Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan
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Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan August 2008 Inside Cover The Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan Prepared By: Mary Pat Wyatt, Alaska Cultural Resources Penny Bauder, Planner, Alaska Department of Parks and Outdoor Recreation Prepared For: The Alaska State Office of History and Archaeology Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks James King—Director Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . iv 1 . INTRODUCTION . 1 2 . HISTORY OF JAMES WICKERSHAM . 3 3 . HISTORY OF THE HOUSE . 22 4 . HISTORY AND SUMMARY OF THE COLLECTIONS . 27 5 . INTERPRETIVE THEMES . 32 6 . RECOMMENDATIONS . 34 Historical Documentation . 36 Exterior and Interior Rehabilitation . 36 Public Access and Staff Use . 42 Furnishings and Object Placement . 42 Security . 54 Interpretation . 56 7 . ASSESSMENT OF PAST AND POTENTIAL VISITORS . 61 8 . HOUSE OPERATIONS . 65 9 . APPENDICES . 74 A: Reference List . 74 B: Object List . 77 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Outdoor Site Plan . 35 Figure 2: First Floor Site Plan . 43 Figure 3: Second Floor Site Plan . 49 Executive Summary The Wickersham State Historic Site on Chicken Ridge in Juneau is an exceptional asset for Alaska as well as the rest of the United States. The State of Alaska was farsighted in 1984 to recognize the Wickersham House