the Elks, and a member of the Arctic Club of Seattle.
Charles H. Cosgrove died in Ketchikan on May 15, 1923.
Sources
Ketchikan Alaska Chronicle, May 15–17, 1923; Alaska Daily Empire, Juneau, May 16–17, 1923
Tags: Charles H Cosgrove, Cosgrove Charles H, Juneau Men's Igloo, Ketchikan Alaska pioneers, Alaska attorneys
Gray, Robert Donerell
Primary Name: Gray, Robert
Filed as: gray_robert
Also known as: Robert Gray
Occupation / Association: Miner; merchant clerk; shipping businessman; Democratic Territorial Representative; Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6
Born: 1857, Jefferson, Texas
Died: Summer 1917, Texas
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Jefferson, Texas; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Atlin, British Columbia; Katalla, Alaska
Keywords: Robert Gray Alaska politician, Gray Robert Juneau pioneer, Alaska Territorial House 1913, Katalla shipping business, Koehler and James Store clerk
Biography
Robert Gray was a charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo No. 6, and an early merchant, miner, and political figure in Alaska.
Gray was born in Jefferson, Texas, in 1857. He came to Juneau in 1896, where he worked as a clerk at the Koehler & James Store.
In 1898, he moved to Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush period. He later mined in the Atlin district before becoming involved in the wharf and shipping business at Katalla, Alaska.
Gray was active in populist politics and served as a Democratic representative in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives in 1913.
Robert Gray died in Texas in the summer of 1917.
Sources
Who's Who in Alaskan Politics: Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities, 1884–1974, Evangeline Atwood and Robert N. DeArmond; Daily Alaska Empire, September 25, 1917; Alaska Digital Archives, James Joseph Connors Photograph Collection PCA 457
Hellenthal, John "Jack" Alburtus
Primary Name: Hellenthal, John Alburtus
Filed as: hellenthal_john_alburtus
Also known as: John “Jack” Alburtus Hellenthal; Jack Hellenthal; John A. Hellenthal
Occupation / Association: Attorney; Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo; Member, Democratic National Committee; Alaska mining interests
Born: September 17, 1874, Holland, Michigan
Died: May 25, 1945, Seattle, Washington
Parents:
Spouse: Bertha Linsley (m. February 12, 1900)
Children:
Associated places: Holland, Michigan; Wyoming; Utah; Juneau, Alaska; Seattle, Washington
Keywords: John Alburtus Hellenthal, Jack Hellenthal, John A Hellenthal, Juneau attorney, Alaska Juneau Mine, Treadwell Mine, Democratic National Committee Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member
Biography
John “Jack” Alburtus Hellenthal was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo.
He was born in Holland, Michigan, on September 17, 1874. Hellenthal studied law at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and later at the University of Michigan. He practiced law in Wyoming and Utah before moving to Juneau, Alaska, in 1900.
On February 12, 1900, he married Bertha Linsley. After arriving in Juneau, Hellenthal became active in the community's legal and civic life. He headed the local bar association and served on the Democratic National Committee from 1935 to 1940.
Hellenthal was also associated with the Alaska Juneau Mine and the Treadwell Mine beginning around 1910. In addition to his legal work, he wrote Alaska Melodrama, a descriptive account of the Territory.
John Alburtus Hellenthal died at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington, on May 25, 1945.
Sources
Who’s Who in Alaska Politics: A Biographical Dictionary of Alaska Political Personalities 1884–1974, Evangeline Atwood and Robert N. DeArmond, p. 42.
Tags: John Alburtus Hellenthal, Jack Hellenthal, John A Hellenthal, Juneau attorneys, Alaska Juneau Mine, Treadwell Mine, Democratic National Committee Alaska, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member
Strong, John Franklin Alexander
Primary Name: Strong, John Franklin Alexander
Filed as: Strong, John F. A.
