Members of the Parker & White families "on the rocks" at the "Boat House" beside Ptarmigan Creek in Johns Hopkins Inlet about 2 months after Leroy Gold Mine discovery. Hungry & waiting for food to be served. Nell Parker taking photo and camp cook. Click for identifications & story.

Lt. to Rt. seated on the bench: May (Parker) White age 42, Abraham Lincoln Parker age 72, Leslie "Les" Parker age 34, Henrietta White age 20, and Glen Parker age 30. Not shown taking the photo with Les' camera (and preparing the food) is Nell Parker age 24.

Immediately after the discovery of the Leroy gold claim by Leslie Parker on July 2, 1938 while prospecting in Glacier Bay with his father Abraham Lincoln Parker, there was a flurry of activity with family members at home in Gustavus, Alaska. Could this really be the long awaited moment of grand celebration of gold, real gold being found?

For years, every fresh waterway including the Salmon River, Good River, Rink Creek, Bartlett Lake & River, and Falls Creek would be put to the gold panning "color" test by somebody in the Parker family---most frequently by brothers Charles and Leslie Parker. In addition, every square inch of the entire area and surrounding mountainsides (including Excursion Inlet) had been inspected at one time or other for signs of silver or gold. (GHAA has a very interesting early Parker family letter that details where every "speck" or "streak" of promise was found. This document also refers to the very early 1900's Strawberry Point, Alaska prospecting activities of Jack Dalton particulary in the Bartlett River area.)

So, after years of spell-binding family stories, with gold so often being the central theme, it was down right difficult to calm the excitement long enough to sleep at night, both for those on site in Glacier Bay, and those at home in Gustavus, Alaska. Somebody in the family had struck gold, and as far as the grandchildren of Abraham Lincoln Parker were concerned, the celebration level was so high that it was the same as if the claim belonged to all of them.

The assay reports came back with the promising news that was already expected. Many years later Leslie Parker would recall over and over the Leroy Gold Mine story and the thrilling assay reports to his own sons Leroy, Lorne, and Leland (Lee), "Gold it was, pure gold. And that was only the beginning!"

Gold fever ignited the entire community. Most of the homesteaders of Gustavus, Alaska were themselves gold prospectors and had their own stories to tell. Almost everyone, at one time or another, in and around Gustavus had prospected for the elusive "muck" called gold. 

To this date in 1938, however, none of the stories being told were this promising. Never before had the song Gold Mine In The Sky been sung over and over, "tickling the ears" and awakening old dreams of the other Gustavus prospectors, while spinning golden schemes in the minds of the impressionable young. Even a few Parker family members that had never expressed interest in the pursuit of gold, became over-nite "believers" and  found themselves in Glacier Bay prospecting and eagerly staking their own promising claims!

In August of 1938, about a month following the Leroy discovery, Les Parker (in Gustavus for supplies) took his sister May (Parker) White (who was also clamouring to do some prospecting and stake claims of her own) and her daughter Henrietta White to the Leroy mine in Glacier Bay on the "Edith A".

Left at home in Gustavus, Alaska (in the care of their older siblings and grandma Edith Parker) to root for their mom's gold-seeking success were May's youngest children, Anne age 10, Ed age 9, Alice age 6, and Bill Jr. age 4. It is believed that this trip is the one and only trip to the Ptarmigan Creek mine area in Glacier Bay ever made by May White.  In August of 1939, May (reunited with Bill for a short time) moved with the children to Juneau and lived at the Rainer Rooms. Returning to Gustavus in the summer of 1941 for a few months, May and children were in and out of Juneau. With rumblings of impending war and unstable conditions in Gustavus summer and fall of 1942, May would soon take all of her children away from Gustavus, Alaska once again and not return until 1947 when most of them were grown.

But on her only trip to Glacier Bay, May did get her chance to prospect for gold and experience the excitement of staking claims. In fact she and her 20 yr. old daughter Henrietta both did. Until May left Gustavus with her entire family, Leslie Parker would bring May ore that she would crush and grind over the winter in a little room attached to the White homestead. It was reported by one of her children, Anne, that May forbade the kids to ever enter that room for fear mercury poison or contamination would occur.

