Guide to the Hans and Margaret Hafemeister papers
1943-1995
Collection number: HMC-0126.
Creators:
Hafemeister, Hans.
Hafemeister, Margaret Pielage.
Title: Hans and Margaret Hafemeister papers.
Dates: 1943-1995.
Volume of collection: 2.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Hans Hafemeister’s diaries and Margaret Hafemeister’s papers on her social work career.
Biographical note:
Hans Hafemeister was born July 24, 1894 in Germany. At the age of 12 or 13 he left Germany and joined the Merchant Marine, coming to America in 1914. In 1919, he came to Alaska and worked as a machinist at a Juneau gold mine. During World War II he was employed by the Army Corps of Engineers on Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. Married once before and widowed, he married again in 1946. He and his wife, Margaret, moved to Seward in 1948, where they lived until 1983. While in Seward, Hans Hafemeister worked as a machinist and heavy mechanic and served on the Seward City Council (1960-1961). He retired in 1963.
Margaret Pielage Hafemeister came to Alaska from New Jersey in late 1944 to work for the Territorial Department of Public Welfare as the Welfare Representative for District III, which included the Matanuska Valley, Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Chain. In 1948, she resigned her position to move to Seward. In 1951, Margaret Hafemeister became the first Welfare Representative in the newly opened Kenai Peninsula District Office of the Territorial Department of Public Welfare, a position she held until her retirement in 1972. Margaret Hafemeister died in Anchorage in 1995.
Collection description:
The collection is divided into two parts. The first part consists of Hans Hafemeister’s diaries for the years 1943, 1950, and 1952-1979, along with his obituary and death certificate. The diaries concern his experiences on the Aleutian Island of Kiska during World War II, his life in Seward, and his travels.
The second part consists of Margaret Hafemeister’s papers, three reels of 16mm color motion picture film, and related video cassette tapes. The papers consist of biographical materials including an autobiographical account (with photographs) of her trip to Alaska in 1944 and her activities as a social worker in the state; correspondence; birth, employee, and estate records; papers relating to her work in Seward following the 1964 Earthquake; and a reminiscence of her 1947 trip aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wachusetts to coastal villages in southern Alaska as a social worker. The motion picture film filmed during her 1947 trip includes views of various coastal and island towns and villages in Southern Alaska, the Pribilof Islands, the Aleutian Islands, and Prince William Sound.
Arrangement: The collection is divided into two parts: Hans Hafemeister papers and Margaret Hafemeister’s papers. Each part of the collection is divided into series and subseries by document type and topic.
Part 1. Hans Hafemeister papers; 1943-1985.
Series 1. Diaries; 1943-1979.
Series 2. Obituary and Death Certificate; 1985.
Part 2. Margaret Hafemeister papers; 1944-1995.
Series 1. Biographical Materials; 1940-1995.
Subseries 1a: Autobiography/scrapbook. 1940-1973.
Subseries 1b: Personal papers. 1945-1995.
Series 2. 1964 Earthquake – Seward; 1964-1965, 1967.
Series 3. “Floating Court” Trip; 1947.
Digitized copies: A selection of images in the collection have been digitized and added to Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining copies please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives owns copyright to materials created by Hans and Margaret Hafemeister.
Preferred citation: Hans and Margaret Hafemeister papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was presented to the archives by Margaret Hafemeister in 1984. Additional materials were acquired in 1985, 1989, 1995 and 2003. A deed of gift was signed in 1986.
Processing information: This collection was described byJeffrey Sinnott in 2004. Collection reprocessed by Mariecris Gatlabayan in 2011.
Container list:
Part 1. Hans Hafemeister papers; 1943-1985.
