Did you know there were two Klondike Kates during the great             Gold Rush of 1898? Or that when the discoverer of the rich fields had a dream about             salmon with gold nuggets for eyes, he thought it meant that he'd have good luck fishing?             Aunt Phil's Trunk brings to life these and other little-known tidbits about Alaska's             colorful past.  Filled with more than 250 historical photographs,             this book also showcases a spectacular photo essay following the harrowing routes rugged             prospectors traveled to get to the Klondike, including the all-water route from Seattle             to St. Michael and on to Dawson, as well as the Stikine, White Pass and Chilkoot Pass             trails.  Volume 1 features other fascinating stories, too,             including how nuns mingled with rough and tumble adventurers on the banks of Nome, how             the last shot of the Civil War boomed in the Bering Sea and how the scoundrel Soapy             Smith served as an angel of mercy before he became the undisputed king of crime in             Skagway. Many of the stories in this collection were written by my late aunt, Phyllis             Downing Carlson, an award-winning author, noted Alaska historian and who served as             Alaska reference librarian at the Z.J. Loussac Library in Anchorage.              When Phyllis passed away in 1993, I inherited her articles, notes             and personal library, including a large collection of rare books about Alaska. As luck             would have it, I, too, am a writer and lover of Alaska history. Over the past few years,             I've edited Phyllis' old articles, which appeared in publications like Alaskana, Alaska             Sportsman and Our Alaska, and then wrote my own stories to dovetail with hers.              I hope you enjoy the resulting labor of love as you turn back to             the past in Aunt Phil's Trunk.  - Laurel Downing Bill

Aunt Phil's Trunk: Volume One, An Alaska Historian's Collection of Treasured Tales

History

Laurel Downing Bill

Phyllis Downing Carlson

Americas

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Alaska history decoded! Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume One will keep you spellbound! If you enjoy reading entertaining nonfiction short stories, then you will love Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume One. Not only do these easy-to-read pages keep you hooked to see what happens next, they also offer a window into the past through hundreds of historical photographs. Did you know? <ul>
<li>Mysterious petroglyphs dot Alaska's coastlines?</li>
<li>The last shot of the American Civil War boomed in the Bering Sea?</li>
<li>The Klondike Gold Rush began after a man dreamed of salmon with golden scales?</li>
</ul>
 These and dozens more little-known stories fill the pages of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume One and share Alaska's colorful past up to 1900. Anyone interested in Alaska history will love this book. It is full of interesting and little-known facts about the state. The stories behind these facts are colorful and entertaining. - Writer's Digest Richly assembled with historic photos and rarely told tales, Aunt Phil's Trunk is an engaging addition to Alaska's storytelling legacy.- Alex DeMarban, Editor, First Alaskans magazine What an amazing treasure. I pride myself on being a historian, with a minor in Alaska history; but I can truly take a quick backseat to this marvelous work. - John Gailey, tour director, John Hall's Alaska More than 20,000 copies sold worldwide! Order your copy of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume One now! Read More Here: The Aunt Phil's Trunk Alaska history series is noted for its easy-to-read short stories and hundreds of historical photographs that complement the entertaining nonfiction writing. Suitable for ages 9 to 99, the first book in the series shares stories from early Alaska up to 1900. Volume 1 kicks off the series by showcasing the arrival of Alaska Natives thousands of years ago. Anthropologists theorize the Natives traveled from Asia across the Bering Sea Land Bridge and settled in various parts of Alaska. Stories in this section include mighty shaman, mysterious petroglyphs and fierce battles against Russian fur traders, who arrived in the mid-1700s. After Alaska became a possession of the United States in 1867, Americans began streaming into the Last Frontier. Explorers, businessmen, miners and crooks came north and changed Alaska forever. The discovery of gold brought even more people. Gold Rushes <ul>
<li>Juneau-Douglas</li>
<li>Cook Inlet</li>
<li>Klondike Gold Rush</li>
<li>PLUS photo essay of the various routes the gold-crazed stampeders forged</li>
</ul>
 Other stories in this volume include how Catholic nuns mingled with rough-and-tumble adventurers on the banks of Nome, the last shot of the Civil War boomed in the Bering Sea and infamous conman Soapy Smith served as an angel of mercy before he became the undisputed king of crime in Skagway. This volume is a treasure trove of short stories about Alaska's colorful past and is filled with close to 350 rare historical photographs.

