Guide to the James and Marie McDowell papers
1946-1974
Collection number: HMC-0361.
Creators:
McDowell, James A.
McDowell, Marie.
Title: James and Marie McDowell papers.
Dates: 1946-1974.
Volume of collection: 10.1 cubic feet and 6.49 GB.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Primarily the records of the Cook Inlet Courier.
Biographical note:
James (Jim) and Marie McDowell moved to Alaska with their infant son Bruce in 1945. They established the Moose Horn Trading Post in Chugiak, which they ran for 15 years. They also founded their first newspaper, The Knik Arm Courier. In 1958, the McDowells moved to Homer and started The Cook Inlet Courier. In addition to reporting various events from the Kenai Peninsula, the Courier documented damage in Homer from the 1964 earthquake. Bruce McDowell died in 1962. Eventually, Jim and Marie moved to Kenai while still printing the paper. Jim joined or supported the volunteer fire departments wherever they lived. Marie started the first post office in Chugiak and was post master for several years. She was very active in the building and support of schools and libraries in their communities. She served on the state Board of Education from 1971-1972. Marie died of cancer in 1973. The Cook Inlet Courier halted publication shortly thereafter.
Collection description:
This collection contains the records of The Cook Inlet Courier newspaper, including the financial and subscription records, layout materials, subject files, letters to the editor, and at least a portion of the newspaper’s photograph and negative morgue. It also contains correspondence, meeting minutes, and research files from the McDowells’ civic activities with groups like the Kenai Peninsula Public Utility District #1 board, the Homer Chamber of Commerce, and the Wildwood Boarding School. A small portion of materials relate to the McDowells’ property interests in Chugiak including the Moose Horn Trading Post. The collections also holds a small amount of the McDowells’ personal correspondence and photographs.
Arrangement: This collection is arranged in three series based on record type: personal papers and business records, photographs, and negatives.
Digitized copies: Select negatives have been digitized due to film deterioration. 68 images have been digitized and made available on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Use restrictions: Copyright to materials in the collection is not held by Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred citation: James and Marie McDowell papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
“Marie McDowell Dies.” The Cook Inlet Courier. 1973 July 12.
“Cook Inlet Editor Dies After Illness.” Anchorage Daily Times. 1973 July 12.
Separated materials: Publications were removed; newspapers were sent to the Alaska State Library for potential addition to Alaska’s Digital Newspaper Program. Ephemeral items were separated to EPH-0539, EPH-0544, EPH-0545, EPH-0546, and EPH-0547. Tourism brochures were added to EPH-0402. Three postcards were added to EPH-0087. Records created by the Wildwood Boarding School were separated to EPH-0550.
Related materials: Select issues of The Cook Inlet Courier are available on microfilm at the Anchorage Public Library, the UAA/APU Consortium Library, the Kenai Community Library, and the Alaska State Library.
Acquisition note: The collection was given to the Archives in 1983 by James McDowell.
Processing information: The preliminary collection description was written by Arlene Schmuland in 2011. Additional processing and container list was completed by Becky Butler in 2023. Rusting metal fasteners, duplicate materials, and publications were removed. Damaged folders and binders were photocopied and removed. Photographs were removed from layout paper and rehoused. The corresponding layout papers immediately follow each sheet of photographs. Select negatives were digitized and removed due to vinegar syndrome. Thermal papers were photocopied; copies immediately follow each paper and use copies are available on the server. A plaque was photographed and removed from the collection.
