Guide to the Arthur O. Trosvik papers
1941-1945
Collection number: HMC-0503.
Creator: Trosvik, Arthur O.
Title: Arthur O. Trosvik papers.
Dates: 1941-1945.
Volume of collection: 0.4 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Documents of an Army Signal Corps and ACS member in Alaska during World War II.
Biographical note:
Arthur O. Trosvik, from Rothsay, Minnesota, served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. He received his initial military training at the Signal Corp Replacement Training Center at Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey. Trosvik served with the Alaska Communication System in Alaska in 1944 to 1945. Among the places in Alaska where he served were Nome, Adak, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and various locations along the Alaska Railroad.
Collection description:
The collection consists of papers and photographs of Arthur O. Trosvik concerning his military service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. The papers consist of correspondence to Trosvik from friends and relatives during his training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and in Seattle, Washington; a letter from Trosvik to his mother; items from the period of his training at the Signal Corps Replacement Center at Fort Monmouth, in 1942; items from the period of his service in Alaska, in 1944 to 1945; military service medals, ribbons, and pins; and photographs. The photographs from Alaska include views of the Alaska Railroad, Seward, Moose Pass, Portage Glacier, Girdwood, Cook Inlet, Eklutna, Palmer and the Matanuska Colony, McKinley National Park, Nenana, Fairbanks, Circle Hot Springs, and Circle City. Many of the photographs concern signal corps crews erecting telephone poles and stringing wires along the Alaska Railroad.
Arrangement: Collection materials are in series by type:
Series 1: Correspondence; 1942, 1945
Series 2: Army documents; undated, 1942-1945
Series 3: Artifacts; undated, 1943
Series 4: Photographs; undated, 1941-1942
Digitized copies: Nine images from the collection have been digitized and placed online in the Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Documents created by the U. S. Army are in the public domain. All other materials may be subject to copyright which is not held by the Archives.
Preferred citation: Arthur O. Trosvik papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Publications were moved to the Rare Books collection.
Acquisition note: The collection was purchased at internet auction by the Archives in 2001.
Processing information: This collection was described by arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2001. The guide was updated to meet current standard by Arlene Schmuland in 2017. At that time published materials and duplicates were removed from the collection.
Container list:
Series 1: Correspondence; 1942, 1945. 0.1 cubic feet.
Correspondence is alphabetically by correspondent’s name, thereunder chronologically by date.
| Box/ Folder |
Item | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | 1 | Letter, Arthur M. Amundson: Company H, 2nd Quartermaster Training Regiment, Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 2-3 | Letters, Ole Amundson: Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 4-7 | Letters, Lorene E. Christopherson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 5-9 | Letters and Easter card, Arnold E. Haarstad: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 10 | Letter, Raymond B. Haarstad: Neosho, Missouri | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 11 | Letter, Seolin A. Haarstad: Battery D 423, Coast Artillery, Bermuda | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 12-14 | Letters, Charles Haugrud: Barnesville, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 15-16 | Letters, Ernest M. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 17-20 | Letters, Lavaine E. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 21-30 | Letters and Easter card, Florence Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 31-33 | Letters, Gladys Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota) | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 34-40 | Letters, Easter card and greeting card, Mrs. Lars Trosvik (mother): Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942, 1945 |
| 1/1 | 41-52 | Letters, Margaret Trosvik (sister): Fergus Falls, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 53-58 | Letters, Melvin Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 59 | Letter, Orville M. Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 60 | Letter, Rose Jean Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 61 | Letter, Alice, last name unknown: Excelsior, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 62 | Letter, Name unknown: Barnesville, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 63-64 | Letters, Selma, last name unknown: Rapid City, South Dakota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 65-66 | Letters, Millie, last name unknown: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 67 | Valentine’s Day card, Henry, Alma, and Tony, last name unknown | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 68 | Postcard, Lester H. Denbrook: Fort Slocum, New York | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 69 | Postcard, Gordon P. Lehm: New York City, New York | 1942 |
| 1/1 | 70 | Valentine’s Day card, Earl and Sylvester, last name unknown | undated |
Series 2: Army documents; undated, 1942-1945. 0.05 cubic feet.
