Jack McQuesten - Knowledge

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in 1897, he feared food shortages in Circle City and decided to leave Alaska. He bought some mining claims on Eldorado and Bonanza creeks in the Klondike district as late as 1898, and made a profit. The most successful financially of the trading partners with his various ventures, by 1898 he had

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became known as Katherine (or Kate) James McQuesten. Fluent in Koyukon, Russian, and English, she often acted as an intermediary for her husband and his partners in communications with the local natives. She was an important player in their business affairs, and they also had several children

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and a wide network of trading posts in the Yukon, often providing a grubstake to prospectors. He was the most successful financially of the trio, becoming a multi-millionaire by 1898 and buying a large Victorian mansion for his family when they moved about that time to

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to manage their trading post. McQuesten had helped found the Alaskan Order of Yukon Pioneers, and was its first elected president. He also belonged to the Yukon Order of Pioneers, as did Mayo. Their motto was the

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developed six miles upriver of their post. Their post was such a point of reference, that prospectors both up and downriver named creeks and rivers in reference to their distance from Fort Reliance, as in

287:, strengthening their ties among the local culture. In 1874 Harper married a young woman he called Jeannine, who had not gone to a mission school and preferred to teach her children traditional ways. 192:; he became known as the "Father of the Yukon." Other nicknames included "Yukon Jack," "Captain Jack," "Golden Rule McQuesten," and "Father of Alaska." Together with partners 244:

to a family of Scots-Irish descent. His family moved to Illinois in the 19th-century westward migration, and then to California by the time he was 13. He was there for the

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The three trading partners moved to Tanana after 1875, where they set up another trading post near the Athabascan village of Nuklukayet. In 1878 McQuesten married

537: 461: 415: 522: 294:(1860–1921). She was from Kokrines village, about 80 miles west. She had attended the Russian mission school, as had her cousin Margaret, whom Mayo married. 341:(1952), which was published posthumously from his original manuscript held by the Yukon Order of Pioneers. It was reprinted in 1977 by Star Printing of 322:, which developed the largest log cabin district in the North Country. He and Kate set up the Alaska Commercial Company in town. With the frenzy of the 473: 427: 224: 105: 39: 86: 43: 58: 532: 229: 65: 442: 527: 303: 237: 150: 378: 72: 209: 32: 54: 467:

Goodrich, H.B., 1897, "History and conditions of the Yukon Gold district to 1897," in, Spurr, J.E., 1897,

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Geology of the Yukon Gold District, Alaska: 18th Annual Report of the U.S. Geological Survey

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He was the first president of the Alaskan Order of Yukon Pioneers and also belonged to the

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Gaffin, Jane. (2004) "The Trading Trio of Arthur Harper, Al Mayo, and Jack McQuesten"

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Gaffin, Jane. (2004) "The Trading Trio of Arthur Harper, Al Mayo, and Jack McQuesten"

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McQuesten joined other adventurers in the Yukon, becoming partners with traders

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An airstrip near Moose Creek on the Klondike Highway is named after him.

184:(1836–1909) was an American pioneer explorer, trader, and prospector in 129: 319: 185: 223: 189: 371:

The area is the location of the so-called McQuesten Mineral Belt.

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