Container list:
Series 1: Personal papers and business records; undated, 1945-1974. 4.05 cubic feet. This series contains the records and letters to the editor of The Cook Inlet Courier as well as correspondence, meeting minutes, and research files from the McDowells’ civic activities. Folder titles are provided by the creator unless in brackets. Loose items were roughly grouped by topic and foldered.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Marine transportation, ports, and terminals, etc. | 1964-1965 |
| 1/2 | Borough, local affairs (Homer, Ninilchik) | 1962-1963 |
| 1/3 | Spit damage [only partially accurate title] | 1960-1966 |
| 1/4 | [Kenai Peninsula public utility district records 1] | 1960-1962 |
| 1/5 | [Kenai Peninsula public utility district records 2] | 1960-1961 |
| 1/6 | [Kenai Peninsula public utility district records 3] | 1960-1964 |
| 1/7 | [Kenai Peninsula public utility district records 4] | 1956-1964 |
| 1/8 | Natural resources, wilderness area, forests, parks, etc. | 1960-1965 |
| 1/9 | [Homer Chamber of Commerce tourism committee records] | 1961-1964 |
| 1/10 | [Russians in Alaska clippings] | undated, 1961-1965 |
| 1/11 | [Juvenile delinquency] | undated, 1961-1966 |
| 1/12 | [Highway and roads] | undated, 1960-1964 |
| 1/13 | Kenai [Peninsula promotion] | undated, 1965 |
| 1/14 | [Kachemak Bay Citizens] Band Radio [Club] | 1965-1966 |
| 1/15 | R. Rivers – correspondence | 1964-1965 |
| 1/16 | Valley Cooperator [and Co-Op Newsletter] | 1959 December – 1960 December |
| 1/17 | [Print job mockups and drafts] | undated, 1960-1967 |
| 1/18 | Public works appropriations / Alaskan projects | 1960-1962 |
| 1/19 | Howard W. Pollack [Alaska Drilling Associates letter] | 1961 February 7 |
| 1/20 | Natural resources / Div. lands / Proposed regulations – revised | undated |
| 1/21 | Mining | 1963 March 31 |
| 1/22 | Legal [and financial records] – Inlet Courier | 1964-1966 |
| 1/23 | Cook Inlet Commercial | 1963-1965 |
| 1/24 | School [opening and commencement records] | 1966-1970 |
| 1/25 | [Cook Inlet Courier] legals | 1967, 1969 |
| 1/26 | Appraisal report Chugiak, Alaska | 1963 |
| 1/27 | [Realty office correspondence] | 1964 |
| 1/28 | Letters to editor 1973 | 1973 |
| 1/29 | [Letters to the editor] | 1973 |
| 1/30 | [Cook Inlet Courier] subscription orders | 1967-1968 |
| 1/31 | [Cook Inlet Courier] subscription orders | 1969 |
| 1/32 | [Cook Inlet Courier] subscription orders | 1970 |
| 1/33 | [Cook Inlet Courier] subscription orders | 1971-1972 |
| 1/34 | Coronet Commercial order | undated, 1969 |
| 1/35 | Moose Horn | 1949-1966 |
| 1/36 | Circulation list – Cook Inlet Courier | undated |
| 1/37 | [Cook Inlet Courier subscriptions ledger] | 1967-1971 |
| 1/38 | R file | undated, circa 1960-1964 |
| 1/39 | Redevelopment committee, western Kenai Peninsula (functions as O.E.D.P.) | 1961-1964 |
| 1/40 | Schools | 1960-1964 |
| 2/1 | Salty Dawg Saloon | undated |
| 2/2 | S file | undated, 1966 |
| 2/3 | Seldovia news, Elsa Pederson 1964 | 1964-1966 |
| 2/4 | Seldovia news, Elsa Pederson 1963 | 1963 |
| 2/5 | Seldovia news, Elsa Pederson 1962 | 1962 |
| 2/6 | State progress reports | 1962-1967 |
