Guide to the Stoll family papers
1915-1987
Collection number: HMC-0236.
Creators:
Stoll, W. C. (Walter Clericus), 1915-1978.
Stoll, Walter W., d. 1949.
Stoll, William M., 1926-1996.
Title: Stoll family papers.
Dates: 1915-1987.
Volume of collection: 7.85 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English and Spanish.
Collection summary: Papers and photographs of a family that ran Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Company and Independence Mine.
Biographical note:
William M. Stoll (1926-1996) and Walter Clericus Stoll (1915-1978) were the sons of Walter W. Stoll, who was general manager of Alaska Pacific Mines from 1936-1943. The business later became Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Company (APCMCo.), which operated Independence Mine, one of the largest hard rock gold mines in south-central Alaska. Walter W. Stoll served as vice president of the company from 1943 until his death in 1949.
William “Bill” M. Stoll was a mining engineer who received degrees in mining and metallurgical engineering at the University of Washington and Stanford University. He worked for his father at APCMCo. in the late 1930s and early 1940s, after which he did fieldwork with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on ore deposits. Bill returned to APCMCo. in 1946, became manager of Independence Mine until its close in 1951, and later served as APCMCo.’s director and president. In later years, he was involved with the tungsten carbide producer Kennametal, Inc. Bill Stoll was also the author of Hunting for Gold in Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountains, 1897-1951 (1997). He was married to Josette Ames Stoll and had two children, Laura and Paul.
Walter Clericus Stoll received B.S. in Mining Engineering from the University of Washington in 1939. After receiving his degree, Walter worked for the USGS, studying mineral and metal deposits in Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico. Beginning in the early 1950s, he became a mining consultant for numerous mining ventures in Spain and South America. In 1969, he formed his own company, Gold Resources, Inc., which focused on developing gold mining properties in Canada. Walter was known to his family as “Bobe.”
Collection description:
This collection contains papers, maps, and photographs relating to mining in Alaska and abroad that were created and collected by brothers William M. and Walter Clericus Stoll. The collection is divided into three parts. The first part contains the papers of William M. Stoll and mostly consists of reports, correspondence, notes, financial records, and maps relating to the business of the Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Co. from 1937-1978, including records relating to the operation of Independence Mine from 1922-1987. These include materials originally created by Walter W. Stoll that were passed down to William after his father’s death and also materials relating to William’s involvement with Kennamental, Inc. William’s papers also include reports on the operations of other mines in the Willow Creek Mining District from 1936-1960, as well as on mining ventures elsewhere in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Canada between 1920-1972. The second part contains the papers of Walter Clericus Stoll and include his undergraduate thesis on Independence Mine and photographs and maps of the mine; records relating to his work with the United States Geological Survey from 1944-1950; records of his mining consulting work in Spain from 1955-1972 and South America from circa 1950-1962; and business and mining records from his involvement with Gold Resources, Inc.’s mining ventures in Canada from 1969-1972. The third part contains photographs taken by the Stoll family that depict the buildings, operations, and employees of Independence Mine between 1936-1965, as well as the Stoll family’s life on the grounds of the mine from 1936-1950.
Arrangement: The collection is divided into the following parts and series:
Part 1. William M. Stoll papers; 1915-1987
Series 1: Independence Mine records; 1922-1987
Series 2: Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Company business records; 1937-1978
Series 3: Willow Creek Mining District mine records; 1938-1960
Series 4: Other mine records; 1920-1972
Part 2. William Clericus Stoll papers; 1939-1976
Part 3. Stoll family photographs; 1936-1965
Digitized copies: Some photographs from the collection have been digitized and are available on the Alaska’s Digital Archives site. For information about obtaining copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives and Special Collections owns copyright to most of the material in the collection that was created by the Stoll family.
Preferred citation: Stoll family papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Walter H. Kirklin Northern Commercial Company handbook, HMC-1069.
Related materials: Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Co. Independence Mine records, HMC-0023.
Custodial history: The Walter Clericus Stoll papers (Part II) were originally donated by William M. and Josette A. Stoll to the Western History Research Center (now the American Heritage Center) at the University of Wyoming between 1978-1985. A formal deed of gift for the collection was signed by the Stolls in 1991. In 2007, the American Heritage Center transferred these materials to Archives and Special Collections.
Acquisition note: Material in Part I and Part III were donated to Archives and Special Collections by William M. and Josette A. Stoll in 1983, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Materials in Part II were transferred to Archives and Special Collections from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming in 2007.
Processing information: Parts I and III of this collection were formerly described as the “William and Josette Stoll collection” by Jeffrey Sinnott. Megan K. Friedel described Part II, re-titled and re-organized the collection, and updated the guide in 2010.
