Guide to the Claypool family photographs
1905-1940
An Alaska Historical Society collection
Collection number: HMC-1023-AHS.
Creator: Claypool, Charles E.
Title: Claypool family papers.
Dates: 1905-1940 (inclusive), 1905-1908 (bulk).
Volume of collection: 0.2 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Family photograph album of a U. S. Commissioner at Fairbanks.
Biographical note:
Charles E. Claypool was a judge in the Fairbanks area of Alaska from 1901 to 1909. He later moved to Seattle and served as a Superior Court Judge and Justice of the Peace there until his death in 1944. Claypool’s family members included his wife: Annie Belle Cowles Claypool, his children: Katherine and Jack Claypool, and his in-laws: James Tod Cowles (Claypool’s law clerk) and Helen Cowles.
Collection description:
The collection consists of photographs relating to Charles Claypool and his family in Alaska. There are fifty-nine black and white photographs (fifty-three in a family album and six other mounted or loose prints). The album photographs in depict Claypool and Cowles family members, their friends and business associates, a mining operation near Fairbanks, homes, offices, horses, and dogs. The photographs were taken in Fairbanks, Tanana, and Circle City. The loose and mounted photos depict Rampart City, Circle City, Eagle City, Fairbanks or Tanana during spring breakup, and Judge Claypool in his court chambers in Seattle.
Arrangement: The collection materials have been retained in the order in which they arrived at the Archives.
Digitized copies: Nine images from the collection have been digitized and placed on the Alaska’s Digital Archives (search Claypool). Other materials from this collection have not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not hold rights to collection materials.
Preferred citation: Claypool family photographs, Alaska Historical Society collections, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: This collection was donated to the Alaska Historical Society in 1991 by Tor Claypool Torland, son of Katherine Claypool Torland. The Historical Society retains ownership of the collection and placed it on deposit in Archives and Special Collections in 1995.
Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 1995. Photograph descriptions were provided by Tor Claypool Torland. The collection guide was updated to current standard by Arlene Schmuland in 2017.
Container list:
| Folder | Item | Description |
| 1 | Photograph album, 1905-1908. | |
| 1 | 1 | Katherine Claypool (far left) with four girl friends in winter apparel, Fairbanks. circa 1906 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 2 | Katherine Claypool (left) with friend and baby in horse-drawn shay, Tanana street. undated, 3.5 X 3.5 inch. |
| 1 | 3-4 | Log cabin, Fairbanks. Side of house and garden, Fairbanks. undated, 2 prints, 2 X 3 inch. |
| 1 | 5 | Katherine Claypool (left, age 14) and two young friends, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 6 | Ladder, side of house, picket fence, and garden, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 7 | Man and horse in front of cabin, Fairbanks. undated, 3 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 8 | Building containing MacArthur’s Drug Store (right), Fairbanks Banking Co. (left), and the law offices of Claypool, Kellum, and Cowles (second floor), Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 9 | Attorney Kellum sitting at desk in office. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 10-12 | Jack Claypool (left) and boy playing catch with baseball. Katherine Claypool mounted on horse “Teddy”. people in wagon. undated, 3 prints, approx. 2 X 3 inch. |
| 1 | 13 | Katherine Claypool (age 14) sitting sideways on horse “Teddy” in yard, Fairbanks. undated, 3.25 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 14-15 | Katherine Claypool and dog “Buddy” in front of cabin, Tanana?. Jack Claypool and dog “Buddy” in front of cabin, Tanana?. undated, 2 prints, 2.25 X 3.25 inch. |