| 2/7 | State election code | 1960 |
| 2/8 | [State legislation] | 1964 |
| 2/9 | Jack Dunham’s newspaper | 1964 |
| 2/10 | [The Kenai Peninsula: Alaska’s Scenic Wonderland pamphlet] | undated |
| 2/11 | [Seward entry records in the All-American City Award Contest] | 1963-1964 |
| 2/12 | Soda Sam | undated, 1963 |
| 2/13 | State, of Alaska (Advertising) | 1962-1967 |
| 2/14 | Vern Mutch Drugs | undated, 1965 |
| 2/15 | W & W and Wythe & Son | undated, 1962 |
| 2/16 | Waterfront Bar & Café | circa 1963 |
| 2/17 | Water | 1959-1963 |
| 2/18 | W.K.F.L. Fount of Alaska | undated |
| 2/19 | Tustumena | 1961-1965 |
| 2/20 | Turnagain Arm Causeway | 1962 January 12 |
| 2/21 | Treaty (Russia-United States) Mandatory, Inc. | undated |
| 2/22 | Trans Alaska Telephone | 1961-1967 |
| 2/23 | Thompson Real Estate | undated, 1960-1961 |
| 2/24 | Pomeroy, Harold E. | undated, 1963-1966 |
| 2/25 | T file | undated, 1966 |
| 2/26 | [Local Affairs Agency records] | 1961-1963 |
| 2/27 | Map of Homer area 1964 | circa 1962-1964 |
| 2/28 | [Copy of Harold E. Pomery’s petition for borough chairman] | 1963 |
| 2/29 | [Government property sale advertisement] | 1964 |
| 2/30 | Subscriptions inserts | undated |
| 2/31 | [Homer Chamber of Commerce records] | 1964-1965 |
| 2/32 | [Wildwood Boarding Program records] | circa 1972-1973 |
| 2/33 | [Cook Inlet Courier advertising pamphlet] | 1974 |
| 2/34 | [Coal Point Development, Inc. records] | 1965-1967 |
| 2/35 | [Eagle River Borough records] | circa 1973 |
| 2/36 | [“Today’s Logic” articles by James W. Phelps] | 1975 April-May |
| 2/37 | [CIRI board member applications] | 1974 |
| 2/38 | [State Board of Education records | 1971-1973 |
| 2/39 | [Alaska Democratic Party records] | 1961-1972 |
| 2/40 | Telenews [scripts] | 1971 |
| 2/41 | [Personal correspondence] | 1945-1969 |
| 2/42 | [Cook Inlet Courier advertising records] | undated, 1969 |
| 2/43 | Donnis Thompson Boro Briefs | 1973 |
| 2/44 | [Arctic Winter Games records] | 1974 |
| 2/45 | [News releases] | 1967 |
| 2/46 | HEA Job Estimates – News | 1960-1968 |
| 2/47 | HEA – Annual Meeting | undated, 1962-1966 |
| 2/48 | Homer, promotion | undated, 1954-1965 |
| 2/49 | Homer, Incorporation 1964 (Boundary) | 1965-1967 |
| 3/1 | Homer Society of Natural History | 1963-1966 |
| 3/2 | Homer public dock tariff | 1960-1963 |
| 3/3 | Homer Winter Carnival Assoc. | 1960-1967 |
| 3/4 | I.B.M. | 1963-1966 |
| 3/5 | Hunting & Fishing Guide | 1960-1961 |
| 3/6 | “Jim” | undated, 1960-1966 |
| 3/7 | Kachemak City | 1963-1965 |
| 3/8 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 1963, ‘64 | 1963-1966 |
| 3/9 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 1962 | 1962 |
| 3/10 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 1961 | 1961 |
| 3/11 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 1960 | 1960 |
| 3/12 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 1959 | 1959 |
| 3/13 | Kenai Peninsula P.U.D. #1 (old) | 1957-1961 |
| 3/14 | Kenai Peninsula | undated |
| 3/15 | Wendall Kay | 1966 |
| 3/16 | Lands, Division of (Hearings, Sales, etc.) | 1960-1962 |
| 3/17 | Petrolane | 1966 |
