By Laura
Samuelson, Director, Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum, Nome, Alaska
In an
attempt to reincarnate the spirit of the 1900 Nome Gold Rush, the Carrie M.
McLain Memorial Museum presents “The 1900 Diary of Wilfred A. McDaniel.”
Excerpts from Wilfred’s October 1900 passages will appear on this blog
throughout the month of July.
Wilfred McDaniel was 25 years old when he
first landed at Nome in June 1900 in the midst of the largest gold rush in
Alaska. Wilfred was a gifted photographer, writer, artist, poet, and amateur
dentist. During the eight years he lived in Nome he lugged his 20-pound Kodak
camera from town to beach claim through rugged creeks and mosquito infested
tundra, during powerful Bering Sea storms and furious blizzards. All the while
he wrote descriptive letters to his parents in California and maintained a
diary covering almost every day he lived on the coast west of Nome.
The result of this determined perseverance is the
documentation of the lives of successful beach miners in the Nome gold rush era
as well as an insight into the Eskimo people who lived at the Penny, Cripple, and
Sinuk Rivers at that time. Wilfred died at the age of 80 in 1954, yet his
thoughts, memories, and love of Nome are forever preserved in the “McDaniel
Family Collection” now owned and on exhibit at Nome’s Carrie M. McLain Memorial
Museum.
 |
Ready to work hard: This guy may
be the best dressed,
most efficient gold miner of the 1900 gold rush. Note
the
essentials: two gold pans, hip waders, shovel, and,
most importantly, a coffee
pot to keep one awake in
the land of the Midnight Sun! (All photos by
Wilfred McDaniel
from the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum Archives) |
This diary was painstakingly transcribed and proofed by museum
staff from the original three-by-five inch journal book kept in Wilfred’s
pocket throughout the summer of 1900. The spelling errors are all his!
In 1898,
the Three Lucky Swedes discovered gold at Anvil Creek. Over the next winter,
miners left the Canadian Klondike and streamed into this area mushing dog
teams, walking, and even riding bikes down the frozen Yukon River to the Bering
Sea. By the summer of 1899, all the creeks had been staked. In late July 1899,
when we were called Anvil City, there were hundreds of frustrated miners with
no ground to dig. As luck would have it, as the story goes, one of the soldiers
who was here to help keep the peace, ran his hand through the beach sands and found
GOLD! There was gold on the beach!
In the
last few weeks of June 1900, Wilfred and his brother Ed made some good money
building and selling boats for other miners. However, the boys were here to
seek their fortune in gold. They did some rocking but were not satisfied. On
June 30, 1900, they pulled up their camp at Nome. They “rowed and towed” their
boat about eight miles west of Nome. Their timing was perfect. Smallpox had
arrived in Nome on one of the ships…
July 1st, 1900
We heard
that the officials are going to quarantine the town, as there are 28 cases of
smallpox. We got out in a hurry so as to be out of it. We had a very hard trip
up the coast. We were nearly famished and went ashore and got some lunch from
the Millards. Got our camp made in good shape. Expect the freight very soon.
July 2nd, 1900
Today is
the warmest day we have had. I think it’s about 90° in the shade. We are
resting today after our hard work yesterday. Wrote a letter home today. The
steamer John Riely came up about 10PM. We went out in our boat and took
soundings for her. We staid on board till 1:30A.M. The tide was out and she
could not land.
 |
True grit: Working
out the kinks with the pump on Nome’s West Beach.
Ed McDaniel needs a good pair
of work gloves and a pipefitter as a best friend. |
July 3rd, 1900
Steamer
landed at 7:00A.M. She is now unloading freight. We worked very hard all day at
stevedoring on the John Riely. Got most of our provisions and some of our
machinery to camp. Got our stove set up and had a fine supper. Had scrambled
eggs, ham, gravy, dried applesauce, hot biscuits and coffee. Went to bed at
10:30. Ed went off on the Riely to the Schooner Vine.
July 4th, 1900
Was
awakened by the whistle of the old Riely at 5A.M. Went around to her and I am
now on board her looking after our freight. This don’t seem much like the
Fourth as we see it in the States. Ed and Rouse returned from the Vine at 6A.M.
Had a big row with the freight men. Our freight is badly mixed and some
missing. One barrel of pork 185 lbs is missing. I expect it was eaten on the
Vine, as they ran short of grub. We brought our engine cylinders and generator
up today. Had a hard job getting the parts loaded. Landed the load safely and
got them up on the beach. Spent a rather quiet 4th of July. Heard
some shooting of giant powder downtown. Quite a number of tents are decorated
with flags.
 |
| July 5, 1900: Dogs doing all the pulling! |
July 5th, 1900
The sea
is rolling up in great style this morning. We cannot use our boat. We carried
our pipe to our claim today. We have to carry our stuff about ½ mile. We put
the fly wheels on the shaft and rolled them along the beach. We are quite tired
tonight. We have nothing to bring now except the bedplate and 12 barrels of
oil. Got some fine prospect today on our claim, 10¢ to the pan.
July 6th, 1900
We are
going to town this morning. Mr. Tenny said he would go with us, but he has not
put in an appearance yet. The sea is not quite so rough this morning. A cold
land breeze is blowing. Got to Nome City about 11A.M. after two hours walk. Could
not find a stick of our lumber after walking the town over. We gave up looking
for it and started for camp. When we met a fellow who told us where the Vine
discharged. After a long hunt we found it. Several pieces are missing. Found
our syrup but could not locate the pork. Hired two men with team to haul it to
the claim. Paid them 15 dollars for hauling the lumber and 5 dollars for
hauling the engine base down from Phillips. Also paid 3 dollars toll to get
across the bridge over Snake River. The sea is getting rougher. A gasoline
launch was driven ashore and sunk last night. Several small boats were stove in
also. A man killed himself yesterday. I weighed today and have gained 17 pounds
since leaving Dutch Harbor.
July 7th, 1900
Went to
work on the engine this morning. Got the foundation in by noon. Set the engine
in the afternoon. The weather is very cold and windy. The sun has not shone for
several days.
