Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike

Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike, 1897-1915

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Howard, Mart Albert
Title: Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike
Dates: 1897-1915 (inclusive)
18971915
Quantity: 7 containers., (3 linear feet of shelf space.), (800 items.)
Collection Number: Cage 63
Summary: Correspondence, diaries, financial and legal papers, photographs and lantern slides and other papers of Howard's experiences as a gold miner in the Klondike, 1898-1905.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research use.
Additional Reference Guides: A lengthy description of the papers in this collection may be found in Mary W. Avery, The Mart A. Howard Klondike Collection, Pacific Northwest Quarterly, 50 (1959) 53-62.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Mart A. Howard (1855-1926) was a businessman at Webster, Massachusetts in 1897 when news of the Klondike gold strikes reached the United States. He left from home in October of that year, taking a train to Portland, then on to Seattle where he outfitted for a trip to Alaska. Leaving Seattle in January 1898, he traveled north via coastal steamer to Dyea, then across Chilkoot Pass and along inland waterways to his eventual destination at Dawson, Yukon Territory. In the fall of the same year, he returned to Seattle and purchased a shipment of supplies, which he retailed in the Klondike the following spring. Using the profits of this mercantile venture, he became a mine operator, purchasing interests in various mines on the creeks north of Dawson. He returned briefly to Massachusetts in 1900 after which he took his third trip to the Klondike, this time accompanied by his wife and son. Howard remained in Dawson until 1905, after which he returned to Massachusetts permanently. In later years he became a public lecturer on the Klondike gold rush.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers of Mart Albert Howard, 1855-1926, consists of the correspondence, diaries, bills and receipts, legal documents and photographs which Howard, a Webster, Massachusetts, businessman, retained from his experience as a gold miner in the Klondike gold rush of 1897. Approximately two thirds of the collection are photographs taken by Howard or purchased from other Alaskan and Canadian photographers. Most photographs are glass-mounted transparencies.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 63, Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Custodial History

Mart Howard's son Louis, who was 14 at the time of his trip to the Klondike and who was later Dean Of Mining at Washington State University, saved his father's papers until his own death in 1944. His widow then preserved the papers until she deposited then with the WSU Library in 1958.

Acquisition Information

The Howard Papers were acquired by the Washington State University Library in 1958 from Howard's daughter in law, Mrs. Louis O. Howard.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Diaries, letters, papers, records, souvenirs, clippingsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Diaries of Mart Howard 4 items.	1897-1900
1	2-3	Letters of Mart Howard to wife and son in Webster, Mass. 120 items.	1897-1905
1	4	Letters received by Mart Howard on business matters 30 items.	1902-1913
1	5	Invoices and account book for purchases of supplies from Seattle and Klondike firms 50 items.	1897-1905
1	6	Financial records of mining operations including profit and loss statement, "balance sheets" time books 40 items.	1898-1905
1	7	Contracts, license, writs, deeds and other legal documents (included is 1860 permit to drive cattle through Dudley, Mass. 25 items.	1898-1905
2	8	Souvenirs and mementos of southeast Alaska, Klondike region, including theater bills, boat menus and letterheads	1897-1905
2	9	General information regarding the territory of Alaska. Interior Dept.	1914
2	9	Report on reduction of area of homesteads in Alaska to 160 acres, Interior Dept.	1915
2	10	Mounted Newspaper clippings, re: Mart Howard; trial of George O'Brien at Dawson, Y.T. 40 items.	1899-1905
2	11	Material for lectures on Klondike by Mart Howard 25 items.	1910