| 3/18 | Pacific Northern Airlines | undated, 1961-1966 |
| 3/19 | Poems | undated, 1955-1962 |
| 3/20 | [Cook Inlet Courier correspondence] | 1973 |
| 3/21 | [Letters to the editor] | undated |
| 3/22 | A.R.A. | 1961 |
| 3/23 | State of Alaska | 1960-1965 |
| 3/24 | Fishery – Fish & Wildlife | 1960-1965 |
| 3/25 | Cook Inlet and tributaries report | 1963-1967 |
| 3/26 | [Homer volunteer fire department] | 1959-1961 |
| 3/27 | 1 Class City | 1961-1964 |
| 3/28 | State of Alaska, Boundary Commission | 1959-1964 |
| 3/29 | B. Bartlett – correspondence | 1960-1967 |
| 3/30 | Too large photos – Promotion – Ships | undated, 1965-1967 |
| 3/31 | Homer, Chamber of Commerce | 1959-1969 |
| 3/32 | Homer Centennial Committee | 1964, 1966 |
| 3/33 | Homer, Incorporation of | undated, 1961-1962 |
| 3/34 | Homer Women’s Club brochure | undated, 1965 |
| 3/35 | Bradley Lake | 1961-1963 |
| 3/36 | Capitol Move | circa 1960-1962 |
| 3/37 | Ferry, Homer-Kodiak | 1962-1964 |
| 3/38 | Fisheries | 1960-1965 |
| 3/39 | Gruening, Ernest U.S. Senate | 1960, 1962 |
| 3/40 | Highways, Dept. of (Roads – Sterling paving corresp.) | undated, 1959-1964 |
| 3/41 | Chamber – Planning | 1956-1964 |
| 3/42 | Homer Fair Association | 1959-1965 |
| 3/43 | Homer Cleaners & Laundry | undated |
| 3/44 | Homer Little Theatre | undated |
| 3/45 | Homer Hospital | 1959-1966 |
| 3/46 | Homer, Alaska | undated, 1960-1964 |
| 3/47 | Letters to the editor | 1959 |
| 3/48 | Letters to the editor | 1960 |
| 3/49 | Cook-Inlet and tributaries report [2] | 1963-1964 |
| 3/50 | Borough | undated, 1967 |
| 4/1 | Letters to the editor 1961 | 1961, 1964 |
| 4/2 | Letters to the editor 1962 | 1962 |
| 4/3 | Letters to the editor 1963 | 1963 |
| 4/4 | Letters to the editor 1964 | 1961-1964 |
| 4/5 | [Letters to the editor 1967-1968] | 1967-1968 |
| 4/6 | [Cook Inlet Courier correspondence] | 1967-1968 |
| 4/7 | Letters to the editor | 1972 |
| 4/8 | [Letters to the editor 1969-1970] | 1969-1970 |
| 4/9 | [Letters to the editor 1971-1972] | 1971-1972 |
| 4/10 | Fish and Game, Dept. of | 1963-1964 |
| 4/11 | Post cards | 1964-1967 |
| 4/12 | [Swopping News] | 1954 |
| 4/13 | [“Alaska’s Frontier Riviera” pamphlet] | undated |
| 4/14 | Boats – Aerocraft, marine projects | 1965-1967 |
| 4/15 | Bohme, John | 1960 February 19 |
| 4/16 | Bradley Lake [2] | 1959-1962 |
| 4/17 | Coal Point Develop. | 1965-1967 |
| 4/18 | Earthquake – Marine | 1964 |
| 4/19 | Homer, Chamber of Commerce | 1960-1965 |
| 4/20 | Borough, Kenai | 1961-1968 |
| 4/21 | [Seldovia education negatives and records] | circa 1970 |
| 4/22 | Fire reports | 1954-1957 |
| 4/23 | Roads (State) 1961 | circa 1961-1962 |
| 4/24 | [Membership cards and coupons] | circa 1953-1962 |
| 4/25 | Aviation – State Division | 1957-1961 |
| 4/26 | Mining World correspondence | 1959-1962 |
| 4/27 | [Annotated copy of “Alaska’s Promise of Oil”] | 1961 |
| 4/28 | Communications – ACS, Trans-Alaska | 1959-1961 |
| 4/29 | Oil industry | 1961-1962 |
| 4/30 | Engineers | 1958-1962 |
| 4/31 | [Lumber industry] | 1962 |
| 4/32 | Fishing 1963-64 | 1962-1963 |
| 4/33 | Juvenile problems | 1958, 1962 |
| 4/34 | Area redevelopment | 1961-1963 |
