Journal of a Woman Visitor to Southeast Alaska, ca. 1890

Collection

Identifier: MS 4-7-4

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains journal entries related to a woman’s voyage to southeast Alaska. The first entry begins in Tacoma, Washington, described by the author as, “the termination of the Pacific Coast of the Northern Pacific Railroad and our place of embarkation for Alaska.” From Tacoma, the ship, likely a Pacific Steamship Company vessel, sailed to Seattle, Nanaimo (British Columbia), and on to Wrangell, Juneau, Haines, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Killisnoo, and other Native villages along the route. The beginning and end of the journal are missing; therefore, it is not known where the woman called home, but she mentions locations in England in her writing.

Dates

ca. 1890

Conditions Governing Access

The journal is handwritten in ink on the back of a check register. The condition is fragile, and it must be handled with extreme care. Access should optimally be through the photocopied and online versions.

Conditions Governing Use

Request for permission to publish or reproduce material from the collection should be discussed with the Librarian.

Historical

By 1890, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company’s “Inside Passage Tour” was a popular voyage, and wealthy tourists traveled in luxury aboard the well-appointed ships. Entrepreneurs, like Captain James Carroll, saw the opportunity to market shore excursions to the tourists. One of his projects was to build a wooden walkway across the moraine at Muir Glacier. Photographs from that era show tourists posed in front of the glacier’s face, the walls of ice towering above them. In addition to Alaska’s natural wonders, there were a multitude of cultural opportunities for steamship passengers. They could view Native Alaskan totem poles and other forms of art, purchasing handiwork as souvenirs. Other stops on the tours included salmon canneries, gold mines, schools, and churches.

Extent

1 Volumes : 1 folder original journal, incomplete ; 1 folder photocopies

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased in September, 1985, from Jack Lubiner of New York City, who discovered the small journal at a flea market and instantly recognized its significance for researchers of Alaska history.

Processing Information

When Jack Lubiner initially purchased the journal, it had been used as a scrapbook, with newspaper pictures pasted to the pages. When he noticed the handwritten notes underneath, he peeled the photographs off, under water, to reveal the journal entries.

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Finding aid for the Journal of a Woman Visitor to Southeast Alaska, ca. 1890
Status: In Progress
Author: Revised by: Gayle Goedde May 2011 ; ArchivesSpace finding aid by: Sandy Johnston
Date: 2019 June
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: Undetermined
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: English