Series 2: Photographs (Photoprints) of Klondike Gold RushReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
Oversize		1. Panorama of Fairbanks	June 13, 1905
	Folder
2	12	2-4. Dawson, Y.T. 70-0200	1901
2	12	5. Episcopal Church and Hospital, Fairbanks
2	12	6. Footbridge, Fairbanks
2	12	7. Roll Call at the "N.C.C. Store" Fairbanks (liquor Wholesale)	April 9, 1905
2	12	8. (Log) Jam formed above Cushman St. Bridge, Fairbanks	July 1, 1905
2	12	9. Pack Train Arriving with Gold Dust, Washington and Alaska Bank, Fairbanks.
2	12	10. Removing Jam from above Cushman St. Bridge
2	12	11. Removing Jam from above Cushman St. Bridge.
2	12	12. Below Bonanza (diggings) of Howard, Magaw and Collins
2	12	13. Sluicing on Checaco Hill	May 11, 1901
2	12	14. Below Bonanza, Howard, Magaw, and Collins Diggings
2	12	15. Below Bonanza, Howard, Magaw, and Collins
2	12	16. Panorama of Dawson City
2	12	17. No. 4 El Dorado, looking up Gold Hill
2	12	18. No. 6 Below on Bonanza
2	12	19. Midnight Scenic of Dawson	June 21, 1899
2	12	20. Hoisting Gold 1000 ft. to surface-winching machinery.
2	12	21. Group of men on porch of building
2	12	22. Stores in Fairbanks (with M.A. Howard in scene)
2	12	23. Top of tramway or ore chute
2	12	24. Our Klondike home	July 12, 1901
2	12	25. T.M. RR Train at the Junction between Fairbanks and Chema
2	12	26. Seattle waterfront	March 4, 1901
2	12	27. 1000 Ft. Underground Cripple Creek, Colorado
2	12	28. Mining Gold in Cripple Creek District
2	12	29. The Elkton Mine, Cripple Creek	1908
2	12	30. National Hotel, Cripple Creek
2	12	31. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek
2	12	32. Mary McKinney Mine Cripple Creek District
2	12	33. Portland Mine
2	12	34. Economic Mill, Cripple Creek District
2	12	35. Victor, Colorado
2	12	36. The Center of the Great Mining District, Cripple Creek Colorado.
2	12	37. Adams Gulch
2	12	38. The Portland, Colorado’s Greatest Gold Mine
2	12	39. The Center of Cripple Creek Mining District
2	12	40. (Old Dominion?) Alaska or Yukon Mine Head, Sluice Box
2	12	41. Below Bonanza (Howard, Magaw, and Collins)
2	12	42. Ice in Yukon River at Dawson	May 19, 1901
2	12	43. Ice Cakes at Forty-Mile, Yukon Territory, 15 feet thick	May 19, 1901
2	12	44. Log Jam-Fairbanks
2	12	45. Mart Howard en route to Klondike Gold Fields
2	12	46. Mart Howard en route to Klondike Gold Fields (Chilkoot Pass)
2	12	47. Mart Howard en route to Klondike Gold Fields
2	12	48. Flood at Fairbanks	July 6, 1908
2	12	49. No. 7 Below Bonanza—(Sluice Box and people)
2	12	50. Below Bonanza, Howard, Magaw and Collins
2	12	51. Howard, Magaw and Collins Mine (?)
2	12	52. El Dorado
2	12	53. Midnight Street Scene—Dawson
2	12	54. Mining Scene on (Gold Sun?)
2	12	55. Below Bonanza—Howard, Magaw, and Collins Mine
2	12	56. Fairbanks, Alaska, from across Chena river. oversize 70-0203, 70-0204.	June 13, 1905
2	12	57. Military Post
2	12	58. General Store
2	12	59. Steamer Clifford Siftor in Miles Canyon
2	12	60. Enroute to Klondike Gold Fields (Chilkoot Pass)
2	12	61. Shooting White Horse Rapids
2	12	62. S.S. Cutch in Port at Skagway