Series 1. Diaries; 1943-1979. 0.7 cubic feet. The series consists of the personal diaries of Hans Hafemeister. The first diary contains a records of Hans Hafemeister’s experiences as a civilian employee of the Army Corps of Engineers on the Aleutian Island of Kiska during World War II. In it he records details of his trip to Kiska, and personal observations concerning his work there and the people with whom he worked. The other diaries contain a record of Hans Hafemeister’s life in Seward and his travels. He includes: personal observations; records of personal business; some activities of the Seward City Council; his travels to and from Anchorage and other parts of Alaska; his trip to the East Coast (1972); his trips to Norway and Sweden (1973, 1976, 1978); his trip to England with his wife, Margaret (1975); the deaths of friends; and weather observations. Diaries are in chronological order. Diaries from 1950-1979 consist of bound annual daybooks.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1-1/3 | Diary typed transcripts | 1943 |
| 1/4 | Diaries | 1950, 1952 |
| 1/5 | Diaries | 1953-1954 |
| 1/6 | Diaries | 1955-1956 |
| 1/7 | Diaries | 1957-1958 |
| 1/8 | Diaries | 1959-1960 |
| 1/9 | Diaries | 1961-1962 |
| 1/10 | Diaries | 1963-1964 |
| 1/11 | Diaries | 1965-1966 |
| 2/1 | Diaries | 1967-1968 |
| 2/2 | Diaries | 1969-1970 |
| 2/3 | Diaries | 1971-1972 |
| 2/4 | Diaries | 1973-1974 |
| 2/5 | Diaries | 1975-1976 |
| 2/6 | Diaries | 1977-1978 |
| 2/7 | Diaries | 1979 |
Series 2. Obituary and Death Certificate; 1985. 0.1 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/8 | Obituary, The Seward Phoenix Log | 1985 |
| 2/9 | Death certificate | 1985 April 12 |
Part 2. Margaret Hafemeister papers; 1944-1995. 0.55 cubic feet.
Series 1. Biographical Materials. Subseries 1a: Autobiography and scrapbook. 1940-1973. 0.27 cubic feet. This series consists primarily of an autobiographical account of Margaret Hafemeister’s trip to Alaska in 1944 and her work as the District III Welfare Representative for the Territorial Department of Welfare. In it, she recorded her experiences and travels in that position, and in her subsequent position as Welfare Representative for the newly created Kenai Peninsula District. Included in the autobiography/scrapbook are photographs, post cards, and clippings of Anchorage, Juneau, Seward, Palmer, Kodiak, Cordova, and Seldovia.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/1 | Autobiography and xerographic copies of Photograph Album pages (58 pages.) | 1944-1975 |
Scrapbook photographs, postcards, and clippings are in the order they were in the scrapbook. All items are photographs unless otherwise noted.
| Box/Item # | Description of scrapbook items | Dates |
| 4/1 | Margaret Pielage, application picture | 1944 December |
| 4/2 | Margaret Pielage in new office in Gill Building, 4th & H, Anchorage | 1945 October |
| 4/3 | S.S. Alaska; Ordway, P-82 (postcard) | circa 1945 |
| 4/5 | The Baranof Hotel, Juneau; 2P-33A (postcard) | circa 1945 |
| 4/6 | Territorial Building, Juneau | 1945 |
| 4/7 | Governor’s Mansion, Juneau | 1945 |
| 4/8 | Downtown Juneau from above | circa 1945 |
| 4/9 | A.J. Gold Mine, Juneau | circa 1945 |
| 4/10 | Mendenhall Glacier | circa 1945 |
| 4/11 | Aerial of Seward | 1940s |
