Francis Champion Longworth Photograph Collection, 1942-1943
Scope and Contents
Collection documents the activities of the Army Corps of Engineers survey party whose assignment was to survey a possible railroad location between Dunbar and Teller, Alaska during the winter of 1942-43.
Dates
- 1942-1943
EAD
PCA0531Conditions Governing Access
The collection is unrestricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. Photocopying does not constitute permission to publish.
Biographical / Historical
Francis Champion Longworth was in Alaska with his brother Richard Doughty Longworth in the mid 1920s. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Francis was living in Moon Creek, Custer County, Montana. At 40, he was “too old for the military” so joined the Army Engineers. Their project was to cut the survey line from Dunbar, 33 miles southwest of Fairbanks, to Teller for the construction of a railroad. Said railroad would permit protection from invasion by the Axis onto North America. Dated April 20, 1943, the War Department issued a Citation for Merit for the extraordinary work done in temperatures as low as -70 degrees F. in the winter of 1942-1943.
Francis Longworth was an amateur photographer who shot motion picture and still film during the course of this work.
A Citation for Merit was issued to Francis Longworth:
WAR DEPARTMENT
UNITED STATES ENGINEER-OFFICE
SEATTLE WASHINGTON April 20, 1943
Subject: Citation for Merit
To: Francis C. Longworth
1. I wish to express the appreciation of the Engineer Department to you and the
other field employees engaged on the railroad location survey, Dunbar to Teller,
Alaska, for the successful completion of a difficult and hazardous task.
2. The work was carried on during the winter months, 1942-43, in the most severe,
weather in many years. Much of the work was done in temperatures of 40 and 50
degrees below zero in order to push the job through. Temperatures as low as 70
degrees, blizzards, and other extremes of weather were endured.
3. The successful accomplishment of this survey, in spite of the constant dangers of
traveling over unknown ground, over treacherous river ice and overflows, with
the possibility of entire parties being cut off from camp by sudden blizzards, must
be attributed to the-alertness, courage and tenacity of all party members, as well as
to the leadership furnished by the party chiefs.
4. It is my opinion that the difficulties and hardships experienced in carrying on this
work were beyond the ordinary call of duty, and that you and your fellow
employees deserve the highest commendation for seeing the-job through.
(s) R. Park
R. Park, Colonel,
Corps of Engineers,
District Engineer
Extent
1 folders : 72 black and white
Language of Materials
English
Acquisition
The collection is the donation of Aline Longworth Dix of Mays Landing, NJ. Ms Dix is the daughter of Francis Champion Longworth. Acc.# 2009-030.
Existence and Location of Originals
INVENTORY OF ORIGINAL NEGATIVES
Negatives stored in freezer in Vault
Box 1 of 1:
Negatives available for numbers: 2-7, 13, 15, 22-23, 25-29, 32, 34, 36-41, 43, 45, 46, 48-65, 67-69
Existence and Location of Copies
Scans by donor were given to the Alaska Historical Collections.
Processing Information
Photographs were organized and digitized by donor. The photographs were unnumbered. The processor numbered the photographs by matching each of the donors numbered, written descriptions with a photograph.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Francis Champion Longworth Photograph Collection, 1942-1943
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: James Simard, July 2009 ; Updated by: Jacki Swearingen, Nov 2012 ; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Jacki Swearingen, July 2019 ; Inventory added by: Jacki Swearingen
- Date
- 2022 January
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)
asl.historical@alaska.gov