Teal, George
Born: May 26, 1866, The Dalles, Oregon
Died: February 3, 1940, Seattle, Washington
Parents: Colonel Joseph Teal and Mary Elizabeth Coleman Teal
Spouse: Alma Delaney (married June 2, 1913, Seattle, Washington)
Occupation: Accountant, transportation manager, salmon industry executive
Association: Charter Member, Pioneers of Alaska Juneau Men's Igloo
Biography
George Teal was born May 26, 1866, in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Colonel Joseph Teal and Mary Elizabeth Coleman Teal. While still an infant, he moved with his family to Portland, Oregon, where he was raised and educated in the city’s public schools. He later attended Pacific University in Forest Grove.
Teal began his business career while still in his teens, working in a Portland hardware store. He later became a freight clerk and purser on vessels operating along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. He subsequently worked as a representative for the Portland Merchants’ Credit Association in Eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, residing for a time in Moscow, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
In 1898, during the Klondike Gold Rush, Teal traveled to Dyea, Alaska, where he managed operations for the Dyea-Klondike Company, a Portland firm. The company operated an aerial tramway that transported freight from Dyea to riverboats headed into the Yukon interior, providing a mechanized alternative to the arduous pack-train methods then used on the trail.
When the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad was completed from Skagway, the tramway operation was abandoned. Teal then relocated to Juneau, Alaska, where he worked as a bookkeeper and accountant in town and in various nearby mining camps and settlements. During his time in Juneau, he became a charter member of the Juneau Men's Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska.
Teal returned to the United States in 1905 and the following year settled in Seattle, Washington. There, he became confidential assistant to J. D. Farrell of the Oregon-Washington Railroad. In this position, he assisted with the acquisition of railroad right-of-way between Seattle and Portland.
In 1912, Teal returned to Alaska as manager of the salmon cannery operated by the Admiralty Trading Company at Gambier Bay. He later became a stockholder in the enterprise, marking the beginning of his long association with the Pacific Northwest salmon industry.
After the Admiralty Trading Company sold its interests in 1914, Teal became active in the brokerage side of the salmon industry. He played an influential role in organizing the Pacific Canned Salmon Brokers Association, later known as the Canned Salmon Distributors Association. He served as the association's secretary beginning in 1920 and remained its principal administrative officer until his retirement in 1935.
Teal also served for several years as secretary of the Northwest Salmon Canners Association. At the time of his death, it was noted that he had taken an active and constructive role in the affairs of the salmon industry for nearly thirty years.
Although his professional responsibilities frequently took him to Alaska, Teal maintained his home in Seattle from 1906 onward. He was also a member of the Masonic Order.
On June 2, 1913, he married Alma Delaney, daughter of Arthur K. Delaney and Anna Wallwork Delaney, in Seattle.
George Teal died in Seattle on February 3, 1940, following a long illness.
Sources
Biographies of Alaska–Yukon Pioneers, 1850–1950, Volume 3, pp. 296–298, Ed Ferrell, May 1, 2000.