Arthur O. Trosvik papers

Guide to the Arthur O. Trosvik papers
1941-1945

Collection number: HMC-0503.
Creator: Trosvik, Arthur O.
Title: Arthur O. Trosvik papers.
Dates: 1941-1945.
Volume of collection: 0.4 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Documents of an Army Signal Corps and ACS member in Alaska during World War II.

Biographical note:
Arthur O. Trosvik, from Rothsay, Minnesota, served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. He received his initial military training at the Signal Corp Replacement Training Center at Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey. Trosvik served with the Alaska Communication System in Alaska in 1944 to 1945. Among the places in Alaska where he served were Nome, Adak, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and various locations along the Alaska Railroad.

Collection description:
The collection consists of papers and photographs of Arthur O. Trosvik concerning his military service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. The papers consist of correspondence to Trosvik from friends and relatives during his training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and in Seattle, Washington; a letter from Trosvik to his mother; items from the period of his training at the Signal Corps Replacement Center at Fort Monmouth, in 1942; items from the period of his service in Alaska, in 1944 to 1945; military service medals, ribbons, and pins; and photographs. The photographs from Alaska include views of the Alaska Railroad, Seward, Moose Pass, Portage Glacier, Girdwood, Cook Inlet, Eklutna, Palmer and the Matanuska Colony, McKinley National Park, Nenana, Fairbanks, Circle Hot Springs, and Circle City. Many of the photographs concern signal corps crews erecting telephone poles and stringing wires along the Alaska Railroad.

Arrangement: Collection materials are in series by type:
Series 1: Correspondence; 1942, 1945
Series 2: Army documents; undated, 1942-1945
Series 3: Artifacts; undated, 1943
Series 4: Photographs; undated, 1941-1942

Digitized copies: Nine images 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: Documents created by the U. S. Army are in the public domain. All other materials may be subject to copyright which is not held by the Archives.

Preferred citation: Arthur O. Trosvik papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Separated materials: Publications were moved to the Rare Books collection.

Acquisition note: The collection was purchased at internet auction by the Archives in 2001.

Processing information: This collection was described by arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2001. The guide was updated to meet current standard by Arlene Schmuland in 2017. At that time published materials and duplicates were removed from the collection.

Container list:
Series 1: Correspondence; 1942, 1945. 0.1 cubic feet.
Correspondence is alphabetically by correspondent’s name, thereunder chronologically by date.

Box/
Folder
Item Description Dates
1/1 1 Letter, Arthur M. Amundson: Company H, 2nd Quartermaster Training Regiment, Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming 1942
1/1 2-3 Letters, Ole Amundson: Rothsay, Minnesota 1942
1/1 4-7 Letters, Lorene E. Christopherson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota 1942
1/1 5-9 Letters and Easter card, Arnold E. Haarstad: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota 1942
1/1 10 Letter, Raymond B. Haarstad: Neosho, Missouri 1942
1/1 11 Letter, Seolin A. Haarstad: Battery D 423, Coast Artillery, Bermuda 1942
1/1 12-14 Letters, Charles Haugrud: Barnesville, Minnesota 1942
1/1 15-16 Letters, Ernest M. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota 1942
1/1 17-20 Letters, Lavaine E. Jacobson: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota 1942
1/1 21-30 Letters and Easter card, Florence Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota 1942
1/1 31-33 Letters, Gladys Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota) 1942
1/1 34-40 Letters, Easter card and greeting card, Mrs. Lars Trosvik (mother): Rothsay, Minnesota 1942, 1945
1/1 41-52 Letters, Margaret Trosvik (sister): Fergus Falls, Minnesota 1942
1/1 53-58 Letters, Melvin Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota 1942
1/1 59 Letter, Orville M. Trosvik (brother): Rothsay, Minnesota 1942
1/1 60 Letter, Rose Jean Trosvik (sister): Rothsay, Minnesota 1942
1/1 61 Letter, Alice, last name unknown: Excelsior, Minnesota 1942
1/1 62 Letter, Name unknown: Barnesville, Minnesota 1942
1/1 63-64 Letters, Selma, last name unknown: Rapid City, South Dakota 1942
1/1 65-66 Letters, Millie, last name unknown: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota 1942
1/1 67 Valentine’s Day card, Henry, Alma, and Tony, last name unknown 1942
1/1 68 Postcard, Lester H. Denbrook: Fort Slocum, New York 1942
1/1 69 Postcard, Gordon P. Lehm: New York City, New York 1942
1/1 70 Valentine’s Day card, Earl and Sylvester, last name unknown undated

Series 2: Army documents; undated, 1942-1945. 0.05 cubic feet.