Going back to May & Henrietta White's excursion to Glacier Bay, Alaska in late fall 1938, the following claims were staked:

On a prospecting venture with Leslie Parker August 3, 1938, Henrietta White staked the Lessetta I claim witnessed by Leslie Parker and May White.

On August 9, 1938, Henrietta staked another claim, the Lessetta II, witnessed by Leslie Parker.

On August 10, 1938, May White staked two claims she called Stardust I, witnessed by Leslie Parker and Henrietta White & Stardust II, witnessed by Henrietta White.

On September 8, 1938, May staked her third claim called Sweetheart, witnessed by Leslie Parker and Henrietta White.

GHAA will post copies of these original claims (and dozens more) complete with their location descriptions, signatures, etc. on the pages of Gustavus History as they are scanned and archived.

In this photo, the group of "prospectors" are no doubt weary from their travels around the mountain on foot in extreme rocky and steep conditions. There was then, as now, almost no level ground anywhere and it could be extremely tiresome (and dangerous) to walk even a few feet over the constantly rolling and shifting stones. 

GHAA Note: GHAA finds it truly remarkable that in nearly every photograph of the women folk over the years at the Leroy mine, they were always dressed up in what at times seemed to be their best Sunday finery. We do know that the Leroy mine in Glacier Bay was a popular destination and there were always "volunteers" at the ready to hitch a ride up and back. And as it was an exciting, special place to go (there weren't many others) it warranted the status of "taking a trip" and the proper dress that went along with it. Note May White's knee-high nylon stockings, fashionable sun hat, crisp clean dress and less than adequate walking or hiking shoes. With no facilities for taking a hot bath, washing hair, laundry by hand, etc. it is difficult to explain how these pioneering women in the remoteness of Glacier Bay, Alaska looked so good. On this particular trip, May White and Henrietta were 6 to 8 weeks in the prospecting wilds.

Members of the Parker & White families "on the rocks" at the "Boat House" beside Ptarmigan Creek in Johns Hopkins Inlet about 2 months after Leroy Gold Mine discovery. Hungry & waiting for food to be served. Nell Parker taking photo and camp cook. Click for identifications & story.

Lt. to Rt. seated on the bench: May (Parker) White age 42, Abraham Lincoln Parker age 72, Leslie "Les" Parker age 34, Henrietta White age 20, and Glen Parker age 30. Not shown taking the photo with Les' camera (and preparing the food) is Nell Parker age 24.

Immediately after the discovery of the Leroy gold claim by Leslie Parker on July 2, 1938 while prospecting in Glacier Bay with his father Abraham Lincoln Parker, there was a flurry of activity with family members at home in Gustavus, Alaska. Could this really be the long awaited moment of grand celebration of gold, real gold being found?

For years, every fresh waterway including the Salmon River, Good River, Rink Creek, Bartlett Lake & River, and Falls Creek would be put to the gold panning "color" test by somebody in the Parker family---most frequently by brothers Charles and Leslie Parker. In addition, every square inch of the entire area and surrounding mountainsides (including Excursion Inlet) had been inspected at one time or other for signs of silver or gold. (GHAA has a very interesting early Parker family letter that details where every "speck" or "streak" of promise was found. This document also refers to the very early 1900's Strawberry Point, Alaska prospecting activities of Jack Dalton particulary in the Bartlett River area.)

So, after years of spell-binding family stories, with gold so often being the central theme, it was down right difficult to calm the excitement long enough to sleep at night, both for those on site in Glacier Bay, and those at home in Gustavus, Alaska. Somebody in the family had struck gold, and as far as the grandchildren of Abraham Lincoln Parker were concerned, the celebration level was so high that it was the same as if the claim belonged to all of them.

The assay reports came back with the promising news that was already expected. Many years later Leslie Parker would recall over and over the Leroy Gold Mine story and the thrilling assay reports to his own sons Leroy, Lorne, and Leland (Lee), "Gold it was, pure gold. And that was only the beginning!"