Container list:
Part I. William M. Stoll papers; 1915-1987. 2.35 cubic feet
Part 1. Series 1: Independence Mine records; 1922-1987. 1 cubic foot.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Camp Mine mill inventories | 1951-1958 |
| 1/2 | Correspondence relating to 1977 sale of company | 1977 |
| 1/3 | Correspondence regarding claims held by P. Sills | 1978-1979 |
| 1/4, Map folders 1-2, Map tubes 1-2 | Maps of Independence Mine | 1915-1976 |
| 1/5 – 1/6 | Newspaper clippings and notes on the history of Independence Mine | 1982-1987 |
| 1/7 | Production notes | 1949 |
| 1/8 | Production records | 1938 |
| 1/9 | Reports and summaries | 1949-1951 |
| 1/10 | Reports on Independence Gold Properties | 1974-1976 |
| 1/11 | Report on ore dressing by American Cyanomide Company | 1939 |
| 1/12 | Reports to stockholders and directors on mine production | 1940-1949 |
Part 1. Series 2: Alaska-Pacific Consolidated Mining Company business records; 1937-1978. 0.5 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/13 | Affidavits of labor | 1974-1978 |
| 1/14 | Annual reports | 1937-1974 |
| 1/15 | Annual reports of U.S. and Canadian mining companies | 1950-1951 |
| 1/16-18 | Correspondence, general business | 1951-1954, 1970-1975 |
| 1/19 | Correspondence with Oscar E. Johnson | 1951-1952 |
| 1/20 | Correspondence with Harry Rice | 1951-1952 |
| 1/21 | Correspondence with stockholders and directors | 1971-1972 |
| 1/22 | Correspondence regarding lease and sale | 1975-1977 |
| 1/23 | Correspondence regarding receivership | 1977 |
| 1/24 | Correspondence regarding stock holdings and transactions | 1952 |
| 1/25 | Examples of mining agreements | 1949-1978 |
| 1/26 | L-208 leases | circa 1943 |
| 1/27 | Lease agreement draft on Fern property | 1947-1958 |
| 1/28 | List of maps and plans | circa 1949 |
| 1/29 | Loan subscriptions | 1949 |
| 1/30 | Meeting minutes | 1972-1973 |
| 1/31 | Memos to directors | 1972-1973 |
| 1/32 | Mining share certificates | 1939-1974 |
| 1/33 | Operations summary | 1936-1972 |
| 1/34 | Property summary | 1974 |
| 1/35 | Alaska Free Gold Mining Co. – General business records | 1936-1978 |
| 1/36 | Alaska Free Gold Mining Co. – Correspondence with shareholders | 1939-1945 |
| 1/37 | Alaska Willow Creek Gold Mines, Inc. records | 1940-1946 |
| 1/38 | Buffalo Coal Mining Co. records | 1947-1959 |
| 1/39 | Talkeetna Mines, Inc./Peters Creek Mining Co. records | 1948-1956 |
Part 1. Series 3: Willow Creek Mining District mine records; 1938-1960. 0.25 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/40 | Willow Creek Mining District field notes | 1946 |
| 1/41 | Archangel Creek claims map | undated |
| 1/42 | Gold Cord Mine inventory | 1938 |
| 1/43 | Gold Top-Gray Eagle mine maps, photographs, and reports | 1938-1940 |
| 1/44 | Mabelle Mine reports and notes | 1939-1941 |
| 1/45 | Sidney Ridge Property correspondence, maps, photographs, and reports | 1949-1960 |
| 1/46-47 | Webfoot Mine reports and photographs | 1946-1948 |
Part 1. Series 4: Other mine records; 1920-1972. 0.6 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/48-59 | Other Alaska mine reports, correspondence, and notes. Includes Alaska Placer Company tin placer property on Cape Creek; buffalo coal deposits at Moose Creek District in the Matanuska Coal Field; Cliff Mine at Valdez; Cooper King claims at Bar Harbor on Price of Wales Island; Gilpatrick Mine Ltd. on the Kenai Peninsula; Golden Zone Mine; Groundhog Basin deposit in the Wrangell District; Portage Bay mine; Red Devil and adjoining mines in the Kuskokwim Valley; Kodiak Island tungsten deposits; mines on the Seward Peninsula; and placer copper near the headwaters of the White River. | 1920-1970 |
| 2/1-7 | California mine reports, maps, and negatives. Includes Potosi mining district in Redding and the Dillon Creek Mine and Quartz Hill Gold Mine near Yreka. | 1937-1958 |
| 2/8-10 | Idaho mine reports, notes, photographs, and negatives. Includes Black Bear claim near Wallace; Gambrinus property in Boise County; Gold Hill Mining & Milling Co. operations; North Hill Mine near Golden; Orogrande Frisco Gold Mine in Orogrande; Pine Creek District; and Whitedelf property near Clark Fork. | 1946-1972 |
