Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers, 1861-2015
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Jenkins, Will D. (Bob)--1899-; Jenkins, Mildred; Hunley, Charles--1878-1933
- Title
- Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers
- Dates
- 1861-2015 (inclusive)18612015
1923-1995 (bulk)19231995 - Quantity
- 5 linear ft.
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0344
- Summary
- Biographical, personal and family papers from long-time Whatcom County (Washington) residents, historians and authors, Will D. “Bob” and Mildred Jenkins.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
The Jenkins family has deep roots in Whatcom County. Will D. Jenkins III, born in 1852, migrated to Washington from Kansas and in 1883 co-founded the Whatcom Reveille (later the Bellingham Morning Herald and then, the Bellingham Herald). In 1887, Will D. and his son David Calum (D.C.) named and filed the plats for the Geneva neighborhood on Lake Whatcom.
D.C. Jenkins had two sons with his wife Mabel: Sidney (born approximately 1897) and Will D. “Bob” (1899-1997). In 1900, D.C. was caught up in gold rush fever and moved his family briefly to the Okanogan Highlands, returning to Whatcom County in 1903. Bob Jenkins and his brother Sid spent their teen years living with their mother in the Upper Skagit. Will served in the U.S. Navy in WWI, returning in 1920. In 1922, Bob Jenkins became a cub reporter for the Bellingham Herald where he met Mildred Modena Brooks (d.1991) who worked as a stenographer for the paper. They married on December 24, 1926, and had two sons: Will D. Jr. (1929-2002) and Sidney Charles “Chuck” (born in 1932). Bob and Mildred lived on the Geneva property until retiring to the Chilcotin Wilderness in British Columbia where they had built a cabin. Both were historians, writers and published authors: Bob’s works included Last Frontier in the North Cascades and Chilcotin Diary, published in 1984 and 1997, respectively. Mildred Jenkins authored a children’s book, Before The White Man Came: Pacific Northwest Indian Culture in 1951, with illustrations by her husband.
Mildred and Bob’s youngest son Chuck married Wilma Olsen of Lummi in 1956, and the couple built a log home near Rockport, Skagit County. Chuck was an avid hunter and worked as a mule packer for Mt. Baker National Forest, stationed initially out of Glacier, and later the Marblemount and Darrington districts.
Mildred Jenkins' mother, Mary (1889-1978, née Noland), married Charles Hunley in 1915, following the deaths of her first and second husbands (James Arthur Brooks and John Sampson Vickery). Charles Hunley was an engineer and surveyor for the Canadian National Railway, and later (working for Bert W. Huntoon) was in charge of the Mount Baker Development Company’s camp at Heather Meadows during the construction of the Mount Baker Lodge. Hunley passed away in 1933.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection comprises a range of biographical and personal papers documenting the history of two interrelated Whatcom County families, and individuals related to Will D. “Bob” and Mildred Jenkins.
Correspondence includes letters and holiday cards written between family members, as well as a 1926 letter to Charles Hunley from Mount Baker Forest Supervisor, C. Park. Biographical materials include a handwritten history of the Geneva neighborhood, and biographies and genealogical materials for various family members.
Journals include Charles Hunley’s Mt. Baker Development Co. diary from 1925-1927 documenting life at Heather Meadows, and several of Chuck Jenkins’ journals documenting his mule packing trips from 1949-1992. Photographs and art work include several images of Mount Baker and vicinity, and the Mount Baker Lodge (many taken by Bert W. Huntoon).
Newspaper articles and clippings include several Bellingham Herald articles spanning 1919-1934 and covering the construction of Mount Baker Highway, the Mount Baker Lodge, bootlegging cases, and social events attended by members of the Jenkins and Hunley families. Research materials include plans for the 1996 Concrete (WA) Museum project.
