The James Wickersham Family Papers, 1884-1970, contain some correspondence and material of the immediate Wickersham family and Ruth Allman, his niece by marriage. The bulk of the collection covers the work and activities of James Wickersham. There is some documentation on his law practice and activities in Washington Territory from 1884-1900. However, the major coverage of the papers concerns his work and life in Alaska from 1900 until his death in 1939.

While letters received by Wickersham when he resided in Washington Territory/State are limited to three folders (Box 8), the Letterpress Books, 1884-1900 are more extensive. There are nine volumes (Boxes 22 and 23) of letters sent by Wickersham while he was in private law practice or working in association with several law firms. His work as a probate judge and personal correspondence are also in these volumes.

Other Washington related material include his DIARY, Jan.-June 1900 (Box 1, v. 1), law practice accounts and dockets (Box 43), one scrapbook (Box 58), some research and writings on the region and Washington Indians (Box 53). A Wickersham family expedition in 1890 into the Olympic Mountains led Wickersham to promote establishment of an Olympic National Park (Box 53, no. 8).

The DIARIES are a daily record of activities, events and comments of James Wickersham until his death. As such, they provide a thirty-nine year chronological record, including some references to the correspondence files. The concluding entry following his death was written by his wife, Grace.

The correspondence files cover the years 1885 - 1940 (Box 8-21) with some letters sent included with letters received. Other letters sent are in the Letterpress Books, 1884-1909 (Boxes 22-24). Wickersham also filed much of his correspondence in Subject Files with irregular date order (Boxes 25-41). These subject files largely document his work as U.S. District Judge, 1900-1907 (Box 25). Politics and elections, 1906-1932 (Boxes 26-29), his legislative work as Delegate to Congress relate to particular issues, needs, etc. The general correspondence files often include subjects that are also covered in the Subject Files. Some additional explanation is included as an introduction to these series in the inventory.

Wickersham's service as a judge covered a huge judicial area of 300,000 miles. His papers provide good insight into problems of the region and early administration of justice.

During his Congressional tenure, Wickersham did much to shape Alaska's future. He was a proponent of home rule and his efforts resulted in passage of the Organic Act in 1912. His legislative achievements included laws creating the land grant college in Fairbanks (now the University of Alaska), establishment of Mount McKinley National Park, and construction funds for the Alaska Railroad. The papers document this work; also his views and contributions on many aspects of Alaska's development.

This collection provides a wealth of information on Alaska politics at the territorial and national level (Boxes 26-29). There is material of a general nature, such as party platforms and brochures; also extensive correspondence with Wickersham supporters. While Wickersham referred to himself as a Republican, Alaska politics were such that he ran for delegate as an independent and also as a "Bull Moose" or Roosevelt Republican. The files include extensive material on Wickersham's contested elections, efforts on behalf of various candidates, etc. Politics of the period were "cut-throat" and one subject file titled "Muckraking" (Box 31) includes correspondence on political activity, conflicts, collusion and investigations with much on the Guggenheim Alaska Syndicate. Wickersham quite often held opposing views to Alaska's presidentially appointed governors fueling the political conflicts of his day.

Wickersham was a person of diverse interests, as reflected by his writings (Box 23, v. 9; Boxes 48-55), research (Box 56) and development of book and artifact collections (Boxes 42, 46). He had a keen interest in ethnology and American Indian culture as shown through his correspondence, writings and scrapbooks.

There are limited business records related to Wickersham’s law practice (Boxes 43-44), mining claims, property and tax files (Box 45). Most business correspondence is with the general correspondence. Some business related material, certificates and licenses are in the family/personal files (Box 46).

Wickersham also had some collected papers (Box 58) of varied types, ranging from an original letter of William H. Seward to poems from a school contest and a store ledger from Wrangell.

Some papers concerning Ruth Allman’s assistance to Grace and work directly associated with Wickersham, such as commemorative activities, are in the family/personal files (Box 46). The Ruth and Jack Allman file (Box 59) contains their personal papers; also Ruth’s operation of the House of Wickersham “living history tour” and efforts to obtain copyright renewal on Wickersham’s publications are in this file.

The Wickersham Addition is a rounding out of the materials contained in the original Wickersham inventory excluding diaries and letterpress books. The Addition Papers had previously been stored in the Wickersham House for possible exhibit purposes. These Papers cover the period from 1894-1970. The Papers after Wickersham’s death in 1939 were kept by his wife, Grace Wickersham, but primarily, by Ruth Coffin Allman, his wife’s niece. Allman added to his scrapbooks and subject files as well as to the collected papers. This collection contains several boxes of Ruth Allman’s papers that document her activities centering around the Wickersham House.