Gold fever ignited the entire community. Most of the homesteaders of Gustavus, Alaska were themselves gold prospectors and had their own stories to tell. Almost everyone, at one time or another, in and around Gustavus had prospected for the elusive "muck" called gold. 

To this date in 1938, however, none of the stories being told were this promising. Never before had the song Gold Mine In The Sky been sung over and over, "tickling the ears" and awakening old dreams of the other Gustavus prospectors, while spinning golden schemes in the minds of the impressionable young. Even a few Parker family members that had never expressed interest in the pursuit of gold, became over-nite "believers" and  found themselves in Glacier Bay prospecting and eagerly staking their own promising claims!

In August of 1938, about a month following the Leroy discovery, Les Parker (in Gustavus for supplies) took his sister May (Parker) White (who was also clamouring to do some prospecting and stake claims of her own) and her daughter Henrietta White to the Leroy mine in Glacier Bay on the "Edith A".

Left at home in Gustavus, Alaska (in the care of their older siblings and grandma Edith Parker) to root for their mom's gold-seeking success were May's youngest children, Anne age 10, Ed age 9, Alice age 6, and Bill Jr. age 4. It is believed that this trip is the one and only trip to the Ptarmigan Creek mine area in Glacier Bay ever made by May White.  In August of 1939, May (reunited with Bill for a short time) moved with the children to Juneau and lived at the Rainer Rooms. Returning to Gustavus in the summer of 1941 for a few months, May and children were in and out of Juneau. With rumblings of impending war and unstable conditions in Gustavus summer and fall of 1942, May would soon take all of her children away from Gustavus, Alaska once again and not return until 1947 when most of them were grown.

But on her only trip to Glacier Bay, May did get her chance to prospect for gold and experience the excitement of staking claims. In fact she and her 20 yr. old daughter Henrietta both did. Until May left Gustavus with her entire family, Leslie Parker would bring May ore that she would crush and grind over the winter in a little room attached to the White homestead. It was reported by one of her children, Anne, that May forbade the kids to ever enter that room for fear mercury poison or contamination would occur.

Going back to May & Henrietta White's excursion to Glacier Bay, Alaska in late fall 1938, the following claims were staked:

On a prospecting venture with Leslie Parker August 3, 1938, Henrietta White staked the Lessetta I claim witnessed by Leslie Parker and May White.

On August 9, 1938, Henrietta staked another claim, the Lessetta II, witnessed by Leslie Parker.

On August 10, 1938, May White staked two claims she called Stardust I, witnessed by Leslie Parker and Henrietta White & Stardust II, witnessed by Henrietta White.

On September 8, 1938, May staked her third claim called Sweetheart, witnessed by Leslie Parker and Henrietta White.

GHAA will post copies of these original claims (and dozens more) complete with their location descriptions, signatures, etc. on the pages of Gustavus History as they are scanned and archived.

In this photo, the group of "prospectors" are no doubt weary from their travels around the mountain on foot in extreme rocky and steep conditions. There was then, as now, almost no level ground anywhere and it could be extremely tiresome (and dangerous) to walk even a few feet over the constantly rolling and shifting stones. 

GHAA Note: GHAA finds it truly remarkable that in nearly every photograph of the women folk over the years at the Leroy mine, they were always dressed up in what at times seemed to be their best Sunday finery. We do know that the Leroy mine in Glacier Bay was a popular destination and there were always "volunteers" at the ready to hitch a ride up and back. And as it was an exciting, special place to go (there weren't many others) it warranted the status of "taking a trip" and the proper dress that went along with it. Note May White's knee-high nylon stockings, fashionable sun hat, crisp clean dress and less than adequate walking or hiking shoes. With no facilities for taking a hot bath, washing hair, laundry by hand, etc. it is difficult to explain how these pioneering women in the remoteness of Glacier Bay, Alaska looked so good. On this particular trip, May White and Henrietta were 6 to 8 weeks in the prospecting wilds.