Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Cage 63
Howard, Mart Albert, 1855-1926
Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike
1897-1915
3 Linear feet of shelf space
7 Boxes
The papers of Mart Albert Howard consists of the
correspondence, diaries, bills and receipts, legal documents and photographs which
Howard retained from his experience as a gold miner in the Klondike gold rush of
1897.
Collection materials are in English
Mart A. Howard (1855-1926) was a businessman in Webster, Massachusetts in 1897 when
news of the Klondike gold strikes reached the United States. He left 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.
The papers of Mart Albert Howard consists of the correspondence, diaries, bills and
receipts, legal documents and photographs which Howard 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.
The collection is organized into 4 series based on material type. Series 4, Lantern
Slides, is further divided into subseries based on general subjects of the
photographs.
The Series 4 lantern slides have been digitized and are availible online as the
Klondike Photographs digital collection.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item description]
Mart Albert Howard Papers and Photographs of the Klondike, 1897-1915 (Cage 63)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
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 the State College of Washington, saved his father's
papers. Louis's widow preserved the papers after his death in 1944.
The Howard Papers were acquired by the Washington State University Library in 1958
from Howard's daughter in law, Mrs. Louis O. Howard.
Avery, Mary W. "The Mart A. Howard Klondike Collection." Pacific Northwest Quarterly
50, no. 2 (1959): 53-62.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Howard, Mart Albert, 1855-1926 -- Archives
Klondike River Valley (Yukon) -- Gold discoveries -- Photographs
Mines and mineral resources -- Yukon -- History -- Sources
Mines and mineral resources -- Yukon -- History -- Sources
Steamboats -- Photographs
Alaska
Mines and Mineral Resources
Series 1: Diaries, letters, papers, records,
souvenirs, clippings
1
1
Diaries of Mart Howard
1897-1900
4 items.
1
2-3
Letters of Mart Howard to wife and son in
Webster, Mass.
1897-1905
120 items.
1
4
Letters received by Mart Howard on
business matters
1902-1913
30 items.
1
5
Invoices and account book for purchases of
supplies from Seattle and Klondike firms
1897-1905
50 items.
1
6
Financial records of mining operations
including profit and loss statement, "balance sheets" time
books
1898-1905
40 items.
1
7
Contracts, license, writs, deeds and other
legal documents (included is 1860 permit to drive cattle through Dudley,
Mass.
1898-1905
25 items.
2
8
Souvenirs and mementos of southeast
Alaska, Klondike region, including theater bills, boat menus and
letterheads
1897-1905
20 items: 5x8 postcards
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.
1899-1905
40 items.
2
11
Material for lectures on Klondike by Mart
Howard
1910
25 items.
Series 2: Photographs
(Photoprints) of Klondike Gold Rush
Oversize
1. Panorama of Fairbanks
June 13, 1905
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 Negatives
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
Slides
Maps
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
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
3
33
Boat landing at Dawson,
Y.T.
3
34
Small Boats, some in
sails
3
35
Canoes
Railroads
3
36
Train in deep snow
3
37
Locomotive with
Snowplow
3
38
TMRR train
3
39-43
Track, trestlings, grades,
bridges
Wagons
3
44-47
Teams and freight
wagons
Sleds
3
48-52
Dog teams and sleds
3
53-59
Horse drawn sleds
3
60
Hand sled
Trails, Packing-In
3
61
Trail Depot
3
62-65
Packing over Chilkoot
Pass
3
66-71
Trails
Pack Animals
3
72
Pack Mules
3
73
Pack Train with Shipment of
gold
Cities, Settlements
Panoramas
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
4
98-101
Dawson, Y.T.
4
102-103
Skagway
4
104
Sitka
4
105
Flooded village
4
106
Unidentified
Buildings
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
5
142-144
Scenes around Dawson
5
145-147
Crowds in Streets
5
148-150
Log Jam behind footbridge in
Fairbanks
Mining
Panoramas
5
151-152
Adams Gulch
5
153-157
Bonanza
5
158-159
Chechaco Hill
5
160-161
Eldorado
5
162-168
Unidentified
Dredging
5
169-171
On Bonanza
5
172
On Lower Hunker Creek
5
173-174
On Klondike River
Tramway
5
175-180
The Fassbender and May
Tramway
6
181-183
The Fassbender and May
Tramway
Hand Tools and Simple Mining
Operations
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
6
203
Cage
6
204
Driving steam points
6
205
Digging by Hand
6
206-207
Timberwork
Steam Equipment
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
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
7
265
Robert Henderson
7
266
George Carmack
7
267-278
Unidentified, including miners,
Indians, laborers
Groups
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
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.
1899-1905
7 items.