History ~ Biography ~ Maps ~ What's New ~ "Old Bethel Files" ~ Odds and Ends

A little History... Bethel, at its original location, was a Yup'ik village called Mumtrekhlogamute, meaning "Smokehouse People," after the nearby fish smokehouse. It was an Alaska Commercial Company trading post during the late 1800s. It had a population of 41 people in the 1880 U.S. Census. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1885, under the leadership of Rev. John Henry Kilbuck, Jr.
Kilbuck learned Yup'ik, which greatly enhanced his effectiveness as a missionary. Missionaries moved Bethel from Mamterillermiut to its present location on the west side of the Kuskokwim River. A United States Post Office was opened in 1905. Alaska Natives in this area also have a long Christian history, in part from Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Moravian influence. As in many Alaskan villages, Christian tradition has become interwoven with its cultural history. Kusilvak Census Area was formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area. The new name appropriately reflects and respects the culture and history of Alaska. Kusilvak is a Yup'ik name meaning "the high one." Kusilvak Mountain is the higest mountain in the area, located between Scammon Bay and Mountain Village.
https://akgenweb.whalen-family.org/AKBethel


Biographies - Personal Sketches
I have been able to find some Biographies and 'Sketches' in a few books.
There were two Bio's in the old Bethel-Kusilvak files:
Martin Bugge ~ Amanda Reed Mc Farland

"Pan Pacific Who's Who"
Copyright 1941
Honolulu Star- Bulletin, LTD, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.A.
The Book can be Read Online or Downloaded
or I will send Scans of Interest. Contact: Martha
Please use this link for a Chart with the Bios for Alaska:
|||☺|||

"100 Alaska Bush Pilots"
Compiled by: Anchorage Centennial Commission, June 1967
Available from the FS Catalog
|||☺|||

"American Women : The official who's who among the women of the nation"
by Howes, Durward, 1899-
Publication date, 1937 - V2
There are two interesting Indexes: Geographical, Occupational
There is one page of Necrology [Names, no Dates, A - K]
The Biographies are Alpha and split into Sections.
The Indexes and Sections are Here
Read Online or Download [Archive.org]
|||☺|||

"Tewkesbury's Who's Who in Alaska"
[Includes Business Index] David & William Tewkesbury 301 Goldstein Building, Juneau, Alaska 200 Lyon Building, Seattle, Wash. 1947, Tewksbury Publishers
The Biographies are brief, but interesting.
There is no Index to the book, so I have split out the brief bios:
A - G ~ H - L ~ M - R ~ S - Z
Then I split out the Business Listings so the files are not so large.
A - C ~ D - I ~ J - W
This Link will search all of the Books in the FS Library
|||☺|||

The Alaska-Yukon Gold Book "A Roster"...Argonauts of the Klondike gold stampede...Pioneer days and subsequent development of Alaska and the Yukon Territory"
Compiled, edited & published by Sourdough Stampede Ass'n, Seattle WA, 1930
This is a really interesting book, full of names and bits and pieces of Alaska History.
Including, but not limited to:
The Bandit Prince of Skagway ~ The Sheep Camp Snowslide ~ Marine Disasters [1913]
Northern Fraternity ~ Alaska Yukon Pioneers ~ Ladies of the Golden North
Sourdough Stampede Ass'n [Roster w/Portraits] The book is a fully searchable pdf and can be downloaded from the FS Catalog:
This Link will search all of the Books in the FS Library
|||☺|||

One last book which is, I think, essential to Alaska History is Bancroft's "Works"
"The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft"
Vol XXXIII - History of Alaska: 1730 - 1885
The Index is here ~ Read Online or Download

Maps
David Rumsey ~ Historic Map & Atlas Collection ~ Perry-Castaneda ~ Map Collection
Note: The Rumsey Collection now features a way to search Text on Maps
Earthquake Fault Maps American Georgaphical Society Library - Digital Map Collection
Humboldt State University Map Collection
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps ~ Railroad Maps
MapGoose
And, of course , Google Earth Alaska
Mining Claims "Mapper"


>>>What's New<<<
31 May 2025

"Northwest Medicine"
by: Alaska State Medical Association
Volumes 44-55 (1945-1956) of Northwest Medicine, 1-41:1-4 (1959-1999) of Alaska Medicine,
and 154-173 (1991-2000) of the Western Journal of Medicine are available online.
Alaska Medicine and the Western Journal of Medicine ran concurrently between 1991 and 1999.

The Scope and Content of three versions of the Journals for the Alaska State Medical Journal
changed over time, so searching them will require a bit of a different approach.
Use these Terms:
Obituary ~ Onituaries ~ Memorial ~ In Memoriam ~ Deceased, Individual Names and Locations.