| 2/11 | Montana mine reports. Includes Miller Mountain Mine near Drummond, Cable Mine, Black Pine Pine near Philipsburg, and Jo Dandy claims near Radersburg. | 1944-1955 |
| 2/12-13 | Nevada mine reports and maps. Includes scheelite mine and ore deposits near Rawhide in Mineral County and Wonder Mine and Silver Summit Mine in Churchill County. | 1947-1968 |
| 2/14-16 | Oregon mine reports and notes. Includes Glass Butte Mine in Lake County; buffalo and tillicum mining claims near Granite; and War Eagle Mine on the Rogue River. | 1951-1958 |
| 2/17 | Texas City, Texas tin smelter newspaper clipping | undated |
| 2/18 | Washington mine reports, notes, and correspondence. | 1956 |
| 2/19-25 | British Columbia, Canada mine reports and photographs. Includes information on Benroy Gold Mines Ltd.; Slocan mining area; leadqueen and steel properties in Brisco; Salmo lead, zinc, and tungsten area; Punchi Lake and Takla Lake quicksilver deposits; Kennametal, Inc. correspondence regarding Atlin Placers, Ltd.; and other mines. | 1947-1956 |
| 2/26-28 | Winnipeg, Canada mine reports and correspondence. Includes New Lake Youngs Mine in Renton, Webster claims in King Co., and Dean claims in Lewis Co. | 1947 |
| 2/29 | Yukon Territory mine report – Yukeno Mine Limited, Mayo Mining District | circa 1950 |
Part 2. Walter Clericus Stoll papers; 1939-1976. 5.25 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 2/36 | “The Independence Mine, Willow Creek District, Alaska,” by Walter Clericus Stoll. Thesis submitted for the degree of B.S. in Mining Engineering to the University of Washington. | 1939 |
| 2/37 | Photographs removed from “The Independence Mine, Willow Creek District, Alaska,” by Walter Clericus Stoll | circa 1939 |
| Map tubes 3-4 | Independence Mine and Willow Creek Mining District maps | circa 1949 |
| 2/38 | Report on “Relations of structure to mineral deposition at the Independence Mine, Alaska,” by Walter Clericus Stoll, Geological Survey Bulletin 933-C | 1944 |
| 2/39-42 | Reports, notes, photographs, and publications relating to United States Geological Survey studies of minerals and metals in Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and New Mexico | 1944-1950 |
| 3/1-28 | Reports, notes, and correspondence regarding mining ventures in Spain | 1955-1972 |
| Map folder 3 | Maps of Spain. Includes mining maps and topographical “Cartografia Militar de España” maps. | circa 1955-1965 |
| 3/29-4/10 | Reports, notes, and correspondence regarding mining ventures in Argentina, Chile, Columbia, and Peru | 1937-1962 |
| 4/11-29 | Reports, notes, and correspondence regarding mining ventures in Canada, including Gold Resources, Inc. mining reports | 1944-1972 |
| 4/30-31 | Annotated maps to accompany report on gold deposits of the greater Porcupine area, Porcupine and Larder Lake Mining Divisions, Ontario | undated |
| 4/32-33 | Annotated maps to accompany report on Kirkland Lake-Larder Lake gold areas, Tyrell-Knight, Makwa-Churchill areas and miscellaneous property reports, Northeastern Ontario | undated |
| 4/34 | Papers relating to establishment of Gold Resources, Inc. | 1969 |
| 4/35 | Letters to Walter W. Stoll from Argentina | 1946 |
| 4/36 | Program from the 3rd General Assembly and International Congress of the International Union of Crystallography | July 1954 |
| 4/37 | Geo-political report on Yemen sent to Stoll by Gerauld Milton Lewis, Prince of Zuqur | 1975 |
| 4/38 | Other published reports and reviews by Walter C. Stoll | 1944-1965 |
| 4/39 | Inventory of Walter C. Stoll’s files after his death | 1976 |
| Boxes 5-6 | Three framed watercolor paintings by Walter C. Stoll | 1974-1975 |
Part 3. Stoll Family photographs; 1936-1965. 0.25 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 2/30-31 | Independence Mine photographs | 1936-1965 |
| 2/32 | Photographs of the Stoll family, including Walter W. Stoll, Walter Clericus Stoll, William M. Stoll, and Josette A. Stoll. Most of the photos were taken at Independence Mine. | 1936-1950 |
| 2/33 | Palmer, Alaska | circa 1940 |
| 2/34-35 | Negatives | 1936-1965 |