James Hinkle letter to wide Mollie and his family in Illinois describing his travels across Alberta, Canada, July 21, 1898

• Main Author: Hinkle, James, 1852-1899
• Other Authors: University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: xyz; Yukon; Canada; British Columbia; Halfway River; Peace River
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/pioneerlife/id/18375

Hinkle describes some of the challenges in traveling across Alberta, Canada. He also begins to express doubt in one of his traveling companions. Quote from letter: "The next thing you must do is to go into camp again and build another boat and wait for Peace River to get off its tear, then load your boat up and pull it for 380 miles to Hudsons' Post just like we did the 130 miles up the Athabasca and Slave Rivers. WE. ARE. AFTER. GOLD." James "Jim" Hinkle was a railroad engineer from Mattoon, Illinois who wished to join in on the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898. To achieve this end, he and other residents of Mattoon formed the Security Mining and Investment Company with the intention of sending a small party (including Hinkle) to the Yukon Territory to search for gold. Hinkle and his partners traveled by train to Edmonton, Alberta and from there travel overland to the gold fields of the Yukon. However, the group decided to try their luck in northeast British Columbia due to the harsh conditions and reports of gold being found in that region. After several months in northeastern British Columbia, James Hinkle drowned while trying to cross the Halfway River on or around August 3, 1899. He was survived by his wife Mollie and children Myrtle, Harry, and Vernon. Hinkle's letters home to his family included rich descriptions of his experiences in the Canadian wilderness and include many drawings and diagrams of the areas he and his colleagues spent time in.