Box/
Folder
Item Description Dates
1/2 1 General Orders, Signal Corps Replacement Training Center, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey undated
1/2 2 Description of the EE-8A Telephone (portable field telephone), 1 page with handwritten notes on reverse, Fort Monmouth undated
1/2 3 Phonetic alphabet card, Fort Monmouth undated
1/2 4 Fort Monmouth Post Exchange coupon book with two remaining coupons undated
1/2 5 Consolidated timetable, Asbury Park-New York Transit Corp. 1942
1/3 1 Special Orders No. 234, 9427 TSU-SIG C, ALS COM SYSTEM, Seattle Wash: Orders including those for T/4 Arthur O. Trosvik, for station at Adak, Alaska 1945
1/3 2 Information to Enlisted Men, Fort Richardson Intransit Company, Fort Richardson, Alaska; By Albert A. Erickson, Captain, Commanding Officer undated
1/3 3 Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Nome, Alaska: pass issued to A.C.S. member Arthur O. Trosvik for official business only in Nome 1944
1/3 4 Meal Ticket, Troop Mess, U.S.S. Grant, for Pvt. Arthur Trosvik, 1st Signal Service Company, Designation: Seward, Alaska undated
1/3 5 Photo post card with 12 views of the USO Building in Anchorage undated
1/3 6 Anchorage Cocktail Lounge napkins, Anchorage, Alaska undated
1/4 Baggage tags and receipt undated

Series 3: Artifacts; undated, 1943. 0.05cubic feet.

Box/
Folder
Item Description Date
1/5 1 Good Conduct Medal 1943
1/5 2 U.S. brass pin undated
1/5 3 Signal Corps brass pin undated
1/5 4 Marksman riflery medal undated
1/5 5 U.S.A. with attached sergeant’s insignia pins undated
1/5 6 . Service ribbons on pins undated
1/5 7 Service ribbon tie tack undated

Series 4: Photographs; undated, 1941-1942. 0.2 cubic feet.
Photographs are grouped mostly by photo lot number.

