XOE_CPNWS0344.xml Guide to the Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers 1861-2015 1923-1995 Jenkins (Will D. and Mildred) Family Papers Finding aid prepared by Ruth Baacke. Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies © 2016
516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225-9123 Phone: 360 650 7534 Email: cpnws@wwu.edu
Finding aid encoded by Rozlind Koester 2017 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225-9123 Tel: 360 650 7534 Email: cpnws@wwu.edu
XOE_CPNWS0344 Jenkins, Will D. (Bob)--1899- Jenkins, Mildred Hunley, Charles--1878-1933 Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers 1861-2015 1923-1995 5 linear ft. Biographical, personal and family papers from long-time Whatcom County (Washington) residents, historians and authors, Will D. “Bob” and Mildred Jenkins. Collection materials are in English.

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.

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.

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

The collection is open to the public.

Will D. and Mildred Jenkins Family Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9123

About Harmful Language and Content

To 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

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.

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.

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.

Jenkins, Will D. (Bob)--1899- Jenkins, Mildred Jenkins, Sidney Charles ("Chuck")--1932-2015 Hunley, Charles--1878-1933 Huntoon, Bert W.--1869-1947 Washington (State) Expeditions and Adventure

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

Series I Biographical Materials 1933-2015 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 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 19711973 Letter from Mildred Jenkins, 1971 April 29 Letter from Bob Jenkins, 1973 November 3 Christmas card from Bunk, 1973 December 16 1/16 Letters to Chuck Jenkins approximately 1980s2012 Letter from M. Impero - envelope containing letter from Mildred Jenkins to Frances Todd, 1987 November 29 Letter from M. Impero - note re: F. Todd, undated Partial letter re: killing of Phillip Noland in Waynesville, NC (relative of Mildred Jenkins), 2012 December 12 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 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 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 Mt. Baker area, undated Wilma Jenkins as bride with her father, 1956 October 14 4/1 Photographs approximately 1980s-1990s Sauk River Lumber Co., Danahey Lumber Co., Forest Service field trip, 1980 Dead cougars hanging, Chuck Jenkins seated, undated Forest scene, undated 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 Mules, undated Chuck and Wilma Jenkins and two dogs, Jess and Sal, undated Unidentified couple at wedding, Fox Island, 2004 August 7 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 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 "Mary Hunley Recalls Early Days of Lodge," 1977 July 10 "Mount Baker Lodge is Enjoyed by Bear," undated Series VI Research Materials 1990s 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 Glacier Township Cemetery BB & BC/Milwaukee Railroad history Mighty Joe Morovits-Morovich Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad Passenger Train Schedules Newspaper articles Trails Mt. Baker National Forest brochure 5/10 Mt. Baker cartogram - pictorial brochure undated 5/11 Cougar in British Columbia - brochure undated Series VII Audio-Visual Materials 1990s 5/12 CDs and cassette tape approximately 1990s 5/13 Cassette tape - "Special - Owls & Eagle Lk" undated Series VIII Maps 1904-1953 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 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