Audio-visual materials include CDs and cassette tapes of Bob Jenkins’ vocals and nature sounds from Eagle Lake, B.C. There are also several maps of Mount Baker National Forest spanning 1922-1960, an 1897 map of Washington and southern B.C. mining districts.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9123
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers are organized according to the following series arrangement:
- Series I. Biographical Materials, 1933-2015
- Series II. Correspondence, 1923-2012
- Series III. Journals and Notebooks, 1925-1992
- Series IV. Photographs and Artwork, 1917-2004
- Series V. Newspapers and Clippings, 1861-1994
- Series VI. Research Materials, 1990s
- Series VII. Audio-Visual Materials, 1990s
- Series VIII. Maps, 1904-1953
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content
Acquisition Information
The collection was formally donated to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies by John Parent in August 2015, with the transfer of materials by local historian Michael G. Impero.
Separated Materials
Copies of select published works by Will D. Jenkins and Mildren Jenkins are avaialble through Western Libraries. A box of illustrations for Before The White Man Came (some used in the final published version, some not) is also housed at Western Libraries as part of Special Collections' Children's Collection.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I : Biographical Materials , 1933-2015 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Charles Hunley obituary |
1933 December 15 |
| 1/2 | Sidney Charles ("Chuck") Jenkins memorial service |
2015 January 7 |
| 1/3 | Early Geneva and Lake Whatcom history (given to Mildred Jenkins by Nettie Jenkins) |
1956 |
| 1/4 |
Bellingham Herald article on Mildred Jenkins publishing Before The White Man Came: Pacific Northwest Indian Culture
|
1951 October 29 |
| 1/5 | Note from Sidney Jenkins |
undated |
| 1/6 | Frank Reid story and Soapy Smith by Chuck Jenkins |
undated |
| 1/7 | Mountain Man Story and Ren [sic] story by Chuck Jenkins |
2001 March-April |
| 1/8 | Gramma Axton by Will D. "Bob" Jenkins |
undated |
| 1/9 | Wilma Rose Olsen Jenkins genealogical materials |
undated |
| 1/10 | Sidney Charles "Chuck" Jenkins Honorable Discharge from Army |
1954 August 13 |
| 1/11 | List of banjo tunes and Christmas card list |
approximately 1970s |
Series II : Correspondence , 1926-2012 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/12 | Valentine's Day card from Mildred Jenkins to the kids |
1974 February 6 |
| 1/13 | Two letters to Chuck Jenkins from Doug Schuk |
1998 February |
| 1/14 | Letters to Charles Hunley from C.H. Park, Forest Supervisor |
1926 July 15 |
| 1/15 | Letters to Chuck and Wilma Jenkins
|
1971; 1973 |
| 1/16 | Letters to Chuck Jenkins
|
approximately 1980s; 2012 |
| 1/17 | Anniversary card to Chuck Jenkins from Wilma Jenkins |
1969 October 14 |
| 1/18 | Letter to Mildred Jenkins from her Aunt Florence Noland Remein |
1936 |
| 1/19 | Letter to Chuck Jenkins from Doris Remein after Wilma Jenkins' death |
2007 May 6 |
| 1/20 | Letter to Jenkins' "kids" from Mildred Jenkins (found in Chuck Jenkins' 1949 journal) |
approximately 1949 |
| 1/21 | Salutation letter from Chuck Jenkins to his parents |
1967 September 15 |
Series III : Journals and Notebooks , 1925-1992 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 2/1 | Mt. Baker Development Co. - leather-bound journal |
1925-1927 |
| 2/1-2/5 | Chuck Jenkins - notebooks |
1949-1992 |
| 3/1-3/3 | Chuck Jenkins - mini-notebooks |
1969-1993 |
Series IV : Photographs and Artwork , 1917-2004 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3/4 | Photograph and two sketches |