| 1 | 16 | Mine tailings and sluice, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 17 | Fourth of July ride, horse draped in American flag pulling boys on small cart, Tanana area?. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 18 | Mrs. Charles E. Claypool inspects “her” mine, standing atop mine tailings, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 19 | Katherine Claypool at the keyboard (house interior), Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 20 | Katherine and Jack Claypool at mine, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 21 | Jack Claypool splitting firewood in back of house, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 22 | Mrs. Charles E. Claypool at mine, standing behind sluice section, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 23 | The Claypools’ horse, “Buddy”, with rear of house in background, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 24 | Mrs. Charles E. Claypool and miner at mine, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 25 | Charles E. Claypool’s house with woman driving horse and shay in foreground, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 26 | Mr. Charles E. Claypool and miner, standing behind section of sluice, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 27 | Two men and two women standing in front of picket fence, left to right: J. Tod Cowles, attorney, unknown man, Mrs. Charles E. Claypool, and unknown woman, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 28-29 | Katherine Claypool mounted on horse “Buddy” in front of cabin, Fairbanks. Jack and Katherine Claypool with dog “Buddy” behind house, Fairbanks. undated, 2 prints, 2.25 X 3 inch. |
| 1 | 30 | Charles E. Claypool’s house with woman driving shay and man driving wagon in foreground, Fairbanks. circa 1907 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 31 | Katherine Claypool sitting in her room beside bed, Fairbanks. undated, 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 32 | Katherine Claypool mounted on horse “Teddy”, Tanana?. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 33 | Katherine Claypool’s room, Fairbanks. undated, 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 34 | Left to right: Attorney J. Tod Cowles, Jack Claypool, Katherine Claypool, and dogs “Buddy” and “Hector” sitting on gravel hill, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5). |
| 1 | 35 | Katherine Claypool riding horse “Teddy” in yard, Fairbanks. circa 1906 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 36 | Mine tailings and sluice, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 37 | Katherine Claypool in winter apparel, Fairbanks. circa 1906 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 38 | Left to right: Attorney J. Tod Cowles, two unknown men, and dog “Buddy” standing on front deck of cabin. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 39 | Jack Claypool aboard horse “Teddy”, Fairbanks. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 40 | Katherine Claypool aboard horse “Buddy”. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 41 | Katherine Claypool (far left) and four girl friends in winter apparel, Fairbanks. circa 1906 3 X 4 inch. |
| 1 | 42 | Katherine and Jack Claypool and dog “Hector” at mine, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 43 | Mrs. Charles (Annie-Belle) Claypool and son Jack in sleigh drawn by horse “Teddy”, Fairbanks. circa 1907 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 44 | Mine building, sluice, and tailings, Fairbanks area. undated, 3.75 X 4.5 inch. |
| 1 | 45-46 | Unknown child wearing hat in fenced yard. Dog “Hector” laying in yard behind house, Fairbanks. undated, 2 prints, approx. 2.25 X 3 inch. |
| 1 | 47-48 | Two shots of unknown child wearing hat on front entrance of house, Fairbanks. undated, 2 prints, 2.25 X 3.25 inch. |
| 1 | 49-50 | Two shots of Mrs. Charles E. Claypool at cabin door, Tanana. undated, 2 prints, 2.25 X 3.25 inch. |
| 1 | 51 | Claypool family and in-laws in winter apparel in front of home in Fairbanks, left to right: Judge Charles E. Claypool, Miss Helen A. Cowles, Katherine C. Claypool, J. Tod Cowles, Jack Claypool, and Mrs. Charles (Annie-Belle) Claypool (J. Tod and Helen Cowles were brother and sister of Mrs. Claypool). circa 1906 3.5 X 5 inch copy print. |
| 1 | 52 | Closeup of family in No. 43 in front of house 3.5 X 5 inch copy print. |
| 1 | 53 | Katherine and Jack Claypool with two dogs and sled in front of their Uncle Tod Cowles’ law office in Circle City or Tanana. undated, 3.5 X 5 inch copy print. |
| 2 | Mounted and loose photographs, 1905-1907, 1940? | |
| 2 | 1 | Rampart City, Alaska from Yukon River. Meyer Photo, Seattle, No. 293. circa 1907 4.5 X 6.25 inch print on 7 X 9 inch board. |
| 2 | 2 | Circle City, Alaska from Yukon River. Meyer Photo, Seattle, No. 287. circa 1907 4.5 X 6.5 inch print on 8 X 10 inch board. |
| 2 | 3 | Eagle City, Alaska from Yukon River. Meyer Photo, Seattle, No. 286. circa 1907 4.5 X 6.5 inch print on 8 X 10 inch board. |
| 2 | 4 | Spring ice breakup on Yukon River, Tanana or Fairbanks area. circa 1905 3.5 X 10 inch. |
| 2 | 5 | Spring thaw in the Fairbanks area, two men in rowboat on flooded street. circa 1905 3.5 X 10 inch. |
| 2 | 6 | Judge Charles E. Claypool in his chambers, Seattle. circa early 1940s (4.5 X 6.25 inch print on 8 X 10 inch board). |