Also known as: John Franklin Alexander Strong; J.F.A. Strong; Governor John Strong; Major Strong
Occupation / Association: Governor of Alaska Territory; newspaper editor and publisher; charter member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo
Associated places: Salmon Creek, New Brunswick, Canada; Fredericton, New Brunswick; Spokane, Washington; Bellingham, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Tacoma, Washington; Skagway, Alaska; Dawson, Yukon Territory; Nome, Alaska; Iditarod, Alaska; Katalla, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: John F A Strong, Governor of Alaska Territory, Alaska Daily Empire founder, Nome Nugget newspaper, Skagway Klondike journalism, Soapy Smith opposition, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter members, Alaska territorial politics
Biography
John Franklin Alexander “Major” Strong was a newspaper publisher, territorial leader, and charter member of the Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men’s Igloo. He served as the tenth Governor of the Territory of Alaska from 1913 to 1918.
Strong was born in Salmon Creek, New Brunswick, Canada, on October 15, 1856. He graduated from the New Brunswick Normal School in 1874 and spent the next fourteen years working as a teacher and store owner throughout the province.
On December 31, 1879, he married Elizabeth A. Aitken of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and the couple had three children. Strong later married Anna Hall of Seattle in 1896.
A newspaperman by profession, Strong worked with newspapers in Spokane, Bellingham, Seattle, and Tacoma. In 1897, he and his wife traveled north to Skagway during the Klondike gold rush. While planning to continue to the Klondike, the booming town of Skagway provided an opportunity for journalism. Strong soon became editor of a local newspaper and wrote strongly against the criminal activities of “Soapy” Smith and his gang, supporting the efforts of law-abiding citizens to restore order in the town.
In 1899, Strong headed to the Klondike and briefly tried prospecting before returning to newspaper work with the Dawson News. Later that year, he went to Nome, Alaska, where he established the Nome Nugget in 1900 and operated it successfully for many years.
Strong later founded newspapers in Iditarod and Katalla, and even operated a paper in a mining camp in Arizona before returning north once again. In November 1912, he founded the Alaska Daily Empire in Juneau.
President Woodrow Wilson nominated Strong as Governor of the Alaska Territory on April 17, 1913. He was sworn into office on May 21, 1913. His administration faced immediate financial difficulties when salmon canneries refused to pay a territorial tax on canned salmon, a major source of revenue for the young territorial government.
During Strong’s tenure, several important developments occurred in Alaska. Legislation and policies during this period included the implementation of workers’ compensation laws, the establishment of the territory’s first old-age pension system, the creation of a territorial Board of Education, and the authorization of a territorial university. Major events affecting Alaska at the time included the construction of the Alaska Railroad, beginning in 1914, and the creation of Mount McKinley National Park in 1917. Territorial voters also approved a prohibition referendum in 1917.
President Wilson declined to reappoint Strong to a second term, and his final day in office came in April 1918. According to later accounts, the decision may have been influenced by information suggesting that Strong, who had been born in Canada, had never formally completed the United States naturalization process.
John F. A. Strong died in Seattle, Washington on July 27, 1929.
Sources
Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Vol. 2, pp. 309–310; Vol. 3, pp. 282–283, Ed Ferrell
Wikipedia: John Franklin Alexander Strong
Gruening Cabin
Built during the summer of 1947, the Ernest Gruening Cabin is located at Mile 26 Glacier Highway, northwest of downtown Juneau. Gruening leased the 4.9 acre tract of land on which the cabin stands from the U.S. Forest Service in 1946, under provisions of the Small Tract Act of 1935, and later received title to it.
The cabin is oriented with a view to the west and overlooks Favorite Channel of Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. The northeastern edge of the property is bordered by Salt Lake, where a low waterfall empties into Eagle Harbor. The southern boundary adjoins Amalga Harbor Road.
In 1947, Ernest Gruening, Territorial Governor of Alaska from 1939 to 1953, had a one-and-one-half story cabin built at a site twenty-six miles north of downtown Juneau. Malcolm MacKay was the architect, Fred Jacobsen and Hunt Gruening built it. The cabin is the only building in Alaska, other than the Governor's Mansion, directly associated with Gruening.
