Ninety years ago, on May 18th, 1935, the Matanuska-bound families from Wisconsin and Michigan set sail from Seattle aboard the St Mihiel.
Bailey
Ferber, Nona, Ruth, and Gene Bailey aboard the St Mihiel
From the PMHA Bailey collection
Miller page
“Seattle Dock – taken from the deck of the St. Mihiel that carried the colonists to Alaska
On Board ship. We felt just like we looked!”
From the PMHA Miller collection
Bailey
“May 1935, Boarding the St Mihiel at the Seattle, Wash. Dock”
From the PMHA Bailey collection
Evelyn Stebbins wrote home from aboard ship:
“Boy did the Seattle people ever turn out – the docks & nearby piers were crowded with people – they were even on the roofs of buildings. The band played & they threw confetti & a bunch of girls sang. When the boat was pulling out they all cheered & waved. “
Photo from the MSB Sandbote collection.
Quote from the Stebbins letter collection held by Palmer Historical Society, May 21st 1935.
Arville Schaleben, “Pioneers Steaming North to New Destiny in Alaska,” Milwaukee Journal, May 19th 1935. Yellowed clippings of Schaleben’s articles can be found in several family albums held by the Palmer Museum and Palmer Historical Society. These scans are from the Juster Hill collection held by PHS.
Gretchen and Leroy Hamann saved their tickets with berth assignments. From the Hamann family collection, photo courtesy of Dennis Hamann.
Because the St Mihiel was an army transport ship, accommodations were spartan. Men and women were assigned bunks in separate hatches, with the few staterooms going to families with small children.
Evelyn Stebbins wrote home:
“Those with babies were assigned to cabins & the others were put in hatches – men in some & women in others – u can imagine how I liked that!”
“Captain Daniel Pumphrey, U.S.A.T. ‘ST. MIHIEL’
Captain ‘Tommy’ Moore, Seattle Pilot.”
Photo from the Sandbote collection. John J. Sandbote was first officer of the St Mihiel, for whom “home port” was a farm in Wisconsin. He took photos of the colonists boarding ship in San Francisco and Seattle, and visited Palmer on the day of the land drawing.
Meanwhile back in Palmer, Reverend Bingle reported the tent city would soon have a community hall and playground equipment.
From the “Palmer Daily,” B.J. Bingle, May 18th 1935