Series 3: Lantern Slides: Copy NegativesReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	13	#3 Enlarged Map of Chilkoot, Chilkat, and White Pass Routes, 70- 0207
2	13	#4 Map of Klondike Mining District
2	13	#6 Map of Klondike Gold Rush Area
2	13	#10 Steamers Colombian and El Dorado racing 70-0208
2	13	#11 Steamer El Dorado in ice 70-0209
2	13	#13 Steamer Canadian 70-0210
2	13	#14 Steamer John C. Barr 70-0211
2	13	#15 Steamer White Horse 70-0212
2	13	#26 Steamer
2	13	#98 Second Avenue, dawson 70-0214
2	13	#99 Front Street, Dawson 70-0215	July 5, 1901
2	13	#101 Street in Dawson 70-0216
2	13	#108 Administrative Building, Dawson 70-0217
2	13	#127 Canadian Bank of Commerce (Dawson?) 70-218
2	13	#143 (Front Street, Dawson?) Crowd scene 70-219
2	13	#144 (Front Street, Dawson?) Crowd scene 70-220
2	13	#185 Rocker Box 70-222
2	13	#309 Scow dealers 70-0233
2	13	#313 A Yukon stove 70-224

Series 4: Lantern SlidesReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Maps
Box	slide
3	1-2	Northwest North America
3	3	Chilkoot, Chilkat and White Pass Routes
3	4-5	Klondike Mining District
3	6	Klondike Gold Rush Area
3	7	Utah, Colorado Area
		Transport
		Steamboats
Box	slide
3	8-9	Victorian
3	10	Colombian and Eldorado racing
3	11	Eldorado in ice
3	12-13	Canadian
3	14	John C. Barr at Hootalinqua, Y.T.
3	15	White Horse
3	16	Cutch in ice
3	17	Susie
3	18	Dolphin
3	19	Alki
3	20-21	Wharves
3	22	Steamboats and barges
3	23	Coastal steamer in ice
3	24	Crowd awaiting 2 steamers
3	25	(Steamboats) in winter quarters
3	26-27	Steamers
3	28	Roping a steamer through 5-finger rapids
3	29	Miners leaving Seattle on Ohio
3	30-32	On board steamer to Alaska
		Boats
Box	slide
3	33	Boat landing at Dawson, Y.T.
3	34	Small Boats, some in sails
3	35	Canoes
		Railroads
Box	slide
3	36	Train in deep snow
3	37	Locomotive with Snowplow
3	38	TMRR train
3	39-43	Track, trestlings, grades, bridges
		Wagons
Box	slide
3	44-47	Teams and freight wagons
		Sleds
Box	slide
3	48-52	Dog teams and sleds
3	53-59	Horse drawn sleds
3	60	Hand sled
		Trails, Packing-In
Box	slide
3	61	Trail Depot
3	62-65	Packing over Chilkoot Pass
3	66-71	Trails
		Pack Animals
Box	slide
3	72	Pack Mules
3	73	Pack Train with Shipment of gold
		Cities, Settlements
		Panoramas
Box	slide
4	74	Cordova
4	75	Dyea
4	76-77	Fairbanks
4	78	Forty-Mile
4	79-80	Grand Forks of Bonanza and Eldorado
4	81	Juneau
4	82	Ketchikan
4	83	Log Cabin, B.C.
4	84	Moosehide, Y.T.
4	85	Port Townsend, WA
4	86	Seattle
4	87	Skagway
4	88	Stewart, Y.T.
4	89	Vancouver, B.C.
4	90	Victoria, B.C.
4	91	Wrangel
4	92-97	Unidentified cities
		Streets
Box	slide
4	98-101	Dawson, Y.T.
4	102-103	Skagway
4	104	Sitka
4	105	Flooded village
4	106	Unidentified
		Buildings
Box	slide
4	107-108	Administrative Building, Dawson
4	109	Fire Station, Dawson
4	110-111	Church and Hospital
4	112	Parliament, Victoria
4	113	Parliament, Ottawa
4	114	Empress Hotel, Victoria
4	115	San Francisco Post Office
4	116	GAR post, Worcester, Mass.
4	117	The Royal Fuel Factory
4	118	Fort Selkirk buildings
4	119	White Horse Depot (?)
4	120	Stores
4	121	Canadian Pacific RR Offices, Victoria
