Roscoe “Dan” and Margaret P. Averill Photograph Collection, ca. 1900-1961
Scope and Contents
101 images. Many of Ruby, 1910-1911, including views of mining activities, community events, people, dog teams and river boats. Miscellaneous postcards of other Alaskan towns (Fairbanks, Skagway, Wiseman, Coldfoot, Koyukuk River, Russian Mission, Flat, Iditarod, Louden, Tanana); steamboats on Yukon River; 1930s -1960s group photographs of Alaska-Yukon Club (California) activities.
Dates
- circa 1900-1961
EAD
PCA0203Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for viewing; however, the photographs may not be photocopied.
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 Note
Roscoe "Dan" Averill was born in Machias, Maine in 1879; came to Washington State to work until 1898 when he left for Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush. He prospected the Iditarod, Koyukuk, Tanana and Fortymile Rivers from 1900-1910 before getting a mail contract with his partner, Jack Snow. Their headquarters were at a settlement they named Ruby. He also owned the Paystreak Saloon in Ruby with Jack Snow as a silent partner.
Dan Averill married Margaret P. Shea in Wiseman, Alaska in 1915. According to their nephew, Jerry Shea, they met in the Paystreak Saloon, where she was one of the dance girls. They remained in Alaska until their move to Bell, California in 1927. Both remained active in Alaska affairs and were officers in the Alaska-Yukon Club in Los Angeles. They had no children.
Mr. Averill died in 1967 and is buried in Long Beach, California although his wish was to have his ashes spread on the Yukon. Mrs. Averill died in 1971 and is also buried in Long Beach.
Extent
1 folders : 101 photographs ; 1 leaf: poem
Language of Materials
English
Acquisition
Jerry Shea of La Habra, California donated his uncle's photograph collection to the library in 1982. When he visited the library in July 2001, he identified his relatives in several of the photographs. Acc. #1982-007.
Processing Information
The photographs were received in no order. They have been arranged by geographic location and/or subject. Most are [postcard] size; many are photograph [postcard]s.
- Title
- Finding aid for the Roscoe “Dan” and Margaret P. Averill Photograph Collection, ca. 1900-1961
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: Staff. Revised by: Kay Shelton, July 2001. ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Freya Anderson, June 2019. Inventory added by: Jacki Swearingen
- Date
- 2022 February
- 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