Kenneth D. Andress reminiscences; 1937-1943. Four audiocassette recordings of Andress's oral history of his experiences living and working in Alaska from 1937-1943, including his reminiscences of working at the Alaska Juneau Mine (1939-1941) and for Independence Mine (1941-1942).
Harry and Ruth Dobson papers; 1906-1973. Papers of a British miner who came to Alaska in 1894 to prospect for gold on the Seward Peninsula around Nome and Teller. The collection contains letters, maps, and legal documents concerning his mining activity and photographs of mining activities, among other material.
Lawrence and Olga Doheny family papers; 1910-1980. Papers and photographs of an Alaskan mining family from Anchorage. Olga Standberg Doheny served as director of Strandberg Mines, Inc. from 1952-1961. Larry Doheny worked as a mining engineer for various operations including the U.S. Smelting, Mining, and Refining Co. and Strandberg and Sons, Inc.
Russell W. Dow papers. 1917-1992. Russell Dow (1915-1992) settled in Alaska in 1936, worked in mining and construction, and was an avid photographer. His papers include photographs and materials relating to the Ruff & Tuff Mine, Independence Mine, and the Cripple Creek Gold Mine near Aniak.
Erickson family papers; 1903-1971. Papers and photographs of Arne Erickson and his wife Josephine Erickson, who operated the Crow Creek Mine near Girdwood. Arne was also a mining partner with David Strandberg in Flat.
Richard Tighe Harris family papers; 1853-1969. Richard Harris (1831-1907) and Joe Juneau discovered gold near present-day Juneau in 1881. The collection contains Harris's correspondence, drawings and photographs, maps, and other records, as well as legal, mining and financial records documenting his prospecting and business activities, especially for the period of 1879-1885.
Holmes family papers; 1915-1966. This collection contains placer claims filed by Walter L. Holmes for Rex Creek, Calamity Gulch, May Creek, and Chititu Creek, records of the Rex Creek Mining Company and Dan Creek Mining Company, and photographs of the Holmes's mining operations, among other material.
Charles Goodyear Hubbard II papers; 1897-1990. Papers of a miner and prospector who was involved in copper mining in Alaska with his partner, Harry Elliot, until Elliot's death in 1909. Hubbard later became involved in placer gold operations on the Upper Kenai River near Seward, specifically Primrose Mine, and other locations on the Kenai Peninsula.
J.B. and C.T. O'Neill papers; circa 1929-1947. Papers of two merchants who participated in mining activities near McCarthy, including operation of Dan Creek Mining Company, from 1931-1947.
A. G. Maddren photograph albums; 1906-1914. Photograph albums of a geologist with the United States Geological Survey who worked on expeditions to Alaska from 1906-1914. The albums include photographs of placer gold mining activities.
Ruth A.M. Schmidt papers; 1912-2014. Papers of Alaskan geologist, Ruth Schmidt. While a majority pertain to her work as a geologist, Schmidt traveled to, and took photographs of many mines in Alaska, including the Red Dog Mine; United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company (USSR); Suntrana Mining Company and other mines around Healy, Alaska; Goodnews Bay Mining Company; Independence Mine; and Cripple Creek Mine.
Stoll family papers; 1915-1987. Papers of the family that ran Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Co., the company that operated Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass. The collection includes papers, maps, and photographs created and collected by brothers William M. and Walter Clericus Stoll that document their involvement with mining at Independence Mine, other mines in the Willow Creek Mining District, and elsewhere in Alaska, Canada, the United States, Spain, and South America.
David and Jenny Strandberg family papers; 1897-1970. Papers and photographs of an Alaskan mining family who worked gold mines at Dawson in the Yukon Territory, Ester Creek, and Flat Creek near Iditarod. David Strandberg (1875-1949) was also president of Strandberg and Sons Mines, Incorporated, which operated gold mining operations at Cripple Creek, Candle Creek, Utopia Creek, and a platinum mine on Clara Creek.
Harold Strandberg papers; 1923-1985. Strandberg (1909-1995) worked as a placer miner with his father and three brothers at Cripple Creek, Folger, Candle, and Manley Hot Springs, and as a platinum miner at Goodnews Bay. He later served two terms as a state legislator and worked as vice president and secretary of Strandberg and Sons, Inc. (later known as the Stranberg Mining Corporation). The collection contains Strandberg's mining engineering papers, including maps; Strandberg family mining records; and photographs and moving image film of the family's mining operations in Alaska.
Frank H. Whitney scrapbook; undated, 1925. Scrapbook of an operator of Jewel Mine in Crow Creek Pass.
When Miners Strike: West Virginia Coal Mining & Labor History
Most West Virginia mines were owned by out-of-state interests who took little interest in the mines’ day-to-day work. Before unionization, each miner worked in a specified territory and was paid per ton of coal extracted. Miners got their wages in scrip, a company-created currency accepted in the company store and all but worthless outside the camp. Forced to pay for rent, clothes, food, medical and burial expenses, and even their mining equipment out of meager wages, miners were often trapped in a system that had them “owing their souls to the company store.” This cycle of debt, paired with dangerous working conditions, continuous threats of layoffs due to the market price of coal, and a lack of sanitary housing or adequate schools, left miners angry and ready for change. This set will help students understand the labor movement among coal miners and serve as a springboard for broader exploration of unionized employment in the United States.