| 4/35 | Banks, banking | 1959-1961 |
| 4/36 | [Letters to the editor and correspondence 1] | 1965-1968 |
| 4/37 | [Letters to the editor and correspondence 2] | 1964-1966 |
| 4/38 | Homer papers 51-53-55 | 1944-1964 |
| 4/39 | Chugiak Volunteer Fire Co. News | 1954, 1957 |
| 4/40 | [Financial records] | 1974 |
| 4/41 | [Kenai National Moose Range news release] | 1973 |
| 4/42 | [Photocopy of 1883 letter] | undated |
| OSF 1 | Annotated edition of Cook Inlet Courier | 1971 September 16 |
| OSF 1 | Annotated map of Kodiak Island | undated |
| OSF 1 | Maps of Homer, Kachemak Bay, and Wildwood students’ home villages | undated |
Series 2: Photographs; undated, 1946-1974. 4.3 cubic feet and 3.73 GB.
This series contains personal photographs of the McDowells’ first year in Alaska as well as the photograph morgue for The Cook Inlet Courier. For items listed as in the freezer, use copies are available from the server. Folders titled by date were generally on newspaper layout paper. Photographs were removed from layout paper and rehoused. The corresponding layout papers immediately follow each sheet of photographs. The dates appear to correspond with the day the photographs were printed in the newspaper, not the day they were taken.
| 5/1, freezer | Personal photographs | 1946 |
| 5/2 | Photograph category list | undated |
| 5/3 | Collier Chemical | 1969 |
| 5/4 | Bob Palmer – Firemen – U of A | undated, 1968 |
| 5/5 | Cook Inlet Courier city section | 1970-1971 |
| 5/6 | Fire department (volunteer) Kenai and Homer | 1968-1969 |
| 5/7 | Kenai police department | undated |
| 5/8 | Fire – Echo Lake | 1969 May-August |
| 5/9 | Fire – Firefighters | undated, 1969 |
| 5/10 | Fire – No. Road | 1970 |
| 5/11 | Fire – Russian River | 1969 |
| 5/12 | Fire – Swanson River, Army | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/13 | Fire – Swanson River (cats working on fire line) | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/14 | Fire – Swanson River (compressor plant & airstrip) | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/15 | Fire – Swanson River (key fire picture) | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/16 | Fire – Swanson River (helicopters) | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/17 | Fire – Swanson River (miscellaneous) | circa 1969-1970 |
| 5/18 | Homer & harbor | undated, 1969 |
| 5/19 | Halibut Cove | undated, 1969 |
| 5/20 | Petrolane fire | circa 1969 |
| 5/21 | People | undated, 1963-1969 |
| 5/22 | Kenai & Homer people and places | circa 1969-1972 |
| 5/23 | Alaskan Arctic Gas Pipeline Company | undated |
| 5/24 | Alaska Steamship Company staff | undated |
| 5/25 | Anchor River flood | undated |
| 5/26 | Gull Island tour | undated |
| 5/27 | Homer Spit before 1964 earthquake | undated |
| 5/28 | McMorrow family | undated |
| 5/29 | Moose Horn Trading Post | undated |
| 5/30 | Porpoise Room | undated |
| 5/31 | Seldovia | undated |
| 5/32 | Tsaro refinery | undated |
| 5/33 | Will Thompson | undated |
| 5/34 | Peninsula Builders Supply | 1958 June |
| 5/35 | Homer & Kenai people and events | 1958-1972 |
| 5/36 | Homer citizens | circa 1960-1969 |