undated |
| 3/5 | Rolled photograph - Native American woman next to a stump |
undated |
| 3/6 | Rolled photograph - "U.S. Marine barracks, Quantico, VA" |
undated |
| 3/7 | Painting on paper |
undated |
| 3/8 | Photographs
|
approximately 1950s |
| 4/1 | Photographs
|
approximately 1980s-1990s |
| 4/2 | Photographs (many by Bert Huntoon) - Mt. Baker area and lodge; Chuckanut Drive; USFS mule team from Darrington; hound dog, Bugle Anne |
undated |
| 4/3 | Photographs by Bert Huntoon of Mt. Baker scenes |
undated |
| 4/4 | Photographs of Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, Mr. Hunley, Mt. Baker Highway, Mt. Baker Lodge Stationery |
1925-1927 |
| 4/5 | Photographs and negatives of Hunley family and house on Donovan Ave., Chuckanut Drive, Mt. Baker Lodge and surrounding area |
1917-1927 |
| 4/6 | Photographs and negatives of Mt. Baker Lodge and surrounding area, Mt. Baker Development Company Stationery |
1923-1927 |
| 4/7 | Photographs of Jenkins family, dogs hunting, B.C. cabin |
undated |
| 4/8 | Framed photographs |
undated |
| 4/9 | Photographs
|
approximately 1986-2004 |
| 4/10 | Nature slides (35mm), primarily of British Columbia |
1967 |
| 4/11 | Photograph of three unidentified men and bulldozer |
undated |
| 4/12 | Signed photographs of "Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys" |
undated |
Series V : Newspapers and Clippings , 1861-1977 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/1 |
Bellingham Herald article on Braille translation of Before the White Man Came
|
1969 July 15 |
| 5/2 | Envelope to C. Jenkins to M. Impero containing photocopies of Bellingham Herald artciles describing road construction to Mt. Baker Lodge, social events invovling the Hunley and Jenkins families, death of Charles Hunley |
1919-1934 |
| 5/3 | Article from The Buyer on Mt. Baker Lodge by Galen Biery |
1967 June 28 |
| 5/4 |
The North-West - newspaper from Port Townsend |
1861 February 14 |
| 5/5 |
Bellingham Is the Gateway to Mt. Baker Wonderland - newspaper supplement including Bert Huntoon photographs |
undated |
| 5/6 |
Bellingham Herald articles
|
approximately 1970s |
Series VI : Research Materials , 1990s Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/7 | Concrete Museum project |
1996 |
| 5/8 | Concrete Heritage Museum Charter membership certificate |
1996 July |
| 5/9 | Envelope to C. Jenkins from M. Impero containing research materials
|
undated |
| 5/10 | Mt. Baker cartogram - pictorial brochure |
undated |
| 5/11 | Cougar in British Columbia - brochure |
undated |
Series VII : Audio-Visual Materials , 1990s Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/12 | CDs and cassette tape |
approximately 1990s |
| 5/13 | Cassette tape - "Special - Owls & Eagle Lk" |
undated |
Series VIII : Maps , 1904-1953 Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 5/14 | Map of Bellingham |
1904 |
| 5/15 | Map of Mt. Baker National Forest (USDA) |
1932 |
| 5/16 | Maps of Mt. Baker National Forest (USDA) (multiple dates) |
1922-1953 |
| 5/17 | Maps of various local places |
undated |
| 5/18 | Map of Upper Skagit River |
undated |
| rolled-documents | ||
| RD 1 | Map of Amended Plat of Geneva |
1889 |
| RD 2 | Supplemental Map of Amended Plat of Geneva |
1889 |
| RD 3 | D. Kellogg Addition To Whatcom |
1883 |
| RD 4 | Map of Geneva on Whatcom Lake |
1887 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Hunley, Charles--1878-1933 (creator)
- Huntoon, Bert W.--1869-1947 (creator)
- Jenkins, Mildred (creator)
- Jenkins, Sidney Charles ("Chuck")--1932-2015 (creator)
- Jenkins, Will D. (Bob)--1899- (creator)
Finding aid prepared by Ruth Baacke.
2016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
