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Moose Johnson papers

Guide to the Moose Johnson papers
undated, 1939-1940

Collection number: HMC-0762.
Creator: Johnson, Moose.
Title: Moose Johnson papers.
Dates: undated, 1939-1940.
Volume of collection: 0.01 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in this collection are in English.
Collection summary: Photographs and a letter from a miner in the Kantishna Mining District.

Biographical note:
Moose Johnson operated placer gold mines in the Kantishna Mining District of Alaska.

Collection description:
The collection contains 20 photographs and a handwritten letter by Moose Johnson. Places depicted in the photographs include Eagle Mountain, Muldrow Glacier, Eldorado Creek, Moose Creek, Thompson Pass, and Monument Hill. Mining companies mentioned in the photograph captions include the Copper Mountain Mining Company and the Kantishna Hydraulic Mining Company. People depicted in the photographs include Moose Johnson, Edgar Bigelow, Dan Sutherland, Bob Ellis, J. H. Bender, Mrs. Carl Selberg, and Harry A. Wertz. The letter describes the route from McKinley Park Station on the Alaska Railroad to Copper Mountain in McKinley National Park (now Denali National Park).

Arrangement: The collection is arranged by item type.

Digitized copies: Selected images have been digitized and can be found on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.

Rights note: Archives does not hold copyright to this collection.

Preferred citation: Moose Johnson papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Separated materials: The collection was separated from the Helen Stevens papers in 2005.

Acquisition note: The collection was given to the Archives by Margaret Poynter in 2005, and a deed of gift was signed at that time. Additions were made to the collection in 2007.

Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2007. The guide to the collection was converted to current standard by Veronica Denison in 2016.

Photograph list:

Item Description Dates
1 Moose Johnson in front of tent cabin door. undated
2 Moose Johnson next to cabin with beaver pelts on boards. undated
3 “Edgar Bigelow at Kantishna mining camp. 1st summer in Sept. Eagle Mt. in background. Nozzle man.” Man and dog. undated
4 “Mulldrow [sic] Glacier, Copper Mt. District.” Taken from Copper Mountain Mining Company’s cabin in Kantishna. undated
5 “Canyon, Eldorado Cr., Kantishna. Where water is obtained for sluicing & hydraulics. Eldorado Creek under 1/2 mile from works.” Creek and rocky canyon. undated
6 “Another ferry, Moose Cr., Kantishna. Dan Sutherland and Mrs. Lillydale of the Kantishna District, formerly Shamrock (now Eureka on Moose).” Man carrying woman on back across creek. Mine buildings are in the background. undated
7 “Thompson Pass, Valdez Trail. Tony Tates Stages & Mrs. Ike Taylor & children.” Man, woman, and two small children next to an automobile on a road. undated
8 “Eureka Cr., Kantishna. Mrs. Ellis & Bob Ellis, Asso. of Mr. Dan Sutherland and Jake Huve in Kantishna Hydraulic Mining Co., at mouth of Eureka Creek near hydraulicking plant.” Man, woman, and two dogs. undated
9 “Ferry, Moose Cr., Kantishna. J. H. Bender in ferry on Moose Creek, in Kan. district.” Man on a small ferry boat crossing a creek. undated
10 “Mt. sheep in Kantishna. Given me by R.A.A.” Five Dall sheep in mountain valley. undated
11 “Moose Cr., Kantishna. Moose Creek Valley. Sluices of Kantishna Hydraulicking Camp.” Distant view of a hydraulic mining operation. undated
12 “Break in pipe line, Kantishna Mining Co.” Power obtained from Wonder Lake, 4 mile away. Hydraulicking pipe, Kantishna Co.” Mist of water from broken pipeline. undated
13 “Caribou on top of Monument Hill” undated
14 “Monument Hill, Kantishna. Mrs. Carl Selberg at Monument Hill. Approach Mt. McKinley, about 20 miles away.” Woman sitting in front of rock monument. undated
15 “Mountain Sheep, Kantishna District, Alaska.” Photo post card. View of four Dall sheep in mountain valley, A. Johnson Photo. undated
16 View of Dall sheep on mountainside undated
17 “Moose’s mine shaft, Portage Creek. This is our new mine tunnel that we started in August. You can see the solid black slate formation above the tunnel and we have plenty of big mine timbers right handy and easy to get. This new tunnel is just 10 ft. above Portage Creek as the rock tailings go right into the Creek. Moose Johnson.” Close-up of mine shaft entrance. undated
18 “Moose’s partner, rainbow trout dried for dog food. This is my partner, Harry A. Wertz, with some of the fish, rainbow trout. They are from 12 inches to 20 inches long and go from 1 lb. to 3 lbs. and we catch them mostly for dog food in Bear Lake right at our main camp. We also eat quite a few ourselves in the summer time. Don’t they make you hungry for some? Moose Johnson” Man and two dogs next to long string of fish. undated
19 “This was taken of me on Oct. 12-1939 on 5th Ave. at Anchorage Alaska with my new camera which is just like the other one I list. From Moose Johnson, Chulitna Alaska.” Moose Johnson in winter coat and fur hat. 1939 October 12
20 “New P. Office in Anchorage. $1 million, July 1940.” Federal building in downtown Anchorage. 1940 July

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