Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
George W. Carmack papers, 1869-1994
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Carmack, George W.$q(George Washington),$d1860-1922
- Title
- George W. Carmack papers
- Dates
- 1869-1994 (bulk)18691994
1881-1990 (bulk)18811990 - Quantity
- 1.21 cubic ft.
- Collection Number
- 5176 (mss), 5176-001 (accession)
- Summary
- Gold miner whose discovery claim at Bonanza Creek on August 17, 1896, started the Klondike Gold Rush
- 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
-
The collection is open to all users.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
George Washington Carmack (1860-1922) was a miner whose discovery claim at Bonanza Creek on August 17, 1896, started the Klondike Gold Rush.
After deserting the United States Marine Corps in 1882, George Carmack lived among the Tagish Indians in the Yukon Valley along with his common law wife, Kate Carmack, and their daughter, Graphie. Kate's brother, Skookum Jim, and Jim's nephew, Tagish Charlie, also made their fortunes mining for gold as partners of Carmack.
George and Kate later moved to a ranch near Hollister, California, and lived with George's sister, Rose Watson (later Rose Curtis). George eventually left California, parting ways with Kate as well as his former partners. He left Kate and Graphie with Rose, and in 1900 George married Marguerite Laimee in Olympia, Washington. Kate, illiterate and nearly destitute, began a difficult legal battle to prove she was George's wife and entitled to alimony. She eventually dropped the case in hopes of winning back her husband. When this attempt failed, she settled in Carcross, Alaska, where she died in 1920. After Carmack's death in 1922, Graphie, now married to Marguerite's brother, and Rose challenged Marguerite's appointment as administratrix of Carmack's estate. The case was settled out of court.
In 1990, James A. Johnson published Carmack of the Klondike. The book was republished in 2001 as George Carmack: The Man of Mystery Who Set Off the Klondike Gold Rush.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Approximately half of the records are the personal papers of George Carmack. Included are letters, court documents, legal documents, and photocopies of photographs of George Carmack. The bulk of the letters were written by Carmack to his sister, Rose Watson. James Wickersham's correspondence documents his research on Carmack. The court papers relate to the legal battles over Carmack's estate. There are separate subgroups for the papers of his first wife, Kate Carmack, and for the research papers of his biographer, James A. Johnson.
The Kate Carmack subgroup consists mainly of correspondence with her attorney, John H. Durst, from the period 1900-1901.
The James A. Johnson subgroup includes correspondence with publishers and Carmack's heirs pertaining to the writing and publication of Johnson's biography of Carmack, Carmack of the Klondike (1990), as well as a manuscript for the book.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from this collection in digital format
Restrictions on Use
Literary rights originally granted to James A. Johnson by Mrs. Arthur Howard, grand-niece of Carmack's wife, Marguerite, and other heirs were transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
The papers were donated to the Libraries by James Albert Johnson in 2000.
Processing Note
Processing was completed in 2002.
Photographs and slides of George W. Carmack, Kate Carmack, and others taken at Bonanza Creek, Yukon Territory, and California, ca. 1883-1920; James Albert Johnson, ca. 1990; and Carmack's descendents were transferred to the George W. Carmack Photograph Collection in the division in 2002.
Bibliography
Carmack, George W., My Experiences in the Yukon (Seattle, The Trade Printery, c. 1933).
Carmack, George W., My Experiences in the Yukon (Seattle, The Trade Printery, c. 1933).Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Incoming Letters, 1883, 1991, 1921Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 1/1
Outgoing Letters, 1883-1912Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 1/2-9
Correspondence of OthersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/10 | Other Family Members |
1899-1906 |
| 1/11-12 | Wickersham, James |
1938-1939 |
| 1/13 | Re: Mason, James |
1938 |
Notes, 1883-1884Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 1/14
Military RecordsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/15 | Enlistment Papers - United States Marine Corps |
1881 |
| 1/16 | Deck Logs of USS Wachusetts |
1882 |
Court PapersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/17 | Saftig and Curtis v. Carmack |
1922 |
| 1/18 | 1923 | |
| 2/1-2 | Re: Estate of George W. Carmack |
1924 |
| 2/3 | Frye v. Carmack |
1924 |
| 2/4 | Re: Estate of Carmack |
1925 |
| 2/5 | Re: Estate of Carmack |
1926 |
| 2/6-7 | Re: Estate of Marguerite P. Carmack |
1942 |
| 2/8 | Frye v. Carmack |
undated |
| 2/9 | From Washington Supreme Court |
undated |
| 2/10-11 | Briefs - Supreme Court of the State of Washington |
undated |
| 3/1-3 | Briefs - Supreme Court of the State of Washington |
undated |
Legal Documents - Marriage Certificate, 1900Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/4
Legal Documents of Others, 1913-1938, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/5
PublicationsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/6 | "Early Days at Caribous Crossing and the Discovery of Gold on the Klondike," "The Klondike News" |
1898; 1950 |
Financial Records of Others, 1913Return to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/7
Photographs (Photocopies), 1869-1990, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box-folder 3/8
Kate Carmack PapersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/1-4 | Incoming Letters |
1900-1901 |
| 4/5-7 | Outgoing Letters |
1900-1901 |
| 4/8-12 | General Correspondence of Durst, John H. |
1900-1901 |
| 4/13 | Financial Records |
1901 |
James A. Johnson PapersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4/14 | Incoming Letters |
1960-1994 |
| 4/15 | Outgoing Letters |
1987-1990 |
| 4/16 | Publications - Carmack of the Klondike |
1990 |
| 5/1-17 | Writings - The Carmack Story |
undated |
| 5/18 | Interview Notes with Mrs. Arthur H. Howard |
1974 |
| 5/19 | Lists |
undated |
| 5/20 | Clippings |
1987 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Claims against decedents' estates--West (U.S.)
- Gold miners--Yukon Territory--Klondike River Valley--Archives
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
- Pioneers--Yukon Territory--Klondike River Valley--Archives
Personal Names
- Carmack, George W. (George Washington), 1860-1922--Archives
- Carmack, George W. (George Washington), 1860-1922--Estate
- Carmack, George W. (George Washington), 1860-1922--Family
- Carmack, Kate--Archives
- Durst, John H.
- Johnson, James Albert, 1905- --Archives
- Wickersham, James, 1857-1939
Geographical Names
- Klondike River Valley (Yukon)--Gold discoveries
- Yukon Territory--Gold discoveries
Form or Genre Terms
- Legal documents
Titles within the Collection
- Carmack of the Klondike
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Carmack, Kate (creator)
- Johnson, James Albert, 1905- (creator)