Wickersham’s General Correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, centers on his activities as a U.S. District Judge from 1900-1907 and on his legislative work in Washington, D.C. as a Delegate to Congress intermittently from 1909-1933. Wickersham’s correspondence is also contained in other series, such as Subject Files, Business Records, Family/Personal Files, Writings, and Research Files.

The Subject Files center around Wickersham’s life in the political arena, his interest in Alaska Native legislation, and his collecting activity for the Alaskan bibliography and subsequent writing of the history of Alaska. The Political Files include items from his tenure in Washington but primarily focus on his activities in Alaska and Washington, D.C. Several files contain political campaign literature, speeches, and election returns, and his campaign for nomination as the Alaska’s territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress.

The Subject Files reflect the major role Wickersham played in defending Alaska’s full territorial form of government, in promoting the Alaska Railroad bill, and in statehood legislation. These files document his ongoing work toward Alaska Native claims legislation and includes correspondence from influential Alaska Native leaders such as William Paul. The will of the Klukwan chief Yish-cock regarding Native curios is included herein and the trouble between Klukwan chief Jimmie Young and Tlingit Indian Louis Shotridge regarding Native art is documented in these files. Early Alaska newspapers are contained in the Subject Files. Many are obscure and esoteric “rags” such as the Egg Island Journal and Kwunduk Nenlinatsidenja. Finally the Subject Files contain a card file of Alaska Firsts.

The Business Records Files and Family/Personal Files are very brief as most of these documents are contained in the original Wickersham Papers. Of note is a collection of theatre programs as well as the first-grade report card of Wickersham’s son, Howard.

Wickersham’s work on his Bibliography of Alaskan Literature comprises the bulk of his Writings file. This includes his correspondence, book lists, collected stories, and articles. Also closely tied to his bibliography was his work on writing the History of Alaska. In these files are various Alaska subjects such as education, natural history, and literature and authors of Alaska. Contained herein also is Wickersham’s correspondence with Charles Bunnell, President of the University of Alaska (formerly The Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines), with whom he discussed their mutual effort to research, write, and publish the definitive history of Alaska. The University of Alaska files also includes Grace Wickersham’s correspondence regarding her position on the University’s Board of Trustees and arrangements concerning Wickersham’s commencement address, delivered May 21, 1934, at the University.

Scrapbooks include collections of items, but usually not writings or notes. Ruth Allman probably added items to the scrapbooks. The Collected Papers include works collected by Wickersham, such as the Skookum papers and documents concerning the Western Union Telegraph Company. Of note is a map drawn by E-too’-ach-in-na, the Eskimo chief at Ip-now-ruk on Shishmaref Inlet.

The Post-Wickersham files were kept by Grace Wickersham and Ruth Coffin Allman after Judge Wickersham’s death. They include letters, telegrams, sympathy cards, and newspaper clippings about his death. They also include information about memorials, a special stamp, and Wickersham’s Juneau home as an historic site.

The Ruth Allman files are comprised of records of her studies in Seattle, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and collected publications; there is also a tribute to Marie Drake, a scrapbook of memorabilia. Information on Jack Allman’s business, Tongass Lodge, is also covered.

The Oversize boxes contain items that are collocated primarily because of size. These include political posters, prints, programs, charts, and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and Judge Wickersham’s honorary degree from the University of Alaska.

SERIES LIST

Boxes 1-7: DIARIES ;

Boxes 8-21: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE ;

Boxes 22-24: LETTERPRESS BOOKS ;

Boxes 25-42: SUBJECT FILES ;

Boxes 43-45: BUSINESS RECORDS ;

Boxes 46-47: FAMILY/PERSONAL FILES ;

Boxes 48-55: WRITINGS ;

Box 56: RESEARCH FILES ;

Box 57: SCRAPBOOKS ;

Box 58: COLLECTED PAPERS ;

Box 59: RUTH AND JACK ALLMAN FILE ;

ADDITION: Box 60: General Correspondence, 1894-1939 ;

Boxes 61-64: Subject Files ;

Box 65: Business Records ;

Box 65: Family/Personal Files ;

Boxes 66-67: Writings ;

Boxes 68-72: Scrapbooks ;

Box 73-74: Collected Papers ;

Box 75: Post-Wickersham Files ;

Box 76-77: Ruth Allman Files

Boxes 78-80: Oversize -- Ephemera and Miscellaneous