| 4/12 | “The Loop” Alaska Ry. Mile 52, 3 Miles by Rail, ½ Mile the Way Crows Fly;Alaska Shop | undated |
| 4/13 | Alaska Railroad Dock, Seward | 1945 |
| 4/14 | Railroad depot fountain and Seward Machine Shop, Seward | 1945 |
| 4/15 | Main Street, Seward | 1945 |
| 4/16 | Seward General Hospital, Seward | 1945 |
| 4/17 | Bank Block building and Mt. Marathon, Seward | 1945 |
| 4/18 | Spencer Glacier from train en route to Anchorage from Seward | circa 1945 |
| 4/19 | Health Center in Anchorage | circa 1945 |
| 4/20 | Anchorage Depot and Government Hill (post card) | circa 1945 |
| 4/21 | Westward Hotel, Anchorage (post card) | 1945 August |
| 4/22 | Edith Monroe at Eklutna Church; | undated |
| 4/23 | Eklutna graveyard | undated |
| 4/24 | Palmer School | undated |
| 4/25 | Matanuska Valley Lodge, Palmer | undated |
| 4/26 | Dr. Albrecht’s Home | undated |
| 4/27 | Ruth Moore, Mrs. Green, baby, brother-in-law, Sam C. & me | undated |
| 4/28 | Matanuska Valley Lodge and Matanuska Valley Hospital with Pioneer Peek in distance | undated |
| 4/29 | Lingo Home, Anchorage | undated |
| 4/30 | Bliss Home, 326 L. Street, Anchorage | undated |
| 4/31 | Margaret Pielage at door of her apartment in Bliss Home | undated |
| 4/32 | Elizabeth Bliss and dog, Sonny, Anchorage | 1944 |
| 4/33 | Margaret Pielage at door to apartment | 1946 February 23 |
| 4/34 | Paddy Waxon’s 35 yr. old cabin, Sackett’s Harbor below fence, L Street, Anchorage | 1947 |
| 4/35 | Sackett’s Harbor, Anchorage | circa 1947 |
| 4/36 | 4th Avenue looking east, Anchorage. Dr. Milo Fritz House on left, next to Columbia Lumber. Inlet Hotel on right (post card) | 1945 |
| 4/37 | Kodiak, Alaska (color photo clipping) | 1973 |
| 4/38 | Road to base, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/39 | Main Street, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/40 | Sunbeam Hotel, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/41 | Felder Building, Kodiak (post card, title: Street Scene – Kodiak – Alaska; Helsel photo) | 1945 |
| 4/42 | Public School, Kodiak | undated |
| 4/43 | Public Health Office. Burned-out Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church at head of street, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/44 | Russian Orthodox Church – Kodiak – Alaska; Helsel | undated |
| 4/45 | Russian Orthodox Church – Kodiak; 2144 | undated |
| 4/46 | Griffin Memorial Hospital, Kodiak (post card) | 1945 |
| 4/47 | Frontier Book & Gift Shop building, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/48 | Street scene, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/49 | Erskine House, Baranof’s Headquarters, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/50 | Red Cross Recreation Center and Library, Kodiak | 1945 |
| 4/51 | Kodiak, Alaska, port view | undated |
| 4/52 | New Post Office and Courthouse, Kodiak | 1958 June |
| 4/53 | New High School, Kodiak | circa 1958 |
| 4/54 | Baptist Mission, Kodiak | 1958 |
| 4/55 | Tony Shilter in front of his cabin | undated |
| 4/56 | Seward, Alaska and Marathon Mountain; Robinson, 512-E (post card) | undated |
| 4/57 | Methodist Church brought in from Fort Raymond, Seward | 1946 |
| 4/58 | Main Street, Seward; Arzada’s, 7 (post card) | 1946 |
| 4/59 | Seward School | 1945 |
| 4/60 | Street scene, 4th Ave., westside, Seward | circa 1946 |
| 4/61 | Street scene, 4th Ave., eastside, Seward | circa 1946 |
