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HARRY AND RUTH DOBSON. Papers; 1906-1973. .35 cu. ft.
Harry Dobson was born in England in 1861. He came to Alaska in 1894 to prospect for gold on the Seward Peninsula around Nome and Teller. He was a successful miner and established and worked a number of claims in the Nome area, including several along Budd Creek. In 1907, he married Ruth E. Webster. Dobson died in 1953 at the age of 91.
The collection consists of: letters from Harry Dobson to his wife concerning his mining activities; letters to Harry Dobson concerning business matters; letters to Harry and Ruth Dobson concerning family matters; the Dobson's marriage license; legal documents concerning Harry Dobson's mining claims; his death certificate; maps of Dobson Placer, the Seward Peninsula, and Alaska; a newspaper article on Harry Dobson; and other miscellaneous newspaper clippings. There are also 21 photographs of Alaska showing mining activities, people and scenery.
The collection was placed on deposit at the UAA Archives & Manuscripts Department by Gail Moses in 1985. A deed of gift was signed in 1986.
HMC-0100
Folder list:
1. Correspondence;
1913-1940
- Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson; August 4, 1913
- W. W. Johnson, Union Construction Company, to Harry Dobson;
April 18, 1917
- W. W. Johnson to Harry Dobson; June 14-15, 1917
- F. W. Hale to Harry Dobson; October 21, 1918
- A. F. Coats to Harry Dobson; June 3, 1920
- Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson; July 22, 1928
- Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson; July 23, 1940
2. Correspondence; 1951, 1963, 1973
- Ruth Dobson to sister, Rose; October 5, 1951
- Matie Binns, the National Women's Relief Corps, to Ruth Dobson;
April 11, 1963
- Envelope: Frank E. Webster to Oscar W. Petterson; January 23,
1965
- A. T. Peterson to Alaska State Land Office; August 24, 1973
3. Poems
-
"Examined and Rejected"; author unidentified; n.d.
4. Marriage License; 1967
- Harry Dobson to Ruth E. Webster; January 14, 1906
5. Legal Documents; n.d., 1916-1919, 1938
- Fragment of handwritten description of mining claim; n.d.
- H. M. Bride to (unknown); n.d. Pages 2 and 3 of a 3-page letter
of legal advice
- Deed of Option to Purchase; from J. A. Welch to Harry Dobson;
January 27, 1917
- Proof of Annual Assessment Work; November 8, 1916
- Affidavit of Intention; August 26, 1918 (copy of original)
Deed of Sale; March 6, 1919
- Agreement for Lease of Mining Claims; May 2, 1938
- Agreement for Lease of Mining Claims; May 23, 1938
6. Visas
and Customs Declaration; 1921, 1923, 1928
- Visas
-- Harry Dobson; April 15, 1921
-- Harry Dobson; May 11, 1923
- Customs Declaration
-- S. S. Celtic; March 24, 1928
7. Death Certificate; 1953
- Harry Dobson; February 14, 1953
8. General Insurance Data; 1949, 1953, 1962, 1963
- Insurance card-carrying envelope; 1953
- Plastic card case
- Washington Mutual Savings Bank: "Information for Depositors";
January 1, 1963
- Aetna Insurance Brochure; c. 1949
- Miscellaneous notes, postmark, canceled stamp
9. Miscellaneous Documents; n.d., 1921
- Address and phone number of Mrs. Aurie Lee
- Bullion Voucher; January 6, 1921
-
"Particulars of Oil and Fodder Offered"
-
"Inventory of Things Put Away"
10. Photographs
(1) [(6)-D] Le Roy Moyer starting out for a little panning along
American River and Budd Creek on Dobson property; n.d.
(2) [(1)-D] Starting from Nome, Alaska, for American River and
Budd Creek about eighty-five miles north of Nome, August 10,
1936, to inspect Harry Dobson's ground-there; Hans-Mirow, aviator
and Pastor Woods as fellow passenger, who was on his way to Shismaroff,
The load consisted of also 250 lbs of baggage and provisions.
The plane is a Stimson-Reliant.
(3) [(8)-D] Looking up-stream on Budd Creek August 15, 1936.
"Tailing" of the old "Cambell" Hydraulic-lift
are in the background. This old operation was unsuited for this
ground and was eventually drowned out by water breaking into
the mining pit through the thawed ground.
(4) Mrs. Serena G. Dobson, Seattle, Washington; June 8, 1918
(5) Aerial view of unidentified mountains and river; n.d.
(6) Unidentified river; n.d.
(7) Unidentified river; n.d.
(8) Unidentified road across tundra; n.d.
(9) Harry Dobson; n.d.
(10) Unidentified man and Harry Dobson in hip boots on river
bank; n.d.
(11) Harry Dobson beside Wien airplane; n.d.
(12) Building on tundra; n.d.
(13) Unidentified man [Harry Dobson?] gold-panning; n.d.
(14) Unidentified man in boat; n.d.
(15) Unidentified man [Harry Dobson?] with gold pan and shovels
in river; n.d.
(16) Unidentified man with pack near house on tundra; n.d.
(17) Unidentified men [Harry Dobson?] working on sod house;
n.d.
(18) Unidentified man and Harry Dobson standing in front of
wooden building; n.d.
(19) [(13)-D] Mr. Harry Dobson panning on his ground on American
River about eighty-five miles north of Nome, Alaska; August 18,
1936.
(20) Mr. Dobson approaching his cabin with a load from aeroplane
cache on American River. Moyer.
(21) Post card picture of Norge "Landing at Teller."
Back of card reads: "They landed the Norge right
on the street in front of our house. Twenty-five yards from the
back of the cabin. The thing is all taken to pieces and the main
part of it is up against our house. They will ship it out on
the first boat. Harry."
11. Articles on W. Dobson; Pennsylvania Register; 1924
-
"Where Men Are Men and Rivers Run Gold;" January
31, Vol. XIX, No. 26 (2 copies).
12. Maps
(in oversize file)
- Dobson Placer
- Reconnaissance Map of Seward Peninsula, Alaska
- Alaska Steamship Company's Map of Alaska
13. Clippings;
n.d., 1907, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1924
-
"Women in their Kingdom of Home"; n.d.
-
"Whining and Complaining Women..."; n.d.
-
"Diet for Young Children," Harper's Bazaar;
n.d.
-
"Secrets of Success"; n.d.
-
"Character is the Flower of Manhood"; n.d.
-
"Character"; n.d.
-
"Receipt for Managing Husbands"; n.d.
-
"A Man to Lean On"; n.d.
-
"A Matter of Laws"; n.d.
-
"De Old Gang"; n.d.
-
"Who Am I;"; n.d.
-
"The Old Veterans"; May 30, 1907
-
"Death of Prominent Pioneer Citizen"; Heppner
Times, September 2, 1909
-
"The Girl at the Cigar Stand"; 1912
-
"The Big Washington Suffragist Parade"; The Seattle
Daily Times; February 19, 1913
-
"Captains of Seattle's Army of Trained Nurses;" The
Seattle Post Intelligencer; April 20, 1913
-
"The Oil of Love," The Walla Walla Union;
April 20, 1913
-
"Recent Activities in Europe" and "Three Monarchs
of the Olympics," The Seattle Daily Times; September
14, 1924
14. Postcards;
black & white photo-postcards; n.d.
-
"Bird's Eye View of London"
-
"St. Paul's Cathedral, London"
-
"Houses of Parliament, London"
-
"Mt. Hood, Oregon-Washington Interstate Bridge, Columbia
River"