Contributed Photos Alyssa Summerfield (from left), Tobias Ferguson, Christy Agoff, Max Agoff, Misty May Wilmarth-Agoff, Cady Agoff and Auna Reed-Lewis.
Tekla Kanari (1898-1981)
Joseph Buffington Quigley (1869-1958) Born in rural Pennsylvania, a tall Joe Quigley left home in 1884 to explore the world. While logging in Washington State, he heard about the gold prospecting activities taking place in Alaska. Joe ascended Chilkoot Pass in 1891. From 1891 to 1903 he prospected and mined in the 40- Mile, Sixty Mile, Circle, and Fairbanks districts, where he usually landed after discovery, missing the opportunity to acquire significant wealth. His luck changed when he ventured into a then largely unknown foothills complex of the central Alaska Range—the Kantishna Hills, sharing its 1905 discovery with Joe Dalton. Quigley, along with his wife Fanny, are interwoven into the history of mining in the classic frontier district. Quigley helped develop important lode deposits on Quigley Ridge containing gold and silver, including the Banjo, which be- came the district’s largest hardrock mine. In 1930, he was nearly killed in an underground mining accident and sus- tained injuries that would affect him for the rest of his life. After divorcing his long-time companion Fanny Quig- ley in 1938, he traveled extensively throughout the United States. In later years, he liked flowers and gardens, plant- ed peach and apple trees, and became an avid photogra- pher. He died Nov. 23, 1958, at 89.
Tekla Kanari’s life story is one of a European immigrant searching for a lost husband, reestablishing her life in a brave new world, succeeding in the mining business in a remote part of the Alaskan frontier, and caring for family members she left behind in Europe. Her courage, strength, perseverance and basic character has earned her a place in the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame. The firm which Tekla helped operate, Trinity Min- ing Company, became one of the most successful placer mines in the Kougorok district north of Nome. During the 1940s and 1950s, Tekla made numerous wire transfers of funds to friends and relatives in post-war torn Finland. Both John and Tekla had to take legal action after the war to re-acquire their claims, which had been over-staked during the war. After John’s death, Tekla operated the mine by herself, along with a few employees. She passed away in 1981 in Seattle. By honoring Tekla, we also recognize her first hus- band John, Al Carey and other miners of Finnish origin, including previous AMHF inductees Gus Uotila and Toivo Rosander for their important contributions to the Alaskan Mining industry.
January 2019
The Alaska Miner
57
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