Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Alaska Midland Railway photograph album, 1909
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Alaska Midland Railway photograph album
- Dates
- 1909 (inclusive)19091909
- Quantity
- 66 photographic prints in 1 album (1 box) ; various sizes
- Collection Number
- PH0230
- Summary
- Photographs of survey of proposed railway line
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Alaska Midland Railway was a venture of John Rosene, a Seattle entrepreneur who also organized mineral operations in Siberia and ran a number of other businesses in the early twentieth century. The Alaska Midland Railway was planned and surveyed to run from the port town of Haines (near Skagway), north through what is now Yukon Territory, ending at Fairbanks, Alaska. Rosene and his team of engineers chose this route because they believed its flat grade and connection of rich mineral, timber, and agricultural lands to the sea would make it a lucrative site. The company's original ambitions included connecting to other railways at Fairbanks and continuing the line westward into Siberia by bridge or tunnel across the Bering Strait.
While engineers set out to survey the line late in 1909, Rosene worked to make other preparations. He courted stockholders and attempted to raise capital and secure permission to use the route, to build the line across international borders, and to fund it with capital raised abroad. The railway was never completed, however. During World War I, the U.S. government completed a similar railway line from Fairbanks to Seward, Alaska, and the momentum for Rosene's project evaporated.
This album contains photos from the survey expedition for the first section of the railway line from Haines to the White River, Yukon Territory. It may be a copy of one of the albums Rosene sent with route maps to a French financier in December of 1909. The photographer is unknown, but the 1909 survey team may have included H.R. Robbins, H.P.M. Birkinbine, Steve Sheldon, and Gus Klaney, all of whom were involved in a later survey of the route.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photograph album depicting the first portion of the railway route (Haines, Alaska to White River, Yukon Territory) made by members of the railroad survey team. Other albums from different portions of the route may have existed. Some photos were removed from this album sometime prior to 2009.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
The photographer numbered many photos in the album and these numbers are in the photo captions. They appear in the description as (number).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Donor: William T. Perkins, July 1948
Processing Note
Processed by Renae Youngs, 2009.
Bibliography
Ward, Doris. "Alaska Midland Railroad." Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, Haines, Alaska, 1987. (http://www.sheldonmuseum.org/alaskamidlandrailroad.htm)
John Rosene papers, 1901-1910. University of Washington Libraries Special Collections acc. 4206.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alaska Midland Railway - from Haines to White River, 1909Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
1 | 1a | 1909 | |
1 | 1b | 1909 | |
1 | 2 |
Four-part panoramic image of Fort Seward and Haines Mission from Haines Wharf (29) Markings on the photograph indicate the corners of the Mission and the initial point of the Alaska Midland Railway survey
|
1909 |
1 | 3a | 1909 | |
1 | 3b | Missing prior to October 2009 |
|
1 | 4a | 1909 | |
1 | 4b | 1909 | |
1 | 5a | 1909 | |
1 | 5b | 1909 | |
1 | 6 | 1909 | |
1 | 7a | 1909 | |
1 | 7b | 1909 | |
1 | 8a | 1909 | |
1 | 8b | 1909 | |
1 | 9a | 1909 | |
1 | 9b | Missing prior to October 2009 |
|
1 | 10a | 1909 | |
1 | 10b | 1909 | |
1 | 11a | 1909 | |
1 | 11b | 1909 | |
1 | 12a | Missing prior to October 2009 |
1909 |
1 | 12b | 1909 | |
1 | 13a | 1909 | |
1 | 13b | 1909 | |
1 | 14a | 1909 | |
1 | 14b | 1909 | |
1 | 15a | 1909 | |
1 | 15b | 1909 | |
1 | 16a | 1909 | |
1 | 16b | 1909 | |
1 | 17a | 1909 | |
1 | 17b | 1909 | |
1 | 18 | 1909 | |
1 | 19a | 1909 | |
1 | 19b | 1909 | |
1 | 20a | 1909 | |
1 | 20b | 1909 | |
1 | 21a | 1909 | |
1 | 21b | October 23, 1909 | |
1 | 22a |
Snow covered buildings at Pleasant Camp near Haines, Alaska (71) Alaska/British Columbia border is noted on photograph
|
1909 |
1 | 22b | Missing as of October 2009 |
|
1 | 23a | 1909 | |
1 | 23b | 1909 | |
1 | 24a | 1909 | |
1 | 24b | 1909 | |
1 | 25a | October 26, 1909 | |
1 | 25b | 1909 | |
1 | 26a | 1909 | |
1 | 26b |
Mosquito Flats lowland (78) Markings on the photograph denote the Alsek River, Isobel Pass and Chilkat River
|
1909 |
1 | 27a-b | 1909 | |
1 | 28a | 1909 | |
1 | 28b | 1909 | |
1 | 29a | 1909 | |
1 | 29b | 1909 | |
1 | 30a | Missing prior to October 2009 |
|
1 | 30b | 1909 | |
1 | 31a | 1909 | |
1 | 31b | 1909 | |
1 | 32a | 1909 | |
1 | 32b | 1909 | |
1 | 33 | 1909 | |
1 | 34 | 1909 | |
1 | 35 a-b | 1909 | |
1 | 36a | 1909 | |
1 | 36b | Missing prior to October 2009 |
|
1 | 37a | 1909 | |
1 | 37b | Missing prior to October 2009 |
1909 |
1 | 38a | 1909 | |
1 | 38b | 1909 | |
1 | 39a | Missing prior to October 2009 |
|
1 | 39b | 1909 | |
1 | 40-49 | Missing prior to October 2009 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Form or Genre Terms
- Photograph albums