4	122	Canadian Development Company Trading Post
4	123	Nugget Lunch House
4	124	Interior of Russian Orthodox Church
4	125	Cabin Fever
4	126	Canneries at Petersburg, Alaska
4	127	Canadian Bank of Commerce
4	128-132	Unidentified public buildings and dwellings
4	133-135	Encampments on Lakes Bennett and Lindeman
4	136-140	Camps
4	141	Tennis Courts at Valdez
		Encampment and City Scenes
Box	slide
5	142-144	Scenes around Dawson
5	145-147	Crowds in Streets
5	148-150	Log Jam behind footbridge in Fairbanks
		Mining
		Panoramas
Box	slide
5	151-152	Adams Gulch
5	153-157	Bonanza
5	158-159	Chechaco Hill
5	160-161	Eldorado
5	162-168	Unidentified
		Dredging
Box	slide
5	169-171	On Bonanza
5	172	On Lower Hunker Creek
5	173-174	On Klondike River
		Tramway
Box	slide
5	175-180	The Fassbender and May Tramway
6	181-183	The Fassbender and May Tramway
		Hand Tools and Simple Mining Operations
Box	slide
6	184	Group with rocker and pans
6	185-188	Rockers
6	189	A Long Tom
6	190	Panning
6	191-193	Hand winches or windlasses
6	194-195	Hydraulic mining
6	196-202	Sluices
		Mine Interiors
Box	slide
6	203	Cage
6	204	Driving steam points
6	205	Digging by Hand
6	206-207	Timberwork
		Steam Equipment
Box	slide
6	208-210	Steam pipes
6	211-215	Steam hoists at mine heads
6	216-218	Ore Cars
6	219-220	Ore Stackers
6	221-225	Miscellaneous
6	226-227	Assay Labs
6	228-239	Surface Mining, probably in Southwest United States
		Landscapes
Box	slide
7	240-251	Rivers or Inlets
7	252-254	5-Finger Rapids
7	255-256	Glaciers
7	257-259	Waterfalls
7	260-261	Forest
7	262-263	Desert
7	264	Gold Hill
		Portraits
		Individual and dual
Box	slide
7	265	Robert Henderson
7	266	George Carmack
7	267-278	Unidentified, including miners, Indians, laborers
		Groups
Box	slide
7	279	Violet Basketball Team
7	280	Group at Rapids
7	281	Midnight Dome	June 21
7	282	School Children
7	283	Border Officials
7	284-291	Groups and crowds
7	292-295	Novelty Portraits, including women panning, miner doing laundry, etc.
		Miscellaneous
Box	slide
7	296	Building a road
7	297	Totem Poles
7	298	Shooting a rapid
7	299	Firewood pile
7	300	On a sandbar
7	301	Log Pile
7	302	A saw pit
7	303-306	Color photos of vegetation, mostly flowers
7	307	1/2 Million Dollars worth of gold
7	308	A typical Malumute dog
7	309	Scow dealers (peddlers)
7	310	Milk Stand
7	311	Milk Cows
7	312	Shipment of Gold
7	313	A Yukon Stove
7	314	25,000 Salmon at Anacortes, WA
7	315	Ice Cakes from Yukon River
7	316	United States Flag
7	317	United States and Imperial Flags
7	318-326	Machinery Fairbanks, Morse, and Company stamp and amalgamation mill
7	327-366	Steel Crystallography
7	367	X-Ray of a key and coin
Oversize		Newspapers: Dawson, Yukon Territory; Skagway, Alaska. 7 items.	1899-1905

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Mines and mineral resources--Yukon Territory--History--Sources
Steamboats -- Photographs

Personal Names

Howard, Mart Albert, 1855-1926 --Archives (creator)

Geographical Names

Alaska--Pictorial works
Klondike River Valley (Yukon)--Gold discoveries -- Pictorial works

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents