Hansen, Martin
Primary Name: Hansen, Martin
Filed as: hansen_martin
Also known as: Martin Hansen
Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Men’s Igloo; miner; prospector
Born: Norway
Died: October 30, 1920, Juneau, Alaska
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
Associated places: Norway; Australia; California; Idaho; Montana; British Columbia; Juneau, Alaska
Keywords: Martin Hansen, Hansen Martin, Juneau Men’s Igloo charter member, Alaska prospectors, Juneau miners
Biography
Martin Hansen was a charter member of the Juneau Men’s Igloo.
Hansen was born in Norway. After leaving school, he spent a number of years at sea and afterward settled in Australia. Soon, the gold excitement of California attracted his attention, and the early 1870s found him among the army of prospectors in the hills of that state.
Success attended his labors, but the lure of the rich gold fields of Idaho and Montana again called him northward. Hansen resided a number of years in Idaho until the gold stampede in British Columbia and Alaska drew him once more into the ranks of the Argonauts who uncovered the hidden wealth of the Northland.
Hansen later lived in Juneau, where he engaged in mining and prospecting.
Preferring a few close friends to a large acquaintanceship, his many acts of charity were largely unknown to the public. During World War I, he was a regular subscriber to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, though he quietly paid through the secretaries of these organizations rather than have his name appear on subscription lists. No prospector left his cabin hungry.
Martin Hansen died at St. Ann’s Hospital in Juneau on October 30, 1920.
Sources
Daily Alaska Empire, October 30, 1920; Daily Alaska Empire, November 1, 1920
Tags: Martin Hansen, Hansen Martin, Juneau Men’s Igloo, Alaska prospectors, Juneau miners