Britt, William Engle
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
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
Davis, John Montgomery
Primary Name: Davis, John Montgomery
Filed as: davis_john_montgomery
Also known as: John M. Davis
Occupation / Association: Mining company bookkeeper; Assistant Superintendent; City Clerk; Magistrate; Wharfinger; Charter Member, Juneau Men's Igloo
Born: August 29, 1856, Liverpool, England
Died: February 19, 1933, Juneau, Alaska
Parents:
Spouse: Frances Caroline Brooks (m. 1892)
Children:
Associated places: Liverpool, England; Pennsylvania; Florida; Massachusetts; Juneau, Alaska; Silver Bow Basin, Alaska
Keywords: John Montgomery Davis, John M Davis, Davis John Montgomery, Nowell Gold Mining Company, Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Juneau, Juneau municipal wharfinger
Biography
John Montgomery Davis was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.
Davis was born in Liverpool, England, on August 29, 1856. After arriving in the United States in 1882, he lived in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Massachusetts.
He later came to Alaska and joined Thomas Nowell at the Nowell Gold Mining Company in the Silver Bow Basin near Juneau. At first, he worked as a bookkeeper at the mines and later became assistant superintendent.
In 1892, he married Frances Caroline Brooks, an artist. The couple built the Davis House on Sixth Street and assisted in the construction of portions of Seward and Sixth Streets near their home.
Davis helped found the present-day Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and was an active member of the congregation, serving as the Cathedral's secretary from 1908 to 1912.
He also served the community as city clerk and magistrate. For fifteen years, he was employed as the wharfinger of the Municipal Wharf until his illness and death on February 19, 1933.
Sources
Alaska Gold Rush Pioneers of Juneau–Douglas Area, 1880–1921, p. 36
Tags: John Montgomery Davis, John M Davis, Juneau Men's Igloo charter member, Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral founders, Juneau city clerks, Juneau wharfingers
Tanner, Josias Martin
Primary Name: Tanner, Josias Martin
Filed as: Tanner, Josias Martin
Also known as: Josias Tanner; “Senator Si” Tanner
Occupation / Association: Charter Member, Juneau Men's Igloo; Alaska Territorial Senator; Mayor of Skagway; Deputy United States Marshal; merchant; miner
Associated places: Oakland County, Michigan; Central City, Colorado; Juneau, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska; Tacoma, Washington
Keywords: Josias Martin Tanner, Senator Si Tanner, Juneau Men's Igloo charter members, Skagway Alaska mayor, Soapy Smith era Skagway, Alaska Territorial Legislature, Skagway Vigilantes, Arctic Brotherhood members, Alaska-Yukon pioneers
Biography
Josias Martin Tanner was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska and one of the prominent early civic leaders of Skagway during Alaska’s gold rush era.
Tanner was born in Oakland County, Michigan, on February 22, 1850. His grandfather served in the Revolutionary War, having enlisted at the age of fifteen. A brother of Tanner’s grandfather, William Tanner, was reportedly a member of President George Washington's bodyguard when the British and Loyalists attempted to capture the first President.
Known throughout Alaska as “Senator Si,” Tanner served two terms in Alaska’s territorial lawmaking assembly.
As a young man, Tanner began his career in mining. At the age of twenty, he left Michigan and went to Central City, Colorado, one of the famous mining camps of Gilpin County. There he worked in the gold mines and mills of Colorado for four years.
In 1871, he married Juliette Valentine, the sister of Emery Valentine, who later served as mayor of Juneau. Three children were born to the couple: two daughters, who later lived in Tacoma, Washington, and a son, Fred Tanner, who eventually joined his father in business in Skagway.
The family later moved to Tacoma, where Tanner worked in the contracting business. In 1896, he accepted a position in Emery Valentine’s general store in Juneau.
During the Klondike Gold Rush, he moved to Skagway in July 1897 during the Dawson stampede and remained there for the rest of his life. In Skagway, he played an important role in maintaining order during the turbulent gold rush years.
Tanner helped organize and command the Skagway Vigilantes, a citizens’ group formed to preserve law and order during the period when the notorious outlaw Soapy Smith and his gang dominated the town. Organized lawlessness in Skagway culminated in Smith’s death on July 8, 1898.
Because of his leadership and composure during the effort to drive Smith’s gang from the city, Tanner was appointed Deputy United States Marshal by Marshal J. M. Shoup and served in that position for two years.
Tanner remained active in Skagway's civic affairs for many years. He served for five years on the Skagway City Council, was elected mayor three times, and also served for five years as municipal magistrate.
He was also active in fraternal organizations, including the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Arctic Brotherhood.
In addition to his political and civic career, Tanner operated a hardware store in Skagway and held business interests in the Home Power Company of Skagway.
Sources
Ferrell, Ed. Biographies of Alaska-Yukon Pioneers 1850–1950, Volume 2, pp. 321–322 (2009).
Alaska Digital Archives, James Joseph Connors Photograph Collection, PCA 457.
Winn, Grover C.
Grover Winn was a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo.
Winn was born Jan. 3, 1886 in Wiota, Wisconsin, the son of William C. and Mary Elizabeth (Melbourn) Winn. Grover came to Alaska with his parents and brothers John and Milt. The record is not clear but at some point Grover’s mother died and his father married Sarah Anna Melburn born in Wiota. This union produced a son, Burdette.
Grover attended school in Juneau and was one of the two first high school graduates. As a student at the University of Washington, Winn was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity and of the Fir Tree Society, historic athletic honorary society.
He completed the law course at the University of Washington in 1910 and upon returning to Juneau, served as U.S. Commissioner for several years, first taking office at the youthful age of 25, under Judge Thomas R. Lyons.
On February 17, 1912, Grover Winn and Bessie Louise Anderson were married. Children born to this marriage were William, Suzy and Barbary.
Many offices have been held by Mr. Winn during his years of residence, including service for 22 years as a member of the Juneau School Board. He has served as Speaker of the House and has practiced law in Juneau for more than 30 years. For the last several years he has acted as city magistrate.
Grover Winn died in Sitka, Alaska by accidental drowning in Swan Lake on May 18, 1943.