Archive Catalog Record
Metadata
Title |
Catherine Grant Dickinson speaking about her early life in Ketchikan |
Object # |
89.1.12.2 |
Object Name |
Recording, Audio |
Description |
Audio recording of Catherine Grant Dickinson speaking about her early life in Ketchikan. "I am relating the history of living in the wilderness of Ketchikan, Alaska, by my mother as I was too young when the family left there to remember." Recorded at the Rivercrest Nursing Home in Concord, Massachusetts. ________________________________ Transcription of this cassette tape - see 89.1.12.3 for physical document "This is Catherine Grant Dickinson speaking from the Rivercrest Nursing Home in Concord, Massachusetts. I am relating the history of living in the wilderness of Ketchikan, Alaska, by my mother as I was too young when the family left there to remember. Catherine MacDonald, my mother, and James Grant, my father, were both born in Nova Scotia in 1867. At the time they didn't know one another but met later. Mother settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, She became a United States citizen. Father did also. He was a wanderer and worked his way through the states and settled in Seattle, Washington. He came to Cambridge to visit his brother and met Mother. They fell in love, and he wanted to marry Mother and take her back to Seattle where he was working. Mother wanted to wait until she gave her notice on leaving her employment and to make her trousseau. He left with the promise she would follow and marry him in Seattle which she did. That was in 1897. They were boarding in Seattle when they heard the call to come to Ketchikan, Alaska and live on free land. The government wanted Alaska to be populated and to grow. They decided it would be a good chance to go, build a hone, and settle there. Father left alone as they were expecting their first child and Mother didn't want to venture into the wilderness before a home was made. When the log cabin was built, Father wrote and said, "The cabin is ready, pack up, and come." She packed up and arrived there with their two week old baby boy, James, Jr. That was in the year 1898. He was the first white baby there then. That made the Grant family the first all-white family there. There were a few single white men and a few white and Indian mixed married couples here and there. An Indian village lie further away, and they kept mostly to themselves. Our cabin was situated on a hill with a fantastic view overlooking the harbor, beautiful country, clean and fresh. The air was so pure and clear. It was a large one room cabin with a front and back door, each door led onto a large porch, and there were windows on each side and a transome in the roof directly aver the kitchen stave far ventilation. Father, being a good carpenter and builder, built a large kitchen table, a large bed, and a crib. There were three wooden screens made to separate and partition off the room for privacy. Other furnishings and utensils, dishes, beddings, lamps, cooking pots and pans were purchased in the one large store down the hill near the boat landing. It was a well stocked store. If you wanted something the owner didn't carry, the owner would send to Seattle for you and get the needed supplies. A wait was needed so you would have to wait till is came. Therefore you ordered ahead. The mail also came to that store as it was post office, store, community gathering spot for news and visiting, etc. There was a saloon and a small boarding house near there too. In our back yard, there was a huge hogs head to catch the rain water for drinking. Household water was carried from the river down In back of the cabin. The back house was on the other aide of the yard. Father built a trough from the barrel to the back door which made it easier than carrying the water by pail. The weather was mild as we had a direct current from Japan blowing all the time. It never was too hot and humid in the summer, never too cold in the winter. If it snowed at all, it would soon disappear so you couldn't make a snow man and did not have to shovel. There were no flies or mosquitoes to bother a person. The weather was perfect. We did have some rain. Arrangements were made to have a doctor and a clergyman come from Juneau once a month. If the doctor was needed you saw him that day or you waited till his next monthly visit. All denominations of clergy services were held in our cabin at that time. When the white men heard that there was a white family living there now, they wrote to their wives or sweethearts to come and marry and live there as there was nothing to be afraid of as there was a white family living here now, Mother was bridesmaid to many. The ceremony would be performed in our cabin. Sara Ann was born in July 1900. She then was the first white child born in Ketchikan. After that there were other white children born. The community was growing. At that time a hall was built near us as our cabin was getting a little crowded and a hall was needed. Then all activities, church services, Saturday dances, and card playing, etc. were held there. When Sara was three months old, Mother contracted typhoid pneumonia. She was very ill, and the doctor came from Juneau to see her. He told father she couldn't survive. When she heard that she said, "I have two small children. I can't leave them. I am not going to be buried in that grave yard. It is an Indian place, not for met" It would be Penic[Pennock] Island. After two months Mother was well enough to start getting up with the help of good Mrs. Stedman, the mid-wife, and Thalia, the Indian girl, and the doctor, and Father, Is now ahe began to manage her life again. There was all old laundry there, I think made for the gold miners. It needed repair work done, It was eventually made workable. That was Ketchikan then. It did grow larger each year. Mother was a great cook. Father was proud of her cooking. He would invite the men he ass working with building the fish hatcheries home to dinner often as good hot home cooked meals were quite a treat, especially when they were alone and so far from home. A good card game after dimmer was the extent of the entertainment. When the men went hunting the deer, rabbits, bear, turkey, or when fishing for salmon, halibut, and herring, they would share the catch. If Father was away working, they shared with Mother just the mama. When she would open the back door in the morning, she would find a half a deer or two or three rabbits or a turkey or bear or salmon with a note attached that they would come the next day and dress the meat for her. She then would keep just what she would use in a day or two and salt down the rest. She always kept two or three kegs on the back porch, one for each kind of meat or fish. Mother was amply repaid for their dinners, That is what she would cook for the men and family--one night roast deer or bear that she had tenderized in her own special way and baked or stewed. Another night it was turkey or rabbit or fish. On Saturday Mother would bake the largest pot of Boston baked beans and brown bread. There wouldn't be a bean left for Sunday morning breakfast. In the west they bake their beans with tomatoes and onions which give the beans a different flavor, so Boston baked beans were so much better. One of the single men, Mr. Michael Martin, on one of those evenings at dinner, stated he would like to invest in the laundry and get it in good condition as it was going to be needed mare as the community was growing larger. He thought it would be a good investment, but he didn't have the capital to buy it alone. Mother offered to go into partnership with him. Father would make the repairs on the property, so the deal was completed. Mother was in partnership. This was on the street where we lived, Grant Street. It was named after our family. It still is there I'm told. Thalia, our Indian mother's helper, would watch the children so Mother could spend a hour or so each day there. Our laundry would be taken care of then which was a help. Everything went along just fine. Mother was born on a farm in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. There were eleven children, six girls and five boys. Mother was second oldest girl, so she learned all about cooking, sewing, knitting, quilting as the girls knitted all the family sox, mittens, sweaters, caps, scarves, etc. All that helped her in Alaska as on the farm all the good eggs, milk, cream, fruit, vegetables, etc. were there to use in cooking. She made a garden for fresh vegetables and fruits and berries. There was a section for hens. We sold hens and eggs, and we too could have fresh food as there were no refrigerated cars for transporting it. She also taught the others. On Mother's first Christmas there, Father took her canoeing on the river some distance in back of our cabin. When she wrote home to Cambridge and told them, they said, "Poor Katie wants to ease our minds, but we know different. It's so icy and told there, she doesn't want us to worry about her," Living there and sharing with the friendly neighbors became like one big happy family and Mother was mother to all. They came to her with their happiness and troubles. I'm sure she helped all she could as being alone and away from their families was sometimes lonely. They needed someone to share their thoughts with. A Mr. MacLachlen, an older bachelor, came often to the cabin. He was lame and had a wooden leg and one glass eye and false teeth. It was from an accident. He lived in an old shack of some kind. A good hot meal was appreciated. Sister Sara liked him and would climb on his lap and ask for all kinds of stories. She never tired of his telling of his travels. On one visit him false teeth loosened and fell down. She though that was quite a show. Every visit he would have to repeat the performance. That went on and on, and I think he must have tired of it all, so he removed his glass eye on one visit. That did it! She never sat on his lap again after that. My oldest brother Jim was quite an explorer. He wanted to see, hear, and do everything. One day a friend came to the door and said, 'Katie, your son needs you down at the harbor.' "What is he doing down there alone,' she thought. "He was in the yard a minute ago, "She hurriedly asked Thalia, the Indian girl, to watch the other two children, She hurried down to where she was told he would be wondering all the while what was happening. She soon found a group of men looking out to sea. A row boat was nearing the shore. It was about time for the boat from Seattle to arrive, and it would swamp the little row boat with my five year old brother in it alone. Every one said, "Katie, don't panic. He is doing fine. He will make it before the big boat cones in." He managed it just in time. Some of the men helped to pull the boat on land. Mother asked him how did he get the boat and how did he know how to row it. His answer was he had gone fishing with his father and watched just what he did, so he knew he could do it too. He saw the empty boat there at the shore and got in and vent for a ride. I'm sure after Mother talked to him in good strong terms, he never went out alone again. Another day Mother saw him coming dragging something behind him. "I wonder what it is?," she said. She waited until he arrived. Mother asked, "What is that you were dragging behind you?" "A big saloon" was his reply. "How did you get it? I hope you didn't take it from some one." "No" was his reply. "I was down at the river laying on my stomach watching the fish swim by. There were hundreds of them, so I just reached the nearest one, grabbed him by the mouth, and he was to heavy too carry so I dragged him home for you to cook for supper." Mother cleaned it, and it was supper that night. Any left over was salted. The scraps as long as they were cooked were fed to the hens mixed with their other food. Nothing was wasted. Thalia, our Indian mother's helper, had long black braids hanging down her back. Brother Jim would grab one in each hand and say, "Giddy up, horsey." She would run, and they would fly through the cabin out to the yard and have quite a time for themselves. She was very good with all of the children as we came along. She came every morning and left for home before dark, She was a great help. One time when Father was working away from home, he came home with a three month old baby bear attached to a collar and chain. Mother's reaction was "What am I going to do with another baby to take care of?" "Oh," Father said, "I thought he would be fun for the children to play with." He was cute, but a very mischievous little thing and needed attention. He lived out doors staked to a post until he learned to work himself out of his collar and rosin the territory. One day Jim came to the door and called out, "Ma, the bear has worked out of his collar and is running down toward the boat at the wharf." He had heard the boat whistle blow and thought the travellers would have treats and petting for him, flat was alright when he was younger and more controllable, but he was getting a little wilder at that time. Mother was afraid he would grab someone if they were carrying food, as he was always hungry and could eat anytime. Again Mother told Thalia to watch the children and she reached for the broom and started down the hill to get him. On the way down she met a young man, a traveler. She stopped and asked if he saw a bear running past him. "Indeed, I did," he said as he was laying down his two suitcases. "I just stepped aside and let him run. He seemed to be in a hurry." Mother thanked him and excused herself saying, "I'd like to talk to you, but I have to catch that bear." "With a broom?" he asked. "Yes," Mother said. "It's the only weapon I have that he is afraid of." The fellow stood there and roared with laughter. Then he said, "I'm up here to write about living in the wilds of Alaska. Now I can write about women catching bears with a broom--funny! I always thought you needed a gun." Mother left and continued down toward the landing. When the bear saw her and the broom, he immediately turned around and ran for home with Mother after him with the broom. When she reached home, he was at his tie up post. When Father returned home that evening, she told him the bear was getting too much for her, but Father thought that was quite funny. Mother didn't! A few days later Mother was cooking dinner when she heard a strange scratching on the roof. As she cooked she would open the transome on the roof for ventilation. She looked up. It was the bear, his long arm and paw reaching down for the food. She thought if he could squeeze himself through, he would fall on the hot stove and food she was cooking and burn himself. He might go wild with pain and hurt anyone in the cabin. What to do? She had only one weapon--the broom. She reached for it and pushed it up through the opening and kept repeating, pushing and he finally backed off and slid down the roof. Mother went out doors and there he was waiting at his tie up post. When Father reached home that evening, there was an ultimatum -- Mother said, "Either the bear goes or I do." Father left for work and the bear went with him. We never saw the bear again. Another time Father was away and couldn't get home until week ends. Mother was awakened in the night by an awful howling. At first she thought it was one of the children having a nightmare. She investigated. The howling came from the crawl space under the cabin. The howling continued, but she couldn't do anything until daylight. Then she went across Grant Street. The laundry was there so she spoke to her partner Mike Martin and he came over and searched, He even crawled in the space--no trace of a wild cat. It never returned. Mr. Martin suggested that Thalia should stay all night after that, but she said she could manage alone until Father returned. In 1902 a man came from Seattle. He wanted to decorate coming Fourth of July celebration. He draped the red, white, and blue bunting all over the front porch. Our flag was raised also. The big day came. The Indians made a very interesting and colorful parade. The family sat on the front porch to see it to the end. The Indians with their drums and other instruments and their chanting and dancing passed in their beautiful, colorful deer skin clothes trimmed with beads and feathers, and their black braids tied with red ribbons. It made a beautiful picture. I have the old faded picture taken on that July 4, 1902. The picture shows Mother with brother Jim leaning on her and mister Rose Marie on her other side. Father was holding Sarah Ann. I wasn't in the picture, as I didn't arrive until January 13, 1903. Not too long after that Father was called to Juneau for four weeks of jury duty. He left us and the time was extended to mix weeks as it was a murder trial and more time was needed before the case was closed. Mother received a letter stating he would be home on a certain Saturday. When she heard the boat whistle at the harbor, she knew he would be home shortly. She had a large kettle of stew cooking for supper. They greeted and the supper was served. At that time she knew it was time to send for the midwife, Mrs. Stedman. I was born shortly after him return. The doctor arrived the next day as it was his monthly visiting day. Mother was grateful that everyone was doing well. Mr. Michael (Mike) Martin was my godfather and Mrs. Stedman was my godmother. I was christened Catherine Margaret Grant. I was christened in our cabin. My godfather, Mike Martin, sent to Seattle for a large baby carriage as a christening present for me. He also had the men gather all their squirrel skins and bring them to the Indians to make a coverlet for the carriage that was the gift from the hunters. What thoughtful people. When Mother was well enough she would take us for a walk each day. I was in the covered part of the carriage to shade my eyes. Sister Rose Marie was placed in the other end of the carriage as she wasn't walking too well as yet. We passed a certain Indian woman while walking on the wooden plank sidewalk. She would step off the walk into the street and bow to Mother. Mother wondered why she did that because the woman had a right to use the sidewalk. Mother spoke to Mrs. Stedman and asked her why the woman was doing that. Mrs. Stedman asked the woman why. The woman replied, "She has twins, and I am honoring her as Indian women never produce twins." Mother was special. Of course Mrs. Stedman who understood their language tried to tell her they weren't twins, but she continued to honor Mother as usual am she liked my mother for always speaking nicely to her in her passings. The Indians did live quite a distance from us and kept to themselves mast of the time. A few times a month an Indian man tame to the door with a salmon or two. Mother asked, 'How much?" "Quarter, " he would reply--just one word. Imagine one salmon for a quarter when we are now paying eight, ten, or twelve dollars a pound for it. Fishing was so plentiful there, not only salmon but halibut and herring. My brother Clarence Edward was born in 1904. He was named after the Clarence Edward Straight in Alaska. Mother thought it was such a lovely name. Clarence and I were pals always. Hurrah! A one room school was built, the first school there. Jim, Sarah, Rose were some of the first pupils and very happy to be going to school. It was a one room cabin with one teacher, but it was a beginning. I was invited to attend on one special day as I was too young for class work. I had to visit the out house, so teacher asked my brother to see that I went there. It was away in back from the school, and I couldn't go alone. He left me and came to get me again. When I reached the school room, I was bare foot. The teacher wanted to know where my shoes were. I said in the toilet. It was built over the river, so my shoes and stockings were floating somewhere. When we reached home, Mother wanted to know what happened. Brother Jim said that is the last time he would take me to school. Mother said I couldn't stand shoes and stockings. I wanted to go bare foot. She would find my