Aunt Phil's Trunk, Vol. 1: An Alaska Historian's Collection of Treasured Tales

Laudon Enterprises

Alaska history decoded! Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three is a must read for anyone interested in Alaska's history! Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three is filled with entertaining nonfiction short stories and hundreds of historical photographs that share Alaska's history from 1912 to 1935. This volume, appropriate for ages 9 to 99, is a delightful journey through Alaska's growing pains as a territory of the United States. Did you know? <ul>
<li>The Alaska Railroad spurred the birth of Alaska's largest town in 1915?</li>
<li>Mushers and dog teams risked death to deliver life-saving diphtheria serum to Nome in 1925?</li>
<li>Famous aviator Wiley post and Will Rogers crashed their plane and died near Barrow in 1935?</li>
</ul>
 These and dozens more little-known stories fill the pages of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three Laurel Bill has an extraordinary eye for the telling detail. She knows a good story when she hears it and knows how to tell it. Her history comes alive. Thank goodness she's turned her talents to these compelling chapters from Alaska's rich past. - Kim Rich, Author, Johnny's Girl Drawn from the eventful stories told by Alaskans, author Laurel Downing Bill has expertly woven a seamless narrative of fascinating fact and lore spanning the triumphs and tragedies of the Great Land. - Pennelope Goforth, Author, Sailing The Mail Informative and entertaining, the stories in "Aunt Phil's Trunk" show that there is much more to Alaska than Eskimos, igloos, ice floes and polar bears. Whether you've lived in Alaska all of your life, or you've always wanted to visit, you'll be enthralled by this collection of stories and photos chronicling a patchwork of Alaska's forgotten heroes. - Heather Resz, Editor, Alaska Newspapers Inc. Thousands of print books sold worldwide! Order your copy of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three now! Read More here: The third book in the Aunt Phil's Trunk series is packed with easy-to-read short stories and close to 350 historical photographs to entertain the history buff within. It highlights the pioneering spirit of early Alaska as it enters a new era as a territory of the United States and showcases stories about early Anchorage and the Alaska Railroad. Other stories include: · Epidemics and rescues · Daring flyboys of the 1920s · Colonists who turn wilderness into fertile ground where giant vegetables grow · Alaska's Native people struggling for recognition Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three is a treasure trove of short stories about Alaska's colorful past and is filled with close to 350 rare historical photographs.

Aunt Phil's Trunk: Volume 3

Aunt Phil's Trunk LLC

Alaska history decoded! Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Four is a must read for anyone interested in Alaska's history! Following in the fast-paced and entertaining footsteps of the previous three volumes, Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Four captures the essence of life in Alaska between 1935 and 1960. Its vivid nonfiction short stories and more-than 350 historical photographs highlight major events of World War II, the Cold War era and Alaska's struggle for statehood. Did you know? * The Japanese bombed and occupied two islands in the Aleutian Chain during WWII? * The U.S. Air Force song was written by an Alaskan? * Eskimo Scouts guarded more than 2,000 miles of Alaska's coastline for no pay? These and dozens more little-known stories fill the pages of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Four and share Alaska's colorful past from 1935 to 1960. I've been touting these books since the first volume appeared three years ago. They combine clear writing and plenty of details without getting bogged down in minutia. They include both the big stories and many lesser-known incidents. And they are densely illustrated with photographs showing what life was like in Alaska's earlier days. It's a great package, and it hasn't failed yet ... If you haven't done so, take some time and open Aunt Phil's Trunk; you'll find plenty of treasures inside. - David James, Fairbanks Daily News Miner Our family has lived more than five generations in Alaska, witnessing and experiencing many of the historic moments Laurel Bill has written about in her comprehensive compilation of stories and events that shaped Alaska today ... The volumes of Aunt Phil's Trunk are a terrific, fast-paced read and should be required for all students of Alaska history. - Gail McIver Phillips, Former Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Thousands of print books sold worldwide! Order your copy of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Four now! Read More Here: World War II brought big defense dollars north, which helped bolster Alaska's economy. It also brought: * A secret Russian mission to Fairbanks * Interment of Aleut people * A proliferation of tuberculosis During the Cold War era, Alaska saw another increase of money and people into the Last Frontier. This period of its colorful past also generated stories of heroic Alaska Airlines flights for freedom, Alaska Natives' battles against discrimination and the blossoming of Anchorage into a jewel on the tundra. The last section of this action-packed volume features Alaska's 91-year-old struggle for statehood. Tales of tenacity, hope and determination fill these pages, and they also showcase many of the movers and shakers of days gone by, Alaska's first elected governor and the discovery of crude oil that tipped the balance toward statehood. Many more entertaining, nonfiction stories fill the pages of Volume Four. It is a treasure trove of short stories, along with close to 350 rare historical photographs, suitable for ages 9 to 99.

Aunt Phil's Trunk: Volume 4

This third book in the Aunt Phil's Trunk Alaska history series is filled with entertaining short stories and hundreds of historical photographs covering the Last Frontier's past from 1912 to 1935. Did you know: • The Alaska Railroad spurred the birth of Alaska's largest town in 1915? • Mushers and dogs risked death to deliver life-saving diphtheria serum to Nome 1925? • Aviator Wiley Post and Will Rogers crashed their plane and died near Barrow 1935? From the early days of the Alaska Railroad to one of the the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th Century, the pages of Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three is sure to keep readers from ages 9 to 99 spellbound.

Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Three