During his years in Alaska, Gruening fought for statehood, for a strong military presence in Alaska, and for more equal treatment of all Alaskans. In the spring of 1953 when President Eisenhower appointed a new territorial governor, Dorothy and Ernest Gruening moved from the Governor's Mansion to the cabin.
The cabin served as Gruening's principal residence from 1953 until November 1958 when Alaskans elected him one of their first U.S. Senators and he moved to Washington, D.C.
In his 1974 eulogy of Ernest Gruening, Carey McWilliams observed, "The persona never engulfed the self with Ernest Gruening. The public citizen and the private person were one and the same . . . and few Americans of his generation had a richer or more varied experience in public affairs. He was a man of impeccable honor and integrity, indomitable spirit and extraordinary moral courage . . . and, more than any one person, was responsible for the successful drive to acquire statehood . . . for Alaska." (The Nation. Julv 20, 1974, pp. 36-37).
Ernest Gruening was born in 1887 in New York City. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1912, but never practiced medicine. Instead, he pursued a career in journalism, and was managing editor of The New York Tribune newspaper and The Nation.
In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Gruening to be the first director of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions in the Department of the Interior.
Gruening served in this position until his appointment as governor of the Territory of Alaska in 1939.
Gruening first visited Alaska in May 1936, to deliver the commencement address at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. On his tour through southeast, southcentral, and interior Alaska, Gruening noted the lack of adequate health facilities, inadequate harbors and housing, separate school systems for white and native children, and the high shipping costs between Seattle and Alaska. His interest in helping the territory get the many necessary and basic services it lacked led to his appointment as territorial governor.
As governor, Gruening pushed statehood for Alaska. He addressed the concerns expressed by members of Congress and the Department of the Interior; spearheading a personal income tax bill to show that Alaskans were willing to pay for state government, encouraging the Territorial Legislature to create a statehood commission, and promoting economic development.
Recognizing the strategic importance of Alaska in the war against Japan— and the development and revenue military activity would bring to the territory, Gruening
campaigned exhaustively for construction of air bases in Alaska. He termed Alaska the "first line of defense" for America and organized the Alaska Territorial Guard. After World War II, Gruening fought for continued military involvement in Alaska.
He also worked to end discrimination against Alaska Natives, and to get funding to combat tuberculosis that was epidemic in Alaska.
In 1953, the new Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower replaced Gruening as territorial governor. Gruening moved from the Governor's Mansion and to his cabin. There he continued to advocate Alaska statehood and tirelessly wrote articles for national magazines and newspapers. His 606-page book. The State of Alaska, was published in 1954. The State of Alaska chronicles Alaska's history and advocates statehood for Alaska. One reviewer wrote that the book "presented a powerful argument for statehood, [and] was undoubtedly written with that purpose in view. The case it makes is all the more compelling because it is predicated not upon an
emotional plea by one whose emotions are so surely involved, but rather upon a relentless review of facts which expose with dramatic clarity the disheartening effect of Governmental neglect, confusion, and bureaucracy on the one hand and exploitation by powerful economic interests on the other" (Saturday Review. February 12, 1955, p. 17).
Alaska achieved statehood on January 3, 1959. It took the combined efforts of many Alaskans, but Gruening was one of the chief architects and a
seemingly tireless crusader.
While he was territorial governor and after, Gruening entertained many notable guests at the cabin, among them presidential aspirant Adlai Stevenson, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, novelist Edna Ferber, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, and Senator John F. Kennedy.
Although away from the cabin quite a bit promoting statehood, the Gruenings lived there from 1953 until 1958, when Alaskans elected Gruening as one of the first
United States Senators from the new State of Alaska. After they moved to Washington, D.C., the couple visited the cabin whenever they were in the state. A
fter his death in 1974, Gruening's ashes were scattered on the mountain behind the cabin, now named Mount Gruening. The family owned the cabin until 1989 when the State of Alaska purchased the property for an historic park.