| 5/37 | Kenai Peninsula people and events | circa 1961-1972 |
| 5/38 | “Build Bradley Lake Now” | 1961 |
| 5/39 | Alaska locations | undated, 1962-1972 |
| 5/40 | Homer & Seldovia people | undated, 1963-1972 |
| 5/41 | Earthquake damage | 1964 March 27 |
| 5/42 | Seward & Valdez aerial | circa 1964-1965 |
| 5/43 | McDowell family | circa 1965-1969 |
| 5/44 | Pacific Northern Airlines | circa 1965-1967 |
| 5/45 | Kenai events | circa 1965-1968 |
| 5/46 | Ferry highway trip | 1965 |
| 5/47 | Homer water system | circa 1966 |
| 5/48 | Politicians | circa 1966 |
| 5/49 | Homer city council members | 1966 |
| 5/50 | Homer hovercraft | circa 1966-1967 |
| 5/51 | Homer water ski races | 1967 |
| 5/52 | Clem Tillion | circa 1968 |
| 5/53 | Cheerleaders | undated, 1968-1969 |
| 5/54 | Natural gas plant | 1969 |
| 5/55 | Tesoro refinery | 1970 |
| 5/56 | Wildwood | 1971 |
| 5/57 | Fashion | circa 1971 |
| 5/58 | Exxon subsea production system | 1974 |
| 5/59 | St. Herman’s Pastoral School | 1974 |
| 5/60 | Tundra times banquet | 1974 |
| 5/61 | Russian Orthodox and English Bay | undated |
| 5/62 | Forget Me Not Studio | undated |
| 5/63 | Unsorted 1 | undated, circa 1968 |
| 5/64 | Unsorted 2 | undated |
| 5/65 | Unsorted 3 | undated, circa 1968 |
| 5/66 | Unsorted 4 | undated |
| 5/67 | Unsorted 5 | undated |
| 5/68 | January 7th | undated |
| 5/69 | February 17th | undated |
| 5/70 | July 15th | undated |
| 5/71 | July 30th | undated |
| 5/72 | August 6th | undated |
| 5/73 | August 17th | undated |
| 5/74 | October 15th | undated |
| 5/75 | October 17th | undated |
| 5/76 | November 26th | undated |
| 5/77 | December 24th | undated |
| 5/78,
OSF 1 |
January 20, 1967 Pt. Graham | 1967 January 20 |
| 5/79-97, OSF 1 | August 29, 1968-February 20, 1969 | circa 1964-1969 |
| 6/1-67, OSF 1 | February 27, 1969-June 11, 1970 | 1969-1970 |
| 7/1-84, OSF 1 | June 18, 1970-March 30, 1972 | 1970-1972 |
| 8/1-73,
OSF 1 |
April 6, 1972-August 2, 1973 | 1972-1973 |
| 9/1-41 | August 9, 1973-July 4, 1974 | 1973-1974 |
| OSF 1 | Oversize photographs and album pages | undated |
Series 3: Negatives; undated, 1970-1974. 1.75 cubic feet and 2.75 GB.
This series contains negatives and contact sheets of events, people, and locations featured in the Cook Inlet Courier. Dates on folders and contact sheets appear to be from the day negatives were taken, not the day of publication. Select negatives have been digitized and removed due to deterioration; please request use copies from the server.
| 9/42-49 | Unlabeled negatives 1-8 | undated |
| 9/50 | North Road – original copy | undated |
| 9/51-66 | Unlabeled negatives 9-24 | circa 1970-1973 |
| 10/1-4 | 1970 May-August | 1970 May-August |
| 10/5 | 1970 September 3 | 1970 September 3 |
| 10/6 | 1970 December | 1970 December |
| 10/7-9 | 1971 January-March | 1971 January-March |
| 10/10-12 | 1971 May-July | 1971 May-July |
| 10/13-14 | 1971 September-October | 1971 September-October |
| 10/15 | 1971 December | 1971 December |
| 10/16-27 | 1972 January-December | 1972 January-December |
| 10/28-39 | 1973 January-December | 1973 January-December |
| 10/40-46 | 1974 January-July | 1974 January-July |