(10:14 min.) (09 of 09)
Learning about the barging business
Eskimo boy hunting; beach; tied up the boat; land downstream on the barge; Demientieff, Martha; summer; advice; barge business; safety net; schooling; adventure; educated children in both...
(3:06 min) (04 of 17) Flying business
June '47 bought an airplane and started work mostly near Aniak, Fairbanks, Circle, Fort Yukon wound up in Central. Went to Globe Arizona in the winters to take classes in air mechanic and everything...
(3:09 min.) (01 of 09) 1. Early life Les's father went north with the gold rush; when he found that the claims had all been staked, he and his partners opened up a paint and wallpaper store. Les moved to Fairbanks with his wife and eldest...
(3:24 min.) (24 of 24) 24 Barge runs Barges were difficult to bring into port, had to judge waves and tides just right. On one trip to Unalakleet, men, women and children off-loaded supplies. In the 1940's the people of Unalakleet wanted...
(3:33 min.) (13 of 24) 13 Hiring and the unions
Unions started up in earnest in 1935 or 1936. Sometimes you had to work around the union to get who you wanted for your crew. The stewards' crew didn't have much time when they were in port,...
(3:36 min.) (09 of 28) 9. WWII in North Africa
George worked his way across North Africa. He describes air raids in Cairo, how Rommel was pushed back, how war was declared while he was on the ship to Africa. Bombers ferried across the...
(3:36 min.) (23 of 28) 23. DC-3 aircraft
George and Merrill Wien got a Stinson ready for instrument flight. George loaded up the family and flew to New York. He started training with the DC-3.
(3:44 min) (06 of 19) Prepared for trip to Alaska Got information from Department of Interior and studied the possibility of moving. Saved up the money to go. Bought 1918 Model T Ford and fixed it up.
(3:55 min.) (03 of 24) 03 Worked for Alaska Steamship Co. during WWII Laid cable for Alaska Communication System [ACS]. Worked on a troop transport (possibly the Chinook Victory). Delivered soldiers to and from Truck Island; the ship...
(3:57 min.) (04 of 24) 04 After the war. Worked the passenger ships for years. Moved ashore into receiving ship stores. Did receiving for Korea and Vietnam wars. Moved up to the main office. Got to make deals for a million dollars. ...
(3:57 min.) (09 of 27) Denali Highway
One of the complaints is that the Road Commission did most of their own work and contracted out very little. There was no profit in bringing the equipment all the way here. Setting up base and...
(3:58 min.) (13 of 27) Problems with cooks
Camp cooks were brothers, and cooks were good as long as they were sober. One went to Livengood after an argument and got drunk. When he returned and his brother got off shift, he cut up all the...
(4:00 min.) (20 of 24) 20 Purchasing agent
Nicky Jones was the purchasing agent, but he got too sick to do the job. They hired a replacement from Boeing. Buying for an airplane company was very different from buying for a ship. He quickly...
(4:01 min) (01 of 17) Getting to Alaska
Graduated from college wandered around worked in fish industry hitch-hiked up Richardson Highway. Wells Alaska Motors, Aurora Motors, Employment office, Christian Science Reading Room, George...
(4:08 min) (16 of 27) Haul Road
Road built to get supplies to oil fields up north. Word from Juneau said to go ahead and build from Livengood to Yukon River.