In an effort to make this interesting set of Medical Journals
available for Alaska Genealogical and Historical Researchers, I am
trying to figure out how the Content is structured and what might be
the best way of presentation.

All of the issues are on the Archive.org Site and can be viewed, searched and downloaded.

The best way to inspect the Content of an Issue is to take a look at an Index.
Here are the Index pages for the 1945 Issue
https://archive.org/details/northwestmedicin4419nort/page/n8/mode/1up

Genealogocal Research always includes the search for both Biographies and Obituaries.
Fortunately for us, these Journals have both!
The 1945 Issue has a nice indexed list of Obits:
https://archive.org/details/northwestmedicin4419nort/page/n8/mode/1up

Here is a sample
Dr. John G. Abele, former city health officer of Portland, died recently in Roseburg.
He was born .April 7, 1870, near Saginaw, Michigan. Following enlistment in the cavalry and service
in the Spanish .American war he came to Portland, entered and graduated from
the University of Oregon Medical School, 1907. He entered the city health bureau shortly thereafter,
and retired as city health officer in 1937 after 28 years of service.

By the 1960's, the Editors discontinued full Obituaries for the most part and began to use Memorials:
"In memoriam" became the vehicle of rememberance.

The Index entries looked like this: 1960
In Memoriam:
William P. Blanton, M.D 41 [Full Obit]
Stan Lee Edward, M.D. . 42
A. O. Rogers 42
John Harold Clements, M.D 92

In 1991, there were nice indexes of memorials
https://archive.org/details/westernjournalof1541cali/page/744/mode/1up

In 1995, there were still a few entries for the "In Memoriam" Section

By the year 2000, there were no Memorals at all
The Alaska Journals also have Membership Information, County Rosters, Changes of Address
and "Local News Items" which are always interesting.

The best way to find the Local News Articles is to use Locations
for searching: For Instance, using 'Sitka' brings up 58 hits in the 1959 Issue.
Like This...

Sitka—Mrs. Phil (Mildred) Moore has main-
tained a full-time job as Dr. Phil’s office nurse ever since he opened his Orthopedic clinic in Sitka. In the
past year. Dr. T. M. Moore (no relation), has joined Dr. Phil, making the Moore Clinic really the Moore
Clinic, so that one nowadays speaks of Dr. Phil or Dr. T. M. instead of Dr. Moore. Dr. T. M.’s wife Shirley
will soon be an active auxiliary member. She is the mother of a four-year-old and a two-year-old, and
still finds time and energy to put in considerable time doing secretarial work for the clinic. The new Moores have come to Sitka from St. Louis.
[Pg 37, March 1959]

Using the Tutorial I have written will give you an idea on how to use the
valuable files on the Archive Site.


Medical and Surgical Directory
of The United States
R L Polk & Co, Publishers,
1886
This is the link for the AK Files

There is also information on the following:
Officers Of the Medical Department of the United States Army And Hospital Stewards.
Medical Corps of the United States Navy
Medical Officers Of the U. S. Marine Hospital Service.
Including Acting Assistant Surgeons And Hospital Stewards.

Medical and Surgical Register
of The United States
R L Polk, Publishers,
Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago
1890
This is the link for the AK Pages

There is also information on the following:
Officers Of the Medical Department of the United States Army And Hospital Stewards.
Medical Corps of the United States Navy
Medical Officers Of the U. S. Marine Hospital Service.
Including Acting Assistant Surgeons And Hospital Stewards.

Note:
Polk's Medical Register and Directory of North America
There are quite a few: Scroll
Years: 1900, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1912, 1890, 1893, 1896, 1898, 1917
|||☺|||

The Family Search Historical Image Section
has a nice selection of BIA Family Census [Village] Records
I had a difficult time trying to find a definitve explanation of the process by which the
information was gathered. There was really nothing to find, but from looking at the files, two things stand out:
I did manage to find this...
However...
1: Teachers gathered from either students or parents information and recorded it on printed forms
2. BIA Agents or their Assistants recorded information 'on site' on printed forms.
This is evident in the fact that they entered data on living conditions.
The time frame for the Information found ranges from about 1913 to 1972.
Explanation about "Roll Numbers"
Below is an index of the Information available on Family Search.
There are also films in the National Archives, Archive.org Site and Access Genealogy.
Here are some 'Sample' Census Files - These were downloaded from Family Search.
Paimiut Family Census: 1939 ~ Halibut Cove Family Census: 1938
Chevak Family Census: 1962 - Note Redacted Information
Cordova: Alaska Medical Services - Family Folder: 1934

Now...
 Here are searchable and linked pdf's that will enhance your searching. Please Use This Link
Family [Village], Census, Chevak, Copper Center, AK
Family [Village], Census, Cordova, Chugash CA, AK
Family [Village], Census, Fortuna Ledge, Kusilvak CA, AK
Family [Village], Census, Halibut Bay, Kenai Peninsula, AK
Family [Village], Census, Ouzinkle, Pilot Station, Lake & Peninsula Borough, AK
Family [Village], Census, Pimute - Port Moller, Kusilvak CA,AK

The Chart below has the basic film Numbers, but the pdf's have the individual item links.



