Sea Genes

On this date in 1959, Alaska was admitted to the United States in full statehood.

AlaskaGenealogy.com focuses, obviously, on matters Alaskan.

The site has a clean design, clearly presenting the categories of links that it hosts, and minimal irrelevant advertising.

The most valuable links are in the archives, cemeteries, census, and immigration categories. The rest of the links are to sites that cover a broader array of topics, or are under construction. Alaska is a huge state but with a shorter history and fewer people living there than most. The information for some of the categories and topics may simply not be available online.

There is a bit of background for each category that explains what’s there, but these descriptions could go a bit more in depth to tell readers more about why the included links are relevant. Linking to a message board on Ancestry.com for information about a topic is a sure way to lead a new or less-experienced genealogist into a site they may not be able to navigate as easily. The content on the message boards is probably not what they are looking for, anyway.

Some of the links are broken, but that happens all the time on the Internet. The AlaskaGenealogy site seems to be a one-person project, and one person can only do so much with so many links at once. They do ask for additions, updates, and corrections, which means they care about their content.

I like the site and have added it to my del.icio.us list.

© 2011 N. P. Maling – Sea Genes Family History & Genealogy Research

Image via Wikipedia

The United States government kept custom house records and passenger lists for alien, immigrant, and citizen arrivals in various locations of Alaska. Most of the surviving records for the Eagle, Hyder, Ketchikan, Nome, and Skagway offices are from before 1920, but a few include the years between 1920 and 1946.

These records constitute direct, original, and primary information about individuals entering the United States. Indirect information, such as age, sex, marital status, and destination may also appear in these records.

Copies of these records are kept at the National Archives and Records Administration’s Pacific Alaska Region facility in Seattle, Washington, where I am a professional genealogy researcher. Contact me to start a discussion about the possibilities of researching your family’s history. Likewise, if you would like more information about my genealogical research services, including information about fees, and range of materials available to research, I’d love to hear from you.

For more detailed information about these records, please see the NARA publications for:

• M2016 — Index of alien arrivals at Eagle, Hyder, Ketchikan, Nome, and Skagway, Alaska, Jun 1906–Aug 1946.
• M2017 — Lists of aliens arriving at Skagway (White Pass), Alaska, Oct 1906–Nov 1934.
• M2018 — List of aliens arriving at Eagle, Alaska, Dec 1910–Oct 1938.

ARTHUR W. FOX FOUND DEAD INVALENTINE BLDG.

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Remains of Juneau Attorney Discovered in Forenoon in His Rooms

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Arthur W. Fox, well known Juneau attorney, was found dead this forenoon in his room in the Valentine Building, where it is believed he had passed away about 24 hours before. He was seen Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock outside of the building by Mrs. Ruth Marshall.

Born in England, Judge Fox was 64 years of age. He came to the United States in the nineties. Living for several years in California, he was purser on a ship which operated between San Francisco and Australia.

In 1902 he came to the Territory and lived in both Hyder and Ketchikan before taking up permanent residence in Juneau in 1922. He was employed by the Alaska Electric Light and Power Co. for some time after coming here and was also connected with the Pacific Coast Steamship Co. He was City Clerk for two years and was Deputy Clerk of the Court at one time. Judge Fox served as United States Commissioner at Hyder, Ketchikan and in Juneau, holding this position the last time during Judge Justine W. Harding’s term of office. He was admitted to the bar in 1910 and for the past several years had his law office in the Valentine Building.

Mr. Fox was well known and respected in the Territory. He was a member of Mount Juneau Lodge No. 147, Free and Accepted Masons, a member of the Order of Eastern Star and was affiliated also with the Elks Lodge in this city.

No living relatives are known and the remains are at the Charles W. Carter Mortuary.

An inquest was being held at 3:30 o’clock this afternoon.

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Juneau Alaska Empire, 2 January 1940, page 1, column 5

Over the past weekend and week I restructured my professional research strategy on GenLighten.com. The new listings are

• Idaho Federal Land Records – 1860 to 1934
• Oregon Federal Land Records – 1851 to 1908
• Washington State Federal Land Records – 1855 to 1910
• Oregon Naturalization Records – 1859 to 1956
• Washington State Naturalization Records – 1850 to 1974
• Seattle, Washington Obituary Look-ups – 1888 to 2011

Most of these records are National Archives and Records Administration microfilm holdings at the Pacific Alaska Region facility in Seattle. Depending on site availability, I can use different archives for the obituary lookups.

Feel free to post questions about the listings and specific items on that site.

Other obituary and newspaper item look-ups are also possible, using a custom look-up request mechanism on the GenLighten site.