| 4/62 | Alaska Shop, with New Seward Hotel at left, Seward | circa 1946 |
| 4/63 | Christensen Air Service plane in Seward on mail, freight, and passenger run from Anchorage | circa 1946 |
| 4/64 | Four abandoned children around stove in shack in Mountain View, Anchorage | 1946 March 1 |
| 4/65 | Four abandoned children in kitchen of shack in Mountain View, Anchorage | 1946 March 1 |
| 4/66 | Margaret Pielage with two of abandoned children at door of Gilmore Foster Home, Anchorage, 5:30 PM | 1946 March 1 |
| 4/67 | Reunion of five children in girls foster home, two weeks later | 1946 March |
| 4/68 | Margaret Pielage and child at window of St. Elias 8 place plane, ready to fly to Cordova | 1946 March 4 |
| 4/69 | Margaret Pielage and child welfare worker and three children in front of airplane hangar | 1946 March 4 |
| 4/70 | Cordova, Alaska from the air (post card) | 1945 |
| 4/71 | Ticket for Cordova Air Service Inc. flight from Anchorage to Cordova for Margaret Pielage | 1945 November 5 |
| 4/72 | Cordova, Alaska (color photo clipping) | 1973 |
| 4/73 | Cordova seen from school with icicles | circa 1946 |
| 4/74 | Steamship in front of Columbia Glacier | circa 1946 |
| 4/75 | A Hardy Young Cordovan (native child in diaper outside in snow) | circa 1946 |
| 4/76 | Cordova views (10 Kodachrome color prints) | 1946 |
| 4/77 | Camel Rock, west end. Mt. Iliamna in far distance | undated |
| 4/78 | Part of Main Street, Seldovia | 1946 |
| 4/79 | Looking from Gypsy to Seldovia dock | 1946 May |
| 4/80 | Approaching Seldovia on S.S. Denali | 1951 August 7 |
| 4/81 | Approaching Seldovia by air | 1963 |
| 4/82 | Andersen Dock, Seldovia | undated |
| 4/83 | Susan Block English School and school swimming pool, Seldovia | circa 1950s |
| 4/84 | Susan English in doorway of home adjacent to post office where she was born and was postmaster for 50 year | undated |
| 4/85 | West end of boardwalk, Seldovia | undated |
| 4/86 | Old school and hospital, Annette Jacobsen, Public Health Nurse, Seldovia | undated |
| 4/87 | East end of boardwald and Beachcomber Hotel, Seldovia | undated |
| 4/88 | A.D.C. home, Seldovia | undated |
| 4/89 | Woman feeding Kodiak bear from entrance to house, Zachar Bay, Kodiak Island | 1959 |
| 4/90 | Woman telling Kodiak bear to go away, Zachar Bay, Kodiak Island | 1959 |
| 4/91 | U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wachusetts (post card) | undated |
| 4/92 | Ready to go ashore in foul weather; women on deck of U.S.C.G.C. Wachusetts | 1947 |
| 4/93 | Secretary Pauline Owens sitting on bench in front of first Dept. of Public Welfare office in Seward; old Ray Building | undated |
| 4/94 | Pauline Owens at desk in D.P.W. office, Seward | undated |
| 4/95 | Demolition of Old Federal Building, Seward | 1964 |
| 4/96 | Henry A. Harmon, Director of Dept. of Public Welfare, on visit, Seward | 1953 |
| 4/97 | New City-State Building after earthquake | 1968 |
| 4/98 | Dept. of Public Welfare staff group photo. Sitting: Henry A. Harmon, Director.First row: Ruth Cameron, Nan Blaha, Phoebe Virgin, Sadie Billis, Alice Braudebury Schnee, and Elsie Hiud. Back row: Nancy Cameron, Merrilyn Olson, Edith Monroe, and Kenneth Foresman (Margaret Hafemeister, photographer) | 1947 |
| 4/99 | There She Goes” S.S. Baranof; By Gertrude March (color art print of last Alaska Steamship Co. passenger ship to leave Seward, Sept. 24, 1954) | circa 1954 |
| 4/100 | “Aerial Photo taken Summer of 1965, of Seward, Alaska and Resurrection Bay, the Home of the Annual Fourth of July Mt. Marathon Race and Silver Salmon Derby, and the Best Year-Round Ice-Free Deep-Water Sea Port on the Coast of Western Alaska.”; U. S. Army Photograph | undated |
| 4/101 | Two children standing below the Welcome to Seward sign | undated |
| 4/102 | “New Methodist Parsonage” | 1966 |
| 4/103 | Downtown Seward looking north with large shadow in foreground | 1968 |
| 4/104 | Bank Block building in Seward | 1965 |
| 4/105 | New City Hall building in Seward | circa 1965 |
| 4/106 | “Location of Old City Shop” Site destroyed by earthquake | circa 1964 |
| 4/107 | “New City Shop, A. E. Replaced after earthquake of 1964” | 1966 |
| 4/108 | “High School – later AVTEC” | 1968 |
| 4/109 | Brown A-frame building in Seward | 1968 |
| 4/110-4/114 | Tearing down old Federal Bldg. after 1964 earthquake. Beginning of City Hall.” Demolition of building and steel frame of new city call | 1964-1965 |
| 4/115 | Tearing down old Federal Bldg. after 1964 earthquake. Beginning of City Hall.” Demolition of building and steel frame of new city call | 1965 |
| 4/116 | “Tustumena” Ferry at dock in Seward from beach | 1968 |
| 4/117 | View of Resurrection Bay from near Seward | undated |
| 4/118 | “One view of our very nice small boat harbor” | 1970 |
| 4/119 | “Large oil rig being towed into our harbor – causes great excitement in our small town of 2000+” | 1969 |
| 4/120 | Downtown Seward looking south in winter | 1967 |
| 4/121 | Another view of large oil rig being towed | 1969 |
| 4/122 | Hafemeister house | 1968 |
| 4/123 | “Original Hafemeister House, 903 4th Ave.” | 1970 |
| 4/124 | “Hans building fence” | 1970 |
| 4/125 | Rear of Hafemeisters’ house | 1970 |
| 4/126 | Hafemeister’s house | 1968 |
| 4/127 | The boat Hans Hafemeister built in Seward, the St. Pierre | undated |
| 4/128-4/133 | “Hafemeister ‘St. Pierre,’ a Newfoundland dory built by Hans” Boat on trailer, in dock, and near small boat harbor | 1967, 1969 |
| 4/134 | “Hafemeister boat ‘St. Piere,’ built by Hans” Boat in small boat harbor | undated |
| 4/135 | “Seward Branch, First National Bank of Anchorage” | undated |
| 4/136 | “National Bank of Alaska” Bank building in Seward | undated |
| 4/137 | “Seward Real Estate” building | undated |
| 4/138 | “Margaret Hafemeister, 1983 presiding at Pioneer Home Tea. Margaret Hafemeister at table | 1983 October |
| 4/139 | “Interior Hafemeister home” | undated |
| 4/140 | Hafemeister house in winter | undated |
| 4/141 | Hafemeisters planted all these trees in their yard. Hafemeister house, 603 4th Ave.” | undated |
| 4/142 | “Jan. 21, 1969, Bill Madigan, C. G. Commander, Seward, Sorrel” Portrait of Sorrel commander | 1969 |
| 4/143 | “Hans Hafemeister and Bill Madigan” Two men on house porch | 1969 |
| 4/144 | Coast Guard ship nearing dock | undated |
| 4/145 | “Nancy Cameron Wright” Hans and woman on board the St. Pierre | 1975 |
| 4/146 | “Margaret & Hans Hafemeister at Stillhaven on Kenai Lake, once Tony Schilter homestead, 1948” Couple and dog at cabin | 1948 |
Series 1. Biographical materials. Subseries 1b: Personal papers. 1945-1995. 0.28 cubic feet. This series also contains biographical materials such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, employment records, identification cards, letters of appreciation, newspaper clippings, a reunion program from Connecticut College, guardianship documents, retirement documents, letters, cards, address books, a signature stamp, scrapbook, and portrait.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/2 | Alaska voter registration form | 1983 February 23 |
| 3/3 | Certificates: Birth certificate, 2 certified copies; marriage certificate for Hans Hafemeister and Margaret Pielage, 1946 August 3; death certificate, 1995 May 21 | 1946, 1995 |
| 3/4 | Employment records: State of Alaska, Employmee Statement of Service, 1960 May 31; State of Alaska, Performance Evaluation Report, 1972 October 13 | 1960, 1972 |
| 3/5 | Identification cards (13 total) | 1967-1985 |
| 3/6 | Letters of appreciation | 1955-1972 |
| 3/7 | Letter by Pat Erickson to friends of Margaret Hafemeister, concerning her passing at the Pioneers’ Home in Anchorage | 1995 May 22 |
| 3/8 | Newspaper clippings | 1965-1995 |
| 3/9 | Reunion program: Connecticut College, Class of 1929, Fiftieth Reunion | 1979 June |
| 3/10 | Guardianship: documents related to Patricia Ericson’s guardianship/conservatorship of Margaret Hafemeister | 1989-1995 |
| 3/11 | Retirement: document related to Margaret Hafemeister’s state pension | 1972-1986 |
| 3/12 | Letters and cards from friends of Margaret Hafemeister to guardian Patricia Ericsonson. Includes 6 loose color prints | 1987-1995 |
| 3/13 | Address books and estate information | undated |
| 3/14 | Margaret Hafemeister signature rubber stamp | undated |
| 3/15 | Pictorial Map of Kodiak Island, “the Sunshine Isle”, Copyright by Lowell E. Jones. | circa 1940s |
| 3/15 | Letter from Noel C. Ross of Beaver, Alaska, to Ernestine Zollman, Supervisor of Field Services, Alaska Department of Public Welfare, concerning public assistance payments for Frank Yasuda and his wife, Nevelo and providing history of mining claim. Letter copied by M. Hafemeister, Jan. 20, 1965. | 1945 November 18 |
| 3/15 | Lecture by Dr. Ivar Skarland, Alaska Dept. of Public Welfare Staff Conference. 20 pages and cover letter. | 1956 April 16 |
| 3/16 | Scrapbook on Attu basket weaver Anfesia T. Shapsnikoff: letters from Anfesia Shapsnikoff to Margaret Hafemeister, 1967 June 13, 19, and 25; Mrs. Anfesia T. Shapsnikoff’s talk at open meeting of Resurrection Bay Historical Society, 1967 July 7; Information Obtained from Anfesia T. Shapsnikoff, 1967 July 9; letter from Anfesia Shapsnikoff to Margaret Hafemeister, 1967 July 12; “Attu Basket Weaving Demonstrated At Local Museum,” The Seward Phoenix Log, 1967 July 13; “Mrs. Shapsnikoff, Aleut Expert, Dies” Anchorage Times, 1973 January 18;. | 1967 |
| 3/16 | Photographs of Anfesia Shapsnikoff: Andy Simons Mountain; Senator “Bob” Bartlett and Anfesia Shapsnikoff at dedication of monument and naming of Andy Simons Mountain; Andy Simons monument. Hans [Hafemeister] and “Little Pat” [Anfesia Shapsnikoff]; “Little Pat” Shapsnikoff and Benny Benson; Anfesia Shapsnikoff waving from door of Alaska Railroad passenger car; Color pastel portrait of Margaret Hafemeister (14 X 17.75 inch, displayed in archives reading room) | 1967 July |
Series 2. 1964 Earthquake – Seward; 1964-1965, 1967. 0.18 cubic feet.
