James Hunter Shotwell letter to his wife, Margharete Ross Shotwell, describing his search for gold in Alaska, July 12, 1898

• Main Author: Shotwell, James Hunter
• Other Authors: University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections Division.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Shotwell; James Hunter > Correspondence; Margharete Ross > Correspondence; James Hunter > Journeys; Alaska > Description and travel; Sami (European people); Canada; Pacific; The Schooner; sami; Skagway; Alaska
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/pioneerlife/id/3173

James Hunter Shotwell writes to his wife, Margharete Ross Shotwell, about his voyage from Port Townsend, Washington, to Alaska's Kotzebue Sound on board the schooner Kinney. Shotwell describes picking up Laplander reindeer herders taking part in the U.S. government Reindeer Project, the crowded conditions on the boat, and his party's plans to prospect the Kowak (Kobuk) River. During the Klondike Gold Rush there were three routes to the gold fields from the lower 48 states. One was overland through Canada, one was the Skagway route, and the third was the All Water route, which went from the Strait of Juan de Fuca out into the Pacific and up to the West Coast of Alaska. Punctuation has been added to the transcription to improve readability.