Alfred Kepner came to Alaska in 1895 to work for the North American Transportation and Trading Co. (NAT&T). Nora Kepner, Alfred's sister, and John Edward Crane were married in 1896, and came to Circle City, Alaska in 1897 where Crane was to manage the new trading post established by the NAT&T. He also served as U.S. Commissioner for the territory of Circle City, Birch Creek and surrounding country. Late in 1899, he was transferred to St. Michael to manage the NAT&T store. In the spring of 1900, Crane and Nora went to Nome where he opened his own mercantile store. By 1906, they had left Alaska and were stopping at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco when the earthquake razed the city. Alfred Kepner remained in Alaska working for NAT&T and practicing law in Circle City, Nome and Candle, Alaska. [Information from Ottilie Kepner Markholt, niece of Nora Kepner Crane and daughter of Alfred S. Kepner and "Alaska Sources," Bradbury and Hales, 2001. More extensive biographical information may be found at MS 95.]