Guide to the Harry and Ruth Dobson papers
1906-1973
Collection number: HMC-0100.
Creators:
Dobson, Harry.
Dobson, Ruth E. Webster.
Title: Harry and Ruth Dobson papers.
Dates: 1906-1973.
Volume of collection: 0.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Papers of a British gold miner in the Nome area.
Biographical note:
Harry Dobson was born in England in 1861. He came to Alaska in 1894 to prospect for gold on the Seward Peninsula around Nome and Teller. He was a successful miner and established and worked a number of claims in the Nome area, including several along Budd Creek. In 1907, he married Ruth E. Webster. Dobson died in 1953 at the age of 91.
Collection description:
The collection includes: letters from Harry Dobson to his wife concerning his mining activities; letters to Harry Dobson concerning business matters; letters to Harry and Ruth Dobson concerning family matters; the Dobson’s marriage license; legal documents concerning Harry Dobson’s mining claims; his death certificate; maps of Dobson Placer, the Seward Peninsula, and Alaska; a newspaper article on Harry Dobson; and other miscellaneous newspaper clippings. There are also 21 photographs of Alaska showing mining activities, people and scenery.
Arrangement: The collection is generally arranged by type of document.
Alternative formats: Negatives have been made from some of the photographs.
Digitized copies: Fourteen of the photographs from the collection have been digitized and placed online in the Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Materials authored by individuals other than Harry and Ruth Dobson may be subject to copyright.
Preferred citation: Harry and Ruth Dobson papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was initially placed on deposit with the Archives in 1985 by Gail Moses, niece of Marie Murphy, great-niece of Ruth Dobson. Gail Moses deeded the collection to the Archives in 1986.
Processing information: This collection was arranged and described in 1985. The collection guide was updated to current standards by Arlene Schmuland in 2013.
Container list:
| Folder/item | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | Letter: Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson, 4 pages | 1913 August 4 |
| 1/2 | Letter: W. W. Johnson, Union Construction Company, to Harry Dobson, 1 page | 1917 April 18 |
| 1/3 | Letter: W. W. Johnson to Harry Dobson, 1 page | 1917 June 14-15 |
| 1/4 | Letter: F. W. Hale to Harry Dobson, 2 pages | 1918 October 21 |
| 1/5 | Letter: A. F. Coats to Harry Dobson, 1 page | 1920 June 3 |
| 1/6 | Letter: Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson, 2 pages | 1928 July 22 |
| 1/7 | Letter: Harry Dobson to Ruth Dobson, 6 pages | 1940 July 23 |
| 2/1 | Letter: Ruth Dobson to sister, Rose | 1951 October 5 |
| 2/2 | Letter: Matie Binns, the National Women’s Relief Corps, to Ruth Dobson | 1963 April 11 |
| 2/3 | Envelope: Frank E. Webster to Oscar W. Petterson | 1965 January 23 |
| 2/4 | Letter: A. T. Peterson to Alaska State Land Office | 1973 August 24 |
| 3/1 | Poem: “Examined and Rejected”; author unidentified | undated |
| 4/1 | Marriage license: Harry Dobson to Ruth E. Webster | 1906 January 14 |
| 5/1 | Fragment of handwritten description of mining claim, 4 pages | undated |
| 5/2 | H. M. Bride to (unknown), pages 2 and 3 of a 3-page letter of legal advice, 2 pages | undated |
| 5/3 | Deed of Option to Purchase; from J. A. Welch to Harry Dobson, 2 pages | 1917 January 27 |
| 5/4 | Proof of Annual Assessment Work, 2 pages | 1916 November 8 |
| 5/5 | Affidavit of Intention; August 26, 1918 (copy of original) Deed of Sale, 3 pages | 1919 March 6 |