| Box/ Folder |
Item | Description | Dates |
| 1/2 | 1 | General Orders, Signal Corps Replacement Training Center, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey | undated |
| 1/2 | 2 | Description of the EE-8A Telephone (portable field telephone), 1 page with handwritten notes on reverse, Fort Monmouth | undated |
| 1/2 | 3 | Phonetic alphabet card, Fort Monmouth | undated |
| 1/2 | 4 | Fort Monmouth Post Exchange coupon book with two remaining coupons | undated |
| 1/2 | 5 | Consolidated timetable, Asbury Park-New York Transit Corp. | 1942 |
| 1/3 | 1 | Special Orders No. 234, 9427 TSU-SIG C, ALS COM SYSTEM, Seattle Wash: Orders including those for T/4 Arthur O. Trosvik, for station at Adak, Alaska | 1945 |
| 1/3 | 2 | Information to Enlisted Men, Fort Richardson Intransit Company, Fort Richardson, Alaska; By Albert A. Erickson, Captain, Commanding Officer | undated |
| 1/3 | 3 | Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Nome, Alaska: pass issued to A.C.S. member Arthur O. Trosvik for official business only in Nome | 1944 |
| 1/3 | 4 | Meal Ticket, Troop Mess, U.S.S. Grant, for Pvt. Arthur Trosvik, 1st Signal Service Company, Designation: Seward, Alaska | undated |
| 1/3 | 5 | Photo post card with 12 views of the USO Building in Anchorage | undated |
| 1/3 | 6 | Anchorage Cocktail Lounge napkins, Anchorage, Alaska | undated |
| 1/4 | Baggage tags and receipt | undated |
Series 3: Artifacts; undated, 1943. 0.05cubic feet.
| Box/ Folder |
Item | Description | Date |
| 1/5 | 1 | Good Conduct Medal | 1943 |
| 1/5 | 2 | U.S. brass pin | undated |
| 1/5 | 3 | Signal Corps brass pin | undated |
| 1/5 | 4 | Marksman riflery medal | undated |
| 1/5 | 5 | U.S.A. with attached sergeant’s insignia pins | undated |
| 1/5 | 6 | . Service ribbons on pins | undated |
| 1/5 | 7 | Service ribbon tie tack | undated |
Series 4: Photographs; undated, 1941-1942. 0.2 cubic feet.
Photographs are grouped mostly by photo lot number.
| Box/ Folder |
Lot number | Description | Dates |
| 1/6 | 1 black | Soldiers at army camp in woods with Quonset huts and tents; Chena River and downtown Fairbanks during breakup; view of passenger train at Nenana Station, 8 prints, 8 negatives | undated |
| 1/6 | 8 black | Soldiers in barracks; portraits of soldiers standing in snowy field; soldiers standing in waste-deep snow; soldiers standing in gap in ice of frozen waterfall; moose and dog on frozen lake; winter work crew of 15 soldiers working on telephone line, 25 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 14 black | Mountain goat on rocky hillside; winter views of hotel at McKinley National Park from train station; soldiers erecting telephone poles next to railroad; winter scenes from Alaska Railroad; and signal corps crew at work on telephone lines, 36 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 17 | Views of placer mining area reached by airplane, including dredges, thawing points, buildings, tailings ponds, and aerial photos; downtown Fairbanks; scenery; and structure burned to the ground, 33 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 18 | Signal corps work crew laying telephone wire next to railroad on Cook Inlet; and scenery, 7 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 19 | Signal corps work crew mounting telephone wire on poles next to railroad, views of the Girdwood area (?), and scenery, 23 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 24 | Man with bull moose trophy; dogs and moose on frozen lake; telephone poles and wire in deep snow next to railroad; and train and winter scenes along railroad, 20 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 29 | Church and A.R.R. Engine No. 1 in Fairbanks; men working on frozen Chena River; and building along Alaska Railroad near McKinley National Park, 3 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 32 | Railroad maintenance crew; and Eklutna village, 5 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 40 | Signal corps crew erecting telephone poles; Moose Pass; Alaska Nellie’s cabin; winter scenery along railroad; Portage Glacier; and two girls next to railroad train, 22 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 54 | Railroad car unloading poles; railroad station house; glacier and other scenery along railroad; bison and camel at zoo; and houses on street, 13 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 64 | Three views of the aftermath of the fire on Fourth Avenue in Seward; and dog and puppies, 4 prints | 1941 |
| 1/6 | 460U | Washington, D.C. scenes (?) of soldiers statue, diner, plaza, and plane at air field, 4 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | 751 | Circle Hot Springs Lodge and outbuildings; buildings at Circle City; Yukon River; scenery; and houses on street, 14 prints | undated |
| 1/6 | D70 | Matanuska Colony buildings in Palmer; band and crowd in front of school building; workmen with drilling rig (?); and Palmer from across railroad tracks, 13 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 1 red | Portage Glacier and lake; outdoor latrine; and homestead, 5 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 2 | Arthur Trosvik and fellow soldiers at Portage Glacier; railroad maintenance crew; railroad tunnel; Arthur Trosvik in dress uniform; scenery; and views of ships and boats in Cook Inlet, 33 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 3-1 | Cargo truck near railroad tracks; moose near road; scenery; and glacier, 4 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 3-2 | Passenger train at railroad siding; man near porcupine next to railroad tracks; and two men with salmon catch, 8 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 4 | Signal corps crew with railroad cars and vehicles; soldier at Alaska Nellie’s cabin; soldier at the top of telephone pole; and soldiers at glacier, 12 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 5 | Portage Glacier and lake scenes; soldiers with black bear head and at outdoor latrine; mess table; salmon in stream; and scenery from railroad, 15 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 6 | Portage Glacier and lake; views along railroad; and explosion in wetlands, 11 reds | undated |
| 1/7 | 7 | Alaska Nellie Lawing in doorway of her cabin; divide marker next to railroad track; views along railroad; Kenai Lake; and glacier, 8 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 8 red | Soldiers at Portage Glacier; soldiers fishing; and scenery, 18 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 9 | Railroad maintenance crew; signal corps with railroad car moving poles; soldier sitting inside outhouse on railroad vehicle; and scenery, 8 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 13 | Soldiers in dress uniforms at Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey (?); and boardwalk at Atlantic City(?), 5 prints | 1942 |
| 1/7 | 14 red | Glacier; scenery from railroad; and signal corps work crew beside railroad tracks, 7 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 26 | Telephone poles laid down below railroad bed; and scenery, 7 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | 91 | Portraits of soldiers; group photos of signal corps work crew on railroad tracks; soldiers at work with shovels (?); men at mess table; cargo truck; men standing waste deep in snow; and scenery, 42 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | A3 | Poles laid out next to road toward Portage Glacier; Ice in Portage Lake; glacier; scenery; and bridge in Puget Sound area, 6 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | A10 | Portage Glacier and lake and other scenery, 9 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | A11 | Scenes of signal corps soldiers on time off duty; soldiers at Portage Glacier; signal corps work crew on railroad car hauling poles; man with black bear hide; single and group portraits of soldiers; mess hall; railroad maintenance crew; and scenery, 37 prints | undated |
| 1/7 | Portraits of Arthur Trosvik, 5 prints | undated | |
| 1/7 | Portraits of other soldiers, 8 prints | undated | |
| 1/7 | Signal corps work crew with truck; jeep; man climbing tall pole; soldiers at barracks in woods; soldiers in Fairbanks; soldiers in parade in Fairbanks; tractor broken through ice on Chena River; dog sled team on street; gold dredge; Ptarmigan hunting party; explosion in wetlands; moose and dogs on frozen lake; and other miscellaneous scenes, 84 prints | undated | |
| 1/7 | Studio portraits: Man in Army Signal Corps dress uniform with hat; 3 small children (Leaf Studio, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota); small boy, Rodney DuWayne (Leaf Studio, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota), 3 prints | undated |