shoes many times a day on the floor in some corner, One day brother Jim came hose from his excursion of the day. He had a small dog with him. Mother asked where did the dog come from. "Well," he replied. "I think he is lost, and I know it would be getting dark soon and he would be afraid our doors all alone, so I took him home." Mother replied, "I know where that dog lives. It is with a little old lady, and she keeps him out in the fenced yard with a gate on in. Now, by any chance, did you open that gate and let him out so he could follow you home?' She knew by his manner that is just what happened. Mother explained to him that the lady loved her dog like Mother loved Jim. "I wouldn't want anyone to take you and keep you. Now you wash your face and hands, comb your hair, and march that dog right back to his home and don't ever do anything like that again. You tell the lady just what happened. Be honest." The nice woman rewarded Jim with a bag of candy. Boys and their dogs! Men didn't usually go hunting alone, out one fellow did. He took his gun and hatchet and good big dog. He went to his row boat and to his secret hunting place. When he reached the spot he and his dog left the boat tied, and he chopped his way into the woods where the hunting was good. He didn't get very far inward when he fell over a downed tree onto rocks. He couldn't get up as he broke some bones. After laying there he know he couldn't stay long am it would be getting colder and dark and he didn't tell anyone where he was going. Finslly he started to crawl. With his right hand he would grasp any shrub and pull himself. Then he would rest. He knew his left leg and arm were broken. He finally told his dog to get a hold on his clothes and pull him. The dog understood all he told his and pulled and pulled. The fellow tried to help by grabbing anything to pull himself along. Finally they came to the shore where the boat was. He then told the dog to fetch his gun. He told the dog to fetch the hatchet. He told the dog to pull the boat near so he could get into it. "I want to go hose," he said. The dog went to the boat and with the rope pulled it closer. The fellow wondered how he would get in the boat. After resting, he maneuvered his right side nearest the boat end tipped it to him side. The dog helped drag him into the tipped boat. He was exhausted, but he knew he had to get help. After resting awhile, he said to his pal, "Now get the tie rope and pull the boat into the water." The good dog pulled and pulled and finally the boat entered the water. "Now," he said, "I will try to use my right hand as a paddle. You get the tie rope and swim and pull me hose.' Thank goodness the tide was with them. When some men on shore near hose saw the boat floating with no one paddling it, they decided something was wrong. They took their boat and went to see what was happening. As the drew closer they could see the hurt man laying there and the good dog still swimming with the rope in his mouth. They helped him ashore. Others splinted his leg and arm. They proceeded to Juneau to the hospital there. He was in good hands. He arrived home when he could manage to walk with a cane. Everyone helped him with cooking, etc., until he could manage on his own. Someone kept his dog for him while he was away. In 1906 my father came home from work all enthused about a big building boom starting the Tonapah, Nevada. He wanted to pack right up and go there as he had lived in Alaska longer than any other place before. He went alone and told Mother to get ready to leave. He would find a good job there and a home. Then he would send for her. When she told her partner in the laundry, he said, "If you go, go just for a while until you decide if you are going to like it there. We will take care of your things in the cabin. I'll take care of the laundry until you return." Mother still thought she should leave and be with her husband. She sold the cabin and her partnership in the laundry and left. The family lived in Tonapah for three months. Mother hated it there. It was so hot, sandy, and barren, nothing at all like Ketchikan. She said it was the Worst mistake she ever made in making that move. She missed her good friends and the lovely weather. She wasn't feeling too well either. Just then the San Francisco earthquake struck. Father lust had to go there and help rebuild. They needed him. He left for San Francisco and would return when the work was completed. Mother received word that her father was not well and had not much longer to live. So we left and went home to her folks in Cambridge to stay." _________________________________ |
Recording media |
Cassette Tape |
Narrator's name |
Dickenson, Catherine |
Interviewer |
Unknown |
Interview Place |
Concord, Massachusetts |
People |
Dickinson, Catherine Grant MacDonald, Catherine Grant, James Grant, Sara Ann Grant, Clarence Edward |
Search Terms |
Business Laundry Pioneer Main Street Oral History |
Credit line |
Ketchikan Museums: Tongass Historical Society Collection, THS 89.1.12.2 |