Alaska Archive Indexes and Family Search Films
Adoptions ~ Coroner Records ~ Probate & Estate Records ~ Sanity Hearings ~ Guardian Appointments
And Lastly: "Odds and Ends"
This page is intended to be a compilation of Miscellaneous Records formerly found on this site.
Please take the time to look at everything, there may be a Family member of interest.

Please use this link for the fully searchable and linked pdf file

The Old Bethel "Probate Index is Here, If you find a name of interest, go here to the AK Digital Archives

The National Archives has a really nice set of digitized records that can be freely accessed.
the Collection is Extensive and Informative: Please use this link for access.

Alaska State Library
Interesting Collections:
Genealogical Resources ~ Historical Collections ~ Historic Alaska Newspapers and more...
Here is a list of newspapers for the Borough's I host.
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula Pioneer, 1955-1956
The Homer News, 1954-1955
The Homer Homesteader, 1946-1949
The Kenai Peninsula Cheechako News, 1961-1962 ~ The Kenai Peninsula Cheechako News, 1963-1963
The Frontiersman, 1946-1947
Seward Gateway, 1904-1905 ~ Daily Gateway, 1905-1905 ~ Seward Daily Gateway, 1905-1914
Seward Weekly Gateway, 1905-1908 ~ The Seward Gateway, 1914-1917
The Seward Gateway and The Alaska Evening Post, 1917-1918
The Seward Gateway Daily Edition, and the Alaska Weekly Post, 1918-1920
The Seward Gateway, 1920-1921 ~ The Seward Gateway, 1921-1923
The Seward Daily Gateway, 1923-1933 ~ The Seward Gateway, 1933
The Seward Polaris & Kenai Peninsula-Aleutian Chain News, 1948-1948
The Seward Seaport Record, 1948-1955

The Alaska Prospector, 1902-1908
Daily Prospector Bulletin, 1907-1907
Valdez Daily Prospector, 1908-1918 ~ Valdez Weekly Prospector, 1908-1909
Valdez News, 1950-1951

Alaska Railroad, History, Abandoned Lines
Please use this Link


Alaska Probate Films: Family Search
This link is for a group of Films which includes 101677757
Probate Journal & Documents: June, 1954-Feb, 1960
Bethel Precinct

|||☺|||
Family Search: Historical Images
Resources: "Alaska as part of the Russian Empire"
This is a Searchable and Linked pdf for all the Categories Below



|||☺|||
Bethel, Alaska Territory, United States - Mining_Locations, B402-00036, 1913, Film 106699872
|||☺|||

1913 Marriages
Film 105128589, Filmed 1964
Russian Orthodox Church, other Churches and Offices
These marriage records appear to be all for Russian folks.
The names are so foreign to this transcriber and the typed information
is strange. There are some names that are capitolized, others are not.
So, rather than make mistakes, the images are here for Researchers to ponder over.
Pages 53 ~ 54 ~ 55 ~ 56 ~ 57
|||☺|||
Alaska Records in the National Archives


"Old Bethel - Kusilvak Files"
These files were compiled and formatted by former Bethel-Kusilvak Coordinators. [Many Thanks!]
They have been reformatted for easier access. All files are searchable pdf's
Aircraft Registrations ~ Boat Registrations ~ Probate Indexes ~ Towns
Obituaries ~ A - L ~ M - Z

Odds & Ends

"The Sinking of the SS Princess Sophia:
25 October 1918"
Family Search Film that enhances the Identification of those who perished.
Scroll down to "Odds and Ends" on this page [Valdez portion of the AKGenWeb]

Oregon, Washington and Alaska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1901-1902 / R. L. Polk & Co.
( no place given prob.Portland, OR, 1901), p. 1-185 (to be cont.), 1901-1902
Digital Images 357 - 504 - Film #4213242 [Scroll down, File is at the bottom of the Page]

Churches ~ 1915 Directory ~ Bibliography ~ Deeds [Recorder & Areas Served]


The nice folks over at Genealogy Trails have resources that might assist with your research.

Alaska Pioneer Home: 1913-1962 [FS Catalog]
There is a lot of valuable information in this book.Names, Dates of Birth, Nativity, Arrival in Alaska
also...
Alaska Pioneer Home Discharge Files: LDS Films: Linked Chart for Film Numbers