Walter R. Bennett Nome and Fort Davis photograph collection

Walter R. Bennett Nome and Fort Davis photograph collection, approximately 1900-1905

Overview of the Collection

Title: Walter R. Bennett Nome and Fort Davis photograph collection
Dates: approximately 1900-1905 (inclusive)
19001905
Quantity: 20 photographs (3 folders) ; various sizes
Collection Number: PH0877
Summary: Photographs of construction and a snowstorm at Fort Davis, Alaska and views of Nome, Alaska
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 is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Languages: English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Fort Davis, just outside of Nome, Alaska, was established in 1900 and named after the former commander of the military district of Alaska, General Jefferson Columbus Davis. Fort Davis and several other military bases in Alaska, were established in the late 19th and early 20th century as a result of the gold rush. Both the military base and the town of Nome grew following the discovery of gold in 1898 by Jafet Lindeberg, Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson, know collectively as the "Three Lucky Swedes." By 1905, the town of Nome had become more established, with houses and buildings replacing the tents originally used by prospectors.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The images depict life in the early days of Nome and Fort Davis, Alaska. Several pictures show the construction of Fort Davis and the Main Street of Fort Davis in the winter, covered by snow. The last pictures in the collection show life in Nome, Alaska in the years immediately following the 1899 gold rush.

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

Probably a gift of Walter R. Bennett, circa 1986.

Processing Note

Processed by Emily Craig; processing completed in 2010. Revised 2014 by Susan Fitch.

Tranferred from the Alaska Subject Files, 2010.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Fort Davis, 1900?Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
1	1	Bird's-eye view of barracks on beach at Fort Davis Otto D. Goetze (photographer)	1900
		Construction	1900?
box-folder:oversize	item
OS5	2	Construction workers at Fort Davis Saaroni & Hammond, Nome, Alaska (Photographer)	1901
Folder
1	3	Construction workers at Fort Davis	1900?
1	4	Construction crew standing on snow drifts (Goetze A135) Otto D. Goetze (photographer) Handwritten on verso: Possibly Fort Davis, Alaska.	between 1900 and 1905?
1	5	Soldiers and lumber in front of buildings at a Fort Davis barracks construction site	1900?
		Snowstorm	1900?
Folder	item
1	6	A large snow bank and buildings on Main Street, Fort Davis	1900?
1	7	A person standing among snow piles on Main Street, Fort Davis	1900?
1	8	A man with two children, one wearing skis, on a snowbank on Main Street, Fort Davis	1900?
1	9	A man wearing skis and a child in the snow next to a Fort Davis building	1900?
1	10	Man, woman and child standing on a snowbank at Fort Davis, Alaska	1900?
1	11	Two people in the snow near Fort Davis' Main Street	1900?
1	12	A group of women and children in the snow on Main Street, Fort Davis	1900?
1	13	A group of men and women at entrances to snow-buried buildings, possibly Fort Davis	1900?
box-folder:oversize
XH6	14	A group of men, women and children with sled-pulling caribou in front of a snow-covered Main Street, Fort Davis	1900?

Nome, Alaska, 1900?Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Folder	item
1	15	People landing on the beach near buildings at Nome Alaska	1900?
1	16	Stores and tents, Nome, Alaska	1901?
1	17	Eskimo children and adults with household goods near Nome	1901?
1	18	Tents along the beach at Nome, Alaska	1901?
box-folder:oversize
OS5	19	Nome City from Lane's Derrick on Spit Saaroni & Hammond, Nome, Alaska (photographer)	May 23, 1901
OS5	20	Looking down Nome Spit at tents and buildings on the beach, Bering Sea on the right	1902?

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

Bennett, Walter R.--Photographs

Geographical Names

Fort Davis (Alaska)--Photographs
Nome (Alaska)--Photographs

Other Creators

Personal Names
- Goetze, O. D.s (Otto Daniel) (photographer)

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents