Melvin Dempsey a Man his Mines and his

Melvin Dempsey: a Man, his Mines and his Mission Andrew Goldstein, 2006, 2013 (rev. )

Melvin Dempsey • Prospector, entrepreneur and humanitarian • Influential to early Valdez – concerned for town’s welfare • Interesting life and “unsung hero”

His Early Life • Born a slave in 1857 North Carolina • Son of a Cherokee plantation owner and an African-American slave • Lived in Michigan: Allegan, Holland, Battle Creek • Dempsey’s family was religious, may have gotten him involved with the Christian Endeavor Society.

Dempsey in Colorado • Dempsey moved to Colorado, became Deadwood’s first barber • Deadwood newspapers: “…one of finest men in the hills”, “A model man”. • Established interests that would influence his life in Alaska: politics, business, firefighting, ministry, mining.

Dempsey Arrives in Alaska • Arrives on the Alliance, Feb. 1898 • Appointed to committee to draft laws and limits of Valdez Mining District, March 1898 • April, organizes Valdez branch of Christian Endeavor Society • October – November, elected Town Trustee and Marshall and Justice • Opened one of Valdez’s first restaurants, outfitted prospectors • Joined fire department, Pioneers

Reading Room • Founded Christian Endeavor church, important social center for Valdez • Opened log reading room, “Alaska’s first free reading room”

Christian Endeavor Society Left: Williston Church, Portland, ME. Birthplace of CE • Nondenominational society founded 1881 by Francis E. Clark • Gained national and international popularity through 1880 s and 1890 s. • Among its causes, supported education of blacks, promoted literacy, advocated temperance.

“Alaska has also seventeen Christian Endeavor Societies, the one at Point Barrow being, it is stated, the most northerly Christian Endeavor group in the world. An interesting statement is made concerning the heroic services rendered by the intrepid members of the Endeavor Society at Valdez. It was organized in 1898, and among its charter members was Melvin Dempsey, a Cherokee Indian. Near by is the great Valdez glacier, twenty-eight miles long, with an average of over two miles in width. This became the pathway of the venturesome prospectors in their attempts to reach the Copper River Valley. It was a journey of terrible hardships and perils. Fierce winds, with thermometer from fifty to seventy degrees below zero, bewildered the traveller, and in many instances doomed him to perish without hope of rescue. The brave members of the Endeavor Society at Valdez, acting upon the suggestion of Mr. Dempsey, built a series of rescue stations, with the Red Cross flag as a signal of encouragement and cheer. At these relief stations the society provided stoves, fuel, provisions, and medicines, for the imperilled travellers, and has thus been the means of saving hundreds of lives. When men are lost in the snow -storms this valiant Endeavor band attempts a rescue, but, alas! often too late to save life; in which case it provides for a Christian burial, and makes special efforts to communicate, if possible, with the friends of the deceased. It is a reproduction, in the wintry wilds of Alaska, of the humanitarian work of the Alpine rescue stations. ” Christian Missions and Social Progress: A Sociological Study of Foreign Missions Rev. James S. Dennis, 1906

Relief Station • Established relief station on beach and on Valdez Glacier for prospectors • 10’x 12’ hut on 5 th bench, with food, fuel, bedding • Town-wide effort, contributions from corporations & military

Valdez Recording District • The role of the recording district was to accept documents into the public record. • As prospectors began to populate Alaska, recording offices played the vital role of tracking claims and other public legal records. In those early days, the recording district often acted as a de facto civic body where there was no municipality.

Valdez Recording District • In March 1898, Dempsey became the center of a controversy. • Since 1897, the Valdez town site had been a part of the Prince William Sound Mining District, located on Bligh and Busby Islands where the population of prospectors was then centered and district recorder William Busby made his home. • Prior to town incorporation and founding of Ft. Liscum (1900), recording district was main de facto governing body. Valdez Busby Is. Bligh Is.

Valdez Recording District • Dempsey and others who at that time had decided not to go over the glacier began staking claims in Port Valdez. In the face of criticisms about the legality of these claims, Dempsey and others called a meeting at the Christian Endeavor Hall to declare the formation of a separate mining district. • Nancy Lethcoe writes: “On January 16 th 1899, the Port Valdez Mining District was formed. All claims within Port Valdez would be filed with the new district, those outside the Port with the Prince William Sound Mining District. ”

Mining • With George Hazelet and A. J. Meals, discovered gold on Chistochina River (fall 1899) • Started for interior via glacier route, 1900. Arrived at Chisna. • 1899 -1901, places numerous claims along Chistochina River.

Chisna Mining District • 1900, Dempsey elected recorder for Chisna (Cherokee) Mining District • Most of Dempsey’s claims were on Slate Creek trail Above: Copper River mining region Left: Town of Chisna, c. 1910

Map drawn by Dempsey of his claims. Photographed by P. S. Hunt.

1902: Dempsey Does Well for Himself (and others) • Christian Endeavor Church expansion • Dedicates his mansion at Daisy Claim on Chistochina River • Prospectus for La Node Mining Co. with himself as president • Founds the town of Dempsey near his claims, listed as postmaster • Chairman for Valdez Mining District, 1903 Above: Endeavor Church, 1902 Left: Dempsey listing, Alaska-Yukon Gazetteer, R. L. Polk & Co. , 1915

SPCA • 1902, helped to organize Valdez’s first Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals “A man stopped at our tent today and got our gun to kill one [dog]. The condition was made that he must take him out of hearing of the tent to kill him. Some men are so brutal. We see so much of it here, whipping their dogs when the poor things are doing all and more than they are able to, some will even ask you to give their dog a kick as you pass him. It is needless to say that we always decline with the remark that we are not in the dog kicking business at the present. ” Hazelet, 3/30/1898

1903 - 1915 • Falling out with the church: 1903, steps down from presidency of Christian Endeavor Society; 1904, resigns from the church • 1904 – 1905, interests Chicago investors in his property. • 1905 – 1915 continues mining operations • 1915, reported drowned in Chistochina River

Dempsey’s Later Life • According to Dempsey’s descendents, Melvin Dempsey did NOT drown in the Chistochina River. • Stopped writing home to family in Michigan; law firm of Wilkes & Stone hired to investigate. • Wilkes & Stone may have fabricated the 1915 drowning story. • Melvin Dempsey traveled back and forth to Michigan in the late 1910 s/early 1920 s. • C. 1920, stayed with his sister Sarah Chandler, of Battle Creek, MI. Tried to get family members to join him mining, because he “couldn’t find an honest man” to help him.

Dempsey’s Descendants Descended from his sister’s family. Avery Chandler, Jr. is standing in the foreground. Avery Chandler, Sr. is seated in front. Mr. Chandler, Sr. , then 91 years old, remembered meeting Melvin Dempsey as a child. Valdez Museum photo 2006.

The Story Continues… • Research on Dempsey continues • Town of Dempsey: who lived there, what was it like? • Archaeology at Dempsey town site?

Legacy • Dempsey mining town to c. 1920. Samme Gallaher visited cabin 1927. Town listed until at least 1967. • Tragically, Sarah Chandler burned Dempsey’s stack of letters written home. • Area mined off-and-on over the years: claim re-staked after Dempsey’s death, Vernon Horn began mining 1938, eventually became part of John Hazelet estate. 1941 Acme Mining Co. • Worth remembering for his dedication to self-improvement, civic responsibility, and belief in giving to the community.