Box/
Folder
Lot number Description Dates
1/6 1 black Soldiers at army camp in woods with Quonset huts and tents; Chena River and downtown Fairbanks during breakup; view of passenger train at Nenana Station, 8 prints, 8 negatives undated
1/6 8 black Soldiers in barracks; portraits of soldiers standing in snowy field; soldiers standing in waste-deep snow; soldiers standing in gap in ice of frozen waterfall; moose and dog on frozen lake; winter work crew of 15 soldiers working on telephone line, 25 prints undated
1/6 14 black Mountain goat on rocky hillside; winter views of hotel at McKinley National Park from train station; soldiers erecting telephone poles next to railroad; winter scenes from Alaska Railroad; and signal corps crew at work on telephone lines, 36 prints undated
1/6 17 Views of placer mining area reached by airplane, including dredges, thawing points, buildings, tailings ponds, and aerial photos; downtown Fairbanks; scenery; and structure burned to the ground, 33 prints undated
1/6 18 Signal corps work crew laying telephone wire next to railroad on Cook Inlet; and scenery, 7 prints undated
1/6 19 Signal corps work crew mounting telephone wire on poles next to railroad, views of the Girdwood area (?), and scenery, 23 prints undated
1/6 24 Man with bull moose trophy; dogs and moose on frozen lake; telephone poles and wire in deep snow next to railroad; and train and winter scenes along railroad, 20 prints undated
1/6 29 Church and A.R.R. Engine No. 1 in Fairbanks; men working on frozen Chena River; and building along Alaska Railroad near McKinley National Park, 3 prints undated
1/6 32 Railroad maintenance crew; and Eklutna village, 5 prints undated
1/6 40 Signal corps crew erecting telephone poles; Moose Pass; Alaska Nellie’s cabin; winter scenery along railroad; Portage Glacier; and two girls next to railroad train, 22 prints undated
1/6 54 Railroad car unloading poles; railroad station house; glacier and other scenery along railroad; bison and camel at zoo; and houses on street, 13 prints undated
1/6 64 Three views of the aftermath of the fire on Fourth Avenue in Seward; and dog and puppies, 4 prints 1941
1/6 460U Washington, D.C. scenes (?) of soldiers statue, diner, plaza, and plane at air field, 4 prints undated
1/6 751 Circle Hot Springs Lodge and outbuildings; buildings at Circle City; Yukon River; scenery; and houses on street, 14 prints undated
1/6 D70 Matanuska Colony buildings in Palmer; band and crowd in front of school building; workmen with drilling rig (?); and Palmer from across railroad tracks, 13 prints undated
1/7 1 red Portage Glacier and lake; outdoor latrine; and homestead, 5 prints undated
1/7 2 Arthur Trosvik and fellow soldiers at Portage Glacier; railroad maintenance crew; railroad tunnel; Arthur Trosvik in dress uniform; scenery; and views of ships and boats in Cook Inlet, 33 prints undated
1/7 3-1 Cargo truck near railroad tracks; moose near road; scenery; and glacier, 4 prints undated
1/7 3-2 Passenger train at railroad siding; man near porcupine next to railroad tracks; and two men with salmon catch, 8 prints undated
1/7 4 Signal corps crew with railroad cars and vehicles; soldier at Alaska Nellie’s cabin; soldier at the top of telephone pole; and soldiers at glacier, 12 prints undated
1/7 5 Portage Glacier and lake scenes; soldiers with black bear head and at outdoor latrine; mess table; salmon in stream; and scenery from railroad, 15 prints undated
1/7 6 Portage Glacier and lake; views along railroad; and explosion in wetlands, 11 reds undated
1/7 7 Alaska Nellie Lawing in doorway of her cabin; divide marker next to railroad track; views along railroad; Kenai Lake; and glacier, 8 prints undated
1/7 8 red Soldiers at Portage Glacier; soldiers fishing; and scenery, 18 prints undated
1/7 9 Railroad maintenance crew; signal corps with railroad car moving poles; soldier sitting inside outhouse on railroad vehicle; and scenery, 8 prints undated
1/7 13 Soldiers in dress uniforms at Fort Monmouth, Red Bank, New Jersey (?); and boardwalk at Atlantic City(?), 5 prints 1942
1/7 14 red Glacier; scenery from railroad; and signal corps work crew beside railroad tracks, 7 prints undated
1/7 26 Telephone poles laid down below railroad bed; and scenery, 7 prints undated
1/7 91 Portraits of soldiers; group photos of signal corps work crew on railroad tracks; soldiers at work with shovels (?); men at mess table; cargo truck; men standing waste deep in snow; and scenery, 42 prints undated
1/7 A3 Poles laid out next to road toward Portage Glacier; Ice in Portage Lake; glacier; scenery; and bridge in Puget Sound area, 6 prints undated
1/7 A10 Portage Glacier and lake and other scenery, 9 prints undated
1/7 A11 Scenes of signal corps soldiers on time off duty; soldiers at Portage Glacier; signal corps work crew on railroad car hauling poles; man with black bear hide; single and group portraits of soldiers; mess hall; railroad maintenance crew; and scenery, 37 prints undated
1/7 Portraits of Arthur Trosvik, 5 prints undated
1/7 Portraits of other soldiers, 8 prints undated
1/7 Signal corps work crew with truck; jeep; man climbing tall pole; soldiers at barracks in woods; soldiers in Fairbanks; soldiers in parade in Fairbanks; tractor broken through ice on Chena River; dog sled team on street; gold dredge; Ptarmigan hunting party; explosion in wetlands; moose and dogs on frozen lake; and other miscellaneous scenes, 84 prints undated
1/7 Studio portraits: Man in Army Signal Corps dress uniform with hat; 3 small children (Leaf Studio, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota); small boy, Rodney DuWayne (Leaf Studio, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota), 3 prints undated

 

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