| 5/6 | Agreement for Lease of Mining Claims, 4 pages | 1938 May 2 |
| 5/7 | Agreement for Lease of Mining Claims, 4 pages | 1938 May 23 |
| 6/1 | Harry Dobson’s visa | 1921 April 15 |
| 6/2 | Harry Dobson’s visa | 1923 May 11 |
| 6/3 | S. S. Celtic customs declaration | 1928 March 24 |
| 7/1 | Harry Dobson’s death certificate | 1953 February 14 |
| 8/1 | Insurance card-carrying envelope | 1953 |
| 8/2 | Plastic insurance card case | undated |
| 8/3 | Washington Mutual Savings Bank: “Information for Depositors” | 1963 January 1 |
| 8/4 | Aetna Insurance Brochure | circa 1949 |
| 8/5 | Notes, postmark, canceled stamp | undated |
| 9/1 | Address and phone number of Mrs. Aurie Lee | undated |
| 9/2 | Bullion Voucher | 1921 January 6 |
| 9/3 | “Particulars of Oil and Fodder Offered” | undated |
| 9/4 | “Inventory of Things Put Away” | undated |
| 10/1 | (6)-D Le Roy Moyer starting out for a little panning along American River and Budd Creek on Dobson property | undated |
| 10/2 | (1)-D Starting from Nome, Alaska, for American River and Budd Creek about eighty-five miles north of Nome, to inspect Harry Dobson’s ground-there; Hans-Mirow, aviator and Pastor Woods as fellow passenger, who was on his way to Shismaroff. The load consisted of also 250 lbs of baggage and provisions. The plane is a Stimson-Reliant. | 1936 August 10 |
| 10/3 | (8)-D Looking up-stream on Budd Creek. “Tailing” of the old “Cambell” Hydraulic-lift are in the background. This old operation was unsuited for this ground and was eventually drowned out by water breaking into the mining pit through the thawed ground. | 1936 August 15 |
| 10/4 | Mrs. Serena G. Dobson, Seattle, Washington | 1918 June 8 |
| 10/5 | Aerial view of unidentified mountains and river | undated |
| 10/6-7 | Unidentified river | undated |
| 10/8 | Unidentified road across tundra | undated |
| 10/9 | Harry Dobson | undated |
| 10/10 | Unidentified man and Harry Dobson in hip boots on river bank | undated |
| 10/11 | Harry Dobson beside Wien airplane | undated |
| 10/12 | Building on tundra | undated |
| 10/13 | Unidentified man [Harry Dobson?] gold-panning | undated |
| 10/14 | Unidentified man in boat | undated |
| 10/15 | Unidentified man [Harry Dobson?] with gold pan and shovels in river | undated |
| 10/16 | Unidentified man with pack near house on tundra | undated |
| 10/17 | Unidentified men [Harry Dobson?] working on sod house | undated |
| 10/18 | Unidentified man and Harry Dobson standing in front of wooden building | undated |
| 10/19 | (13)-D Mr. Harry Dobson panning on his ground on American River about eighty-five miles north of Nome, Alaska. | 1936 August 18 |
| 10/20 | Mr. Dobson approaching his cabin with a load from aeroplane cache on American River. Moyer. | undated |
| 10/21 | Post card picture of Norge “Landing at Teller.” Back of card reads: “They landed the Norge right on the street in front of our house. Twenty-five yards from the back of the cabin. The thing is all taken to pieces and the main part of it is up against our house. They will ship it out on the first boat. Harry.” | undated |
| 11 | Pennsylvania Register. “Where men are men and rivers run gold;” January 31, Vol. XIX, No. 26 (2 copies). | 1924 January 31 |
| OSF/1 | Map: Dobson placer mine | undated |
| OSF/2 | Reconnaissance map of Seward Peninsula, Alaska | undated |
| OSF/3 | Alaska Steamship Company’s map of Alaska | undated |
| 12/1-18 | Newspaper clippings | 1907-1924 |
| 13/1-4 | Postcards: 3 of London, England, 1 of Oregon-Washington interstate bridge over the Columbia River | undated |