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FREDERICK JOHN DATE (d. 1956). Papers, Photographs, and Artifacts; n.d., 1833, 1846, 1899-1956, 1976. 1.25 cu. ft.
Fred Date moved from Elkhardt, Indiana, to the Valdez area in Alaska in 1898. He was a prospector and served on the exploratory expedition under Captain W.R. Abercombie in 1899 as an ax man and guide. He was employed by the Alaska Road Commission from 1905 to 1916 and worked on the trail from Fairbanks to Fort Gibbons, the Beaver to Chandalar Road, the Olnes Road, and on various roads and trails in the Fairbanks area. In 1914, he began to work for the Alaska Railroad and eventually became roundhouse foreman at Nenana and later at Healy. He retired in 1936. For most of the years after he left Valdez, he and his wife resided in Fairbanks, Alaska. He later moved out of Alaska. Frederick Date died in Portland, Oregon, in 1956.
This collection consists of papers, publications, photographs, and artifacts relating to Fred Date's life and activities in Alaska. The papers and publications include letters written by Date, old family letters, newspaper clippings, maps, an Alaska Railroad booklet containing employee work rules, a Corps of Engineers field manual, and a mining law manual. One of the letters is a journal of a trip in the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Morris from Seward to Juneau in 1936. The photographs include over six hundred pictures and negatives. They depict towns, buildings, social activities, mining, travel, people, as well as his activities with the Alaska Road Commission and the Alaska Railroad. The artifacts include a compass, winter goggles, and license plates. Copy negatives were made from selected prints in the collection.
Presented to the archives by Walter Strong in 1992. A deed of gift was signed in 1992.
HMC-0379
Inventory:
BOX 1
Series 1. Papers and Publications; n.d., 1833, 1846, 1909-1956,
1976. .25 cu. ft.
This series consists of the letters, clippings, and publications
in the collection. Most relate to the Frederick Date's various
activities in Alaska.
1. Letters and Letter Journals; 1915, 1936. 4 items.
1) Letter/Journal: F. Date to Mother; April 17-24, 1915. Describes
trip to Tolovana camp and to Fairbanks-A.R.C. work. 8 pages.
2) Letter: F. Date to Mother May 1, 1915. Concerns A.R.C. work.
3) Letter/Dairy: F. Date to Ms. Ella E. Frink; November 19-27,
1936. Describes trip on the U.S.C.G.C. Morris from Seward
to Juneau. 43 Pages.
4) Letter: F. Date to Alaska Road Commission; November28, 1936.
2. Letters; 1833, 1846.
1) Letter: George Stanton (York, Canada) to Samuel Stanton (Dundas,
Canada); February 12, 1833.
2) Letter: William Stanton (Amherstburg, Canada) to Samuel Stanton
(Dundas, Calanda); March 31, 1833.
3) Letter (incomplete): Jos. Jn. Walington (?) to Samuel Stanton
(St. George, Canada); October 10, 1846.
3. Clippings; n.d. 1910-1956, 1976. 11 items.
These include: clippings on trails and roads (Beaver to the Chandlar,
a Beaver-Chatanika survey, and the Tolovana road; an article
about F. J. Date in the Long Beach Press-Telegram (January
25, 1925); a note on a new locomotive; a 1937 article on developments
in Alaskan aviation; obituary for F. J. Date (October 17, 1956);
and an 1976 article on the photographer who took various photographs
of Will Rogers and Wiley Post in 1935.
4. Maps; n.d., 1936, ca. 1955. 3 items.
1) Hand drawn map n.d. (30 X 9.5 inches). Shows trail
form Alatna River and Arctic to Yukon River near Tanana.
2) Kroll Map Company, Inc. (pub.) Alaska, complied from
the latest surveys of the U.S. Geological Survey, AlaskaRoad
Commission, Forest Service, and other authentic sources. Seattle,
1936 (32.5 X 45 inches).
3) Kroll Map Company, Inc. (pub.) Alaska. Seattle; ca.
1955. (33 X 48 inches). Note:Maps are housed in the oversized
map drawers.
