(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...
(3:33 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,...
(3:41 min.) (01 of 24) 01 Early life & family history Raised in Baltimore, MD. Life was tough so he went to sea. Traveled the world. Went to West coast because heard might make more money. In 1934, started with Alaska Steamship Co. ...
(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...
(4:01 min.) (01 of 27) Family history: Grandfather
Grandfather from Virginia, fought for Union, was a soldier at Sitka during the signing in 1868. Father stayed and married a Creole, part Aleut. Got a Job with the A. C. Co. Grandfather...
(4:04 min) (08 of 19) Trip to Alaska #2 Roads difficult. Gas expensive in Yellowstone Park. Flags were at half-mast when they made it out of the park and found out that Harding had died. Checked the Model T in at the Alaska Steamship...
(4:11 min) (20 of 27) Haul Road -- Cook & conditions
Cook volunteered to go along when he heard about project. He handed out cookies to the kids, helped in building community relations. Construction was moving slow; there were just not...
(4:15 min) (19 of 27) Haul Road -- Bettles
Once they made it to Bettles they had to refit equipment. There was too much wind north of Bettles, canvas was okay for a while but had to build with more substantial metal and wood. Snow ramps to...
(4:18 min.) (14 of 28) 14. Pacific Alaska Airways
Joe Barrows set up this airline; he wanted Pan Am to take it over for him. He wanted to fly clipper flying boats. His wife stayed in Alaska and was the first woman (Mary Barrows) to get...
(4:35 min.) (20 of 24) 19 Labor negotiations
The steamship companies retained lawyers to negotiate. Alaska Steamship Co. had Bogo, Bogo and Gates to represent them. Some of the smaller companies would represent themselves. John had a good...
(4:45 min.) (22 of 24) 22 Matanuska Colony project
Assisted in shipping the Matanuska Colony. Some stuck it out; others only lasted a few weeks. The company shipped everything: buildings, concrete, and people. Sewick worked for the Alaska...
(5:18 min) (17 of 27) Haul Road II
Bids to build from Yukon River north were too high so Juneau said go ahead and finish it. The crew got more equipment and people and fuel. The temperature dropped to -70 degrees. Juneau kept asking --...
(5:56 min.) (01 of 12) Background and arrival in Alaska Auburn University--TVA heavy construction--B. B. Tally Construction quartermaster--Ladd Field construction Jan '41-- Four total projects Ladd Field, Ft. Richardson, Elmendorf and Yakutat &...
(6:47 min) (24 of 28) 24. DC-3 training
George met a Pan Am Clipper pilot who set him up for training at LaGuardia Airport. He was leasing a Pan Am DC-3 but the corporate heads cancelled the deal. Bill Conrad was the instructor George went...
(7:29 min) (10 of 17) Exciting and scary situations
Teaching in Ft. Yukon, went to Fairbanks then headed back with heavy load. Ft. Yukon ice fogged in, headed back to Fairbanks, White Mountains were fogged in too, had to climb over top. ...
(7:43 min) (11 of 17) Check your own gas cap
Picked up an L1 observation plane with Sasoon for Fish & Wildlife doing work in Prince William Sound. Flying on Sunday no one around Still had some in main tank as well as auxiliary tank. When...
(7:50 min) (16 of 17) Medical emergencies & tourist industry While teaching at Ft. Yukon woman was having a breech birth. Agreed to take her, got everything ready and when he called to bring her to airplane the baby was born. Wien drove out...
May 9, 1903 THE FAIRBANKS MINER Fairbanks, Alaska 26 26.May 1903 Vol. 1. No. 1. James Wickersham Editor ORIGINAL of THE FAIRBANKS MINER Written by James Wickersham and typed by Geo. Jeffery at Fairbanks in May, 1903 & sold by Jeffery and Stevens...