Papers of Claus Rodine, 1898-1979

Collection

Identifier: MS 134

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers consist mainly of Claus Rodine's letters home, describing his mining endeavors including the Galesburg-Alaska expedition, and life in Nome, from 1898 to approximately 1914. Other family correspondence is included. Picture postcards were organized with the photographs; by correspondent. Apparently Mary's hobby was collecting postcards.

The 346 photographs collected by Claus and Mary include early images of the Galesburg-Alaska Mining expedition, Boulder Creek mining, and Nome. Unfortunately many of the places and people are unidentified. There is some duplication between the two photograph albums. Many photographs (#73-182) had been torn out of an album and are very fragile. Further photographic documentation of the Galesburg-Alaska Mining expedition can be found in Journey to the Koyukuk; the photos of J. N. Wyman, 1898-1899, by Jasper N. Wyman, 1988.

There are a few pages of Mary Rodine Rotermund's scrapbook with news articles on Nome events such as the 1925 diphtheria epidemic and Roald Amundsen's visit, and Seattle friends. And Box 2, Miscellaneous papers, includes a Nome High School yearbook, 1912.

Dates

1898-1979

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is unrestricted.

Biographical / Historical

Claus Rodine was born in Sweden in 1859, and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 5. He became a druggist in Galesburg, Illinois. Around 1897, he married Ella (Anderson?; born 1869) there. Claus journeyed to Alaska in 1898, to seek his fortune in gold as a member of the well-equipped Galesburg-Alaska Mining & Development Co. He left Ella and daughter Mary behind, promising to strike it rich. The company struggled with their steamer ILLINOIS up the Yukon to the Koyukuk River in July 1898. They prospected around Beaver City through the winter, but found no encouraging strikes. With the coming of spring 1899, the company broke up; some members stayed in Alaska, and the rest returned home to the States.

Claus Rodine returned to the States during October 1899, but he was back by summer 1900 with another group of men from Princeton, Illinois. Rodine and his partners developed quartz mines and claims at Twin Mountain Creek near Nome. Meanwhile, he spent time with his family in Illinois, Nome and Seattle. The family lived together in Nome for a period around 1909-1910 and Claus' sisters Ida and Clara also moved there. By 1911, Ella had returned to Seattle with Mary. A son named Arthur was born to Claus and Ella in 1912, but Claus continued to pursue his dreams in Nome

The NOME TRI-WEEKLY NUGGET on June 16, 1919, reported that old-timer "Claes Rodine" tried to commit suicide while on the Str. SENATOR in the Bering Sea. He died in the Nome hospital on June 15 or 16, a wealthy man. Ella lived in Seattle until her death several years later. Their daughter, Mary Rodine Rotermund, and granddaughter Betty Stewart still live in the Seattle area.

Extent

1.7 Linear Feet (1- 5" manuscript box 1- 15" x 13.5" flat box) : 1.7 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Processing Information

Correspondence was organized by correspondent and date. Postcard correspondence was, however, put at the beginning of the photographs. A news clippings file and the albums were left in original order. Photographs were removed from Album 2 for preservation reasons. JOAN'S ADVENTURES AT THE NORTH POLE... by Alice A. Corkran, was moved into the Historical Collections Alaskana book collection.

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Papers of Claus Rodine, 1898-1979
Status: In Progress
Author: Processed by: Marilyn Kwock, May 1993 ; Revised by: GK, September 2003 ; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Freya Anderson
Date: 2019 May
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: Undetermined
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: English