The series consists of records concerning the impact of the 1964 Earthquake on the town of Seward, reconstruction efforts there, and Margaret Hafemeister’s services on behalf of the Alaska Department of Health and Welfare following the earthquake. Includes earthquake related publications and reports, newpaper clippings, correspondence, reports, narratives, and a photograph.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/17 | Earthquake Bulletins: an incomplete set of bulletins issued to the people of Seward by the Civil Defense Department after the earthquake, which gave information on health and sanitation, emergency aid and shelter, search and rescue efforts, and other matters. | 1964 March 29-April 3 |
| 3/18 | Correspondence between Margaret Hafemeister and various relief organizations and private individuals, includes 1 photograph. | 1964-1967 |
| 3/19 | Reports: Seward Employment and Industrial Picture, 1964 April 14; Seward Civil Defense Census Report, 1964 April 30; “Some Impressions of Children’s Behavior During the March 27th Earthquake”; By Marianna Sheridan, Child Welfare Worker, Alaska Dept. Of Health & Welfare, Div. Of Public Welfare, Juneau District Office; Prepared for delivery at the 15th Alaska Science Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska (8 pp.+4 pp. appendix), 1964 September 4 | 1964 |
| 3/20 | Petticoat Gazette earthquake editions, 1964 April 2; Business and Professional Women’s Club of Seward, 1965 April 1 | 1964-1965 |
| 3/21 | Newspaper clippings | 1964 April, 1965 March |
| 3/22 | Seward earthquake narrative: correspondence between Margaret Hafemeister and Ohio State University sociology professor, J. Eugene Haas of the Disaster Research Center; a draft of A Narrative of the Human Response to the Alaska Earthquake: Seward, Alaska by Frank R.B. Norton and J. Eugene Haas, Disaster Research Center, The Ohio State University, from May 1967. | 1967 |
| 3/23 | Photograph: “Brigadier Donald Barry, former Alaska Divisional Commander sent to the disaster scene by Commissioner Glenn Ryan, Territorial Commander, discusses emergency earthquake services with Margaret Hafemeister, Welfare Director of The Salvation Army Service Unit Committee. In Seward. Mrs. Hafemeister is also the Welfare Agent for all of Kodiak Island, Kenai Peninsula and Seward.” Salvation Army press photo | 1964 April |
Series 3. “Floating Court” Trip; 1947. 0.72 cubic feet.This series consists of Margaret Hafemeister’s reminiscence, 16mm color motion picture film, and related video cassette tapes concerning the “Floating Court” trip she took in the summer of 1947 as a Welfare Representative to various villages and towns in Southern Alaska aboard the U.S.Coast Guard Cutter Wachusetts. The written reminiscence is an extract from the autobiographical account in Series 1.
The motion picture film consists of three 400 foot reels Margaret Hafemeister took during the course of the 1947 trip. The film and videotapes show various towns and villages visited including Seldovia, Kodiak, Chignik, St. George, and LaTouche. The term “Floating Court” refers to the early practice of the Territorial District Court of traveling to coastal towns and villages to handle the legal problems of residents who, because of the expense, were unable to come to Anchorage.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/24 | Reminiscence | 1947 |
| Reel 1 | Seward to Naknek, 11 minutes. Start: views of Seward harbor and boats, unidentified people walking in the woods, scenes of Resurrection Bay. Seldovia: view of harbor and boats, scenes of the town and houses on pilings, view of the bay. In transit: ship activities, horizon and mountains. Kodiak: Russian Orthodox Church, view of harbor and boats. End. | 1947 |
| Reel 2 | St. George Island to LaTouche, 11 minutes. Start: unidentified town (St. George?): view of the town from the ship, bird in the water. In transit: ship activities, horizon, raising a longboat. Next village (unidentified): view of village from the ship, boat at dock, people on the dock, mountains across the water. In transit: ship’s guns, sailors working, signal flags, horizon and sunset, coastline with mountains and forest. Next village (LaTouche?) view of the town from the ship, town and buildings, view of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wachusetts at dock. End. | 1947 |
| Reel 3 | Sand Point to Dillingham, return to Naknek, St. Paul, 11 minutes. Start: Unidentified village (Sand Point?): view of the village from the ship, school, horizon and mountains, village people on the ship, longboats in the water, view of water and boats, village scenes (film color faded). Next village (Dillingham?): view of woods across the bay, village scenes, people. In transit: Ship’s sailors. Next village (St. Paul?): view of harbor, seals, people working, priest (Father Baranof?) in front of a church, view of the outside of the church, people on the beach. End. | 1947 |
| 5/1-3 | Videocassette copy of films, 3 VHS videocassettes, color | 1947 |