5. Alaska Railroad - Publication.
Working Rules for Employees of the Alaska Railroad. Anchorage,
1930. 2 copies.
6. Mining and Engineering Publications.
1) U.S. Corps of Engineers. Engineer Field Manual (Professional
Papers No. 20). Washington, 1909. There are two notes inside
the cover: a.) Frederick John Date; Fairbanks, Alaska; December
12, 1912. b.) To Walter from ______Date;September 17, 1939.
2) A.H. Ricketts, A Manual of American Mining Law. San
Francisco, 1911. Note on the inside cover:Frederick John Date;
Fairbanks, Alaska; February 10, 1913.
7. Atlas.
Hammond's Hand/Atlas of the World. New York; 1909. Note
on the inside cover:W. Mitchell; Ruby, Alaska.
BOX 2 (Oversize Box)
Series 2. Photograph Albums; ca. 1899-1905. .4 cu. ft (3 volumes).
This series consists of three albums of mounted photographs
containing 428 prints. The photographs primarily relate to Valdez
and the Copper River country during the period 1899-1905. Included
are photographs of towns, buildings, camps, social events, mining,
packing supplies and equipment, people, and scenery. Some photographs
may relate to the Abercrombie expedition. The photographs are
of various sizes.
Volume 1 (13.5 X 10.5 inches); ca. 1899-1905.
Contains 176 prints on 24 pages.
Entries:
People: Will Crary; Dr. A. v. Gunther; Riley Miller (grave).
Geographic Locations: Bering Glacier; Chilcat Point; McKinley
Avenue, Valdez; Tonsina Bridge.
Towns and Cities: Copper River City; Eagle; Ellamar; Sitka;
Unalaska; Valdez.
Corporate Entities: Russian Orthodox Church; Valdez Christian
Endeavor Church; Will Crary Drug Store; U.S.S. Rosecrans.
Subjects: camps and camping; cattle; cemeteries; churches;
dinner scene; dish washing; Fourth of July; gardens and gardening;
glaciers; gold mines, gold mining, and gold panning; graves;
hunting (ptarmigan); log cabins; miners; mines; natives; pack
animals (dogs, horses, mules, steers); picnics; sawmill; shipwrecks
(steamboat and steamship); sluices; social gatherings; streams;
tents.
Volume 2 (7.75 X 5.75 inches); ca. 1899-1905. Contains 133 prints
on 51 pages.
Entries:
Geographic Locations: Detroit River.
Towns and Cities: Valdez.
Corporate Entities: Fred and Jake Tonsina Road House.
Subjects: backpacking; bridges; cabins; camps; canoes;
cemeteries; Fourth of July; mess tent; natives; pack animals
(horses, steers); pack trains; picnics; races (foot, potato sack,
sled dog); river crossing; sled dog teams; sleds, horse drawn;
sleds, native; social gatherings (dinners, outings, picnics);
tents.
Volume 3 (7.75 X 5.75 inches); ca. 1899-1905.
Contains 119 prints on 50 pages.
Entries:
People: Mrs. Brown (Judge Brown's wife); Dick Brown (son
of Judge Brown); Charley Browne (Commissary Sergeant with Abercrombie);
Crary Family; Ethel Date; Eva Date; Helen Leonora Date; Bob Herren;
Andrew J. Meals (?).
Cities and Towns: Valdez.
Corporate Entities: Copper River Draying Company; Ed Wood's
Dray Company; The Northern Hotel.
Subjects: bicycles; brewery; bridges; cemetaries; churches;
dwellings (native); games (checkers); gold mines and gold mining;
musical instruments; natives; sail boats; sleds, horse drawn;
sluices; social gatherings (dinners); soldiers; steamboat (at
wharf); totems; trams, horse drawn.
BOX 3 (Album)
Copy Negatives of Album Prints; 356 items.
These are conservation copy negatives made by the archives for
the purpose of preservation. Included in this boxed album are
146 copy negatives made from the 176 prints in Volume 1; 99 copy
negatives made from the 133 prints in Volume 2; and 111 copy
negatives made from the 119 prints in Volume 3.
BOX 4 (Album)
Series 3. Photographs; n.d., 1899-1936. .35 cu. ft.
This series consists of 294 unmounted prints collected
by Frederick Date. They are divided into two sets of files, geographic
and subject. The sets are arranged in alphabetical order.
Geographic (192 items):
1. Beaver; n.d., 1910.
8 items.
Depicts Beaver, Alaska, in 1910; "The Beaver Lodge;"
The Ashelby and Carter Store; an Eskimo family; and various people
(Ole Nicols?, Carter, Yasuda, Doddo, and Date). 7 - postcard
size; 1 - 6 X 9.5 inches.
2. Fairbanks and Vicinity; n.d., 1913, 1926-1938. 48 items.
Includes pictures of Date's home (17), churches (St. Matthews,
Presbyterian), musk oxen,buildings (Courthouse and Post Office,
Schoolhouse, First National Bank, Pioneer BrewingCompany, Fairbanks
Railroad Station), dog teams, log houses, Ester Creek, Seppala'sDog
Team, Date's Mail Team (dog), Harding Lake (3), Alaska College,
Circle Hot Springs, people (F. Date, Tod Coles, Mrs. Jack Haley,
Clegg, Dunham), A.R.R. Engine No. 1, as well as a 1913 river
front scene. 32 - postcard size; 3 - 2.5 X 4.75 inch; 2 -
3.35 X 4.5 inch; 5 - 4.75 X 6.75 inch; 1 - 6 X 8.5 inch.
3. Koyukuk Region; n.d. 4 items.
Includes pictures of the steamboat Reliance, a riverboat,
the river, and scenery. 2 - postcard size; 2 - 3.5 X 6 inch.
4. Rampart; n.d. 2 items.
These are pictures of groups of identified people (F. Date; Poillie,
Bill, and Mrs. Balleau;Prof. and Mrs. Gosser; Clark and Minnie
Peck; Jack Salmon; Tommy Wright). 1 - postcard size; 1 - 3.25 X 4.5 inch;
1 - 6.5 X 8.5 inch; 1 - 8 X 10 inch; 3 small sizes.
5. Ruby, Long, Poorman; n.d., 1917. 23 items.
Includes pictures of sled dog racing (5), hunting (5), Ruby Kennel
Club, Loyal Order ofMoose (3), Fourth of July (4 composite photos),
Ruby riverfront, a group of people, and of a house (2). 3 - postcard
size; 5 - 3.5 X 5.75 inch; 1 - 4.5 X 5.75 inch; 6 - 5 X 8 inch;
1 - 5.25 X 8 inch; 2 - 5.5 X 7.5 inch; 1 - 6.5 X 8.5 inch;;
1 - 8 X 10 inch; 3 small sizes.
6. Stevens Village; n.d. 6 items.
Includes pictures of houses on riverbanks and scenery. 3 - postcard
size. 1 - 2 X 5 inch; 1 - 3.25 X 5.5 inch; 1 - 3.5 X 6 inch.
7. Tolovana; n.d. 34 items. (7 original and 16 copied
prints; 11 negatives).
Includes pictures of Date's pack train, steamboats (3 - Tanana and others), a camp (7), and a dog team (8). Prints: 1 - 2.25 X 7 inch;
4 - 3.25 X 5.5 inch; 4 - 4 X 5 inch; 12 - 4 X 6 inch; 3 - 4.25 X 6.5 inch.
8. Valdez; n.d., 1900-1906. 64 items.
Contains pictures of homes, businesses, street scenes, churches,
family groups, outings,the waterfront, scenery, snow, a play,
and steamships. Also, there are two pictures ofminers at the
Chistochina areas. 8 - postcard size; 18 - 2.5 X 3.5 inch;
1 - 2.25 X 7 inch; 2 - 3 X 4 inch; 1 -3 X 5 inch; 4 - 3.25 X 3.25 inch; 5
- 3.5 X 3.5 inch; 7 - 3.5 X 4.5 inch; 1 - 3.75 X 10 inch;
1 - 4 X 5 inch; 2 - 4.5 X 6.5 inch; 1 - 4.75 X 5.75 inch; 3
- 4.75 X 6.5 inch; 3 - 5 X 7 inch; 1 - 6 X 8 inch; 1 - 7.5 X 8.5 inch;
1 - 7.5 X 9.5 inch; 4 small size.
9. Wilson Creek or Shushana; n.d., 1914. 3 items.
Pictures are of Hanshaw's Thanksgiving Party. 3 - 3.25 X 5.5 inch..
Subject (102 items):
10. Air - Will Rogers;
n.d. 3 items.
Include two pictures of a Fokker plane "Detroit Arctic Expedition;"
and a photograph of Will Rogers, Wiley Post and two others. 2
- 3.5 X 5.75 inch; 1 - 9 X 14 inch hand colored. The larger photograph
(Rogers-Post) is in the oversize box.
11. Alaska Railroad; n.d., 1923, 1932, 1936. 31 items
(23 original and 3 copied prints; 5 negatives).
Includes pictures of engines, buildings, routes, scenery, President
Harding's visit, andHealy. 8 - postcard size; 2 - 3 X 4 inch; 10 - 3 X 4.5 inch;
1 - 3.5 X 5 inch.
12. F. J. Date; 1909. 1 item.
Portrait sent home (Indiana). 1 - 5 X 8 inch.
13. Mastodon Remains - Quartz Creek, Yukon Territory;
1901-1904. 5 items.
Depicts miners with mastodon tusks and skulls. 2 - 6 X 8 inch; 3 - 6.5 X 8.5 inch.
14. Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo No. 4; 1910. 1 item.
List of members. The print is 7.5 X 9.5 inch mounted on
10.75 X 13 inch gray board. In oversize box.
15. Play:"Rio Grande;" n.d. 6 items.
Includes photos of various scenes on stage. The number of actors
vary. 6 - 6.5 X 8.5 inch.
16. Lou Stanley:Shushana-Chisana; n.d., 1914, 1915. 19
items.
These are photographs taken by Lou Stanley. Includes pictures
of Chisana (town), minerscamps, cabins, and glaciers. 15 postcard
size. 2 - 3.25 X 5 inch; 1 - 3.25 X 5.25 inch; 1 - 3.25 X 5.5 inch.
17. U.S.C.G. Morris; 1936. 1 item.
The cutter is in Thumb Cove, Alaska. Note on back "Walt:This
is the cutter your Grandfather Date came out of Alaska on in
1936." 1 - 8 X 13 inch hand colored.
18. Miscellaneous; n.d., 1916, 1921, 1930. 35 items.
Includes pictures of Snag City, Skagway. Si's Roadhouse (Tatlaneka
River), mining camps,buildings, dog teams, steamboats, groups
of people, Hotel Nizina, and a U.S. Commissioner's Office. 16
- postcard size; 2 - 3.5 X 5 inch; 4 - 4.25 X 6.5 inch; 1
- 6 X 9.25 inch; 3 - 7.5 X 9.5 inch; 1 - 8 X 10 inch; 6 small size.
BOX 5 (Album)
Copy Negatives of Loose Prints; 234 items.
Included are copy negatives made from the 294 prints in the
18 files in Series 3.
BOX 6
Series 4. Artifacts; n.d. 5 items.
This series consists of various artifacts utilized by F.
J. Date during his life in Alaska.
1. Compass;
n.d. 1 item.
Small, French made, brass instrument. Diameter - 1.25 inches.
2. Goggles; n.d. 1 item.
These are amber colored with fur rims. They bear the notation
"Express Brevet 433 606 made in France!"
3. License Plate 1934. 1 item.
No: "1418Alaska - 1934."
4. License Plate; 1934. 1 item.
No: "215 Fairbanks Vehicle License."
5. Instrument Packet; n.d. 1 item.
Packet contains two tweezers, 1 scissors, 3 picks, 1 scalpel
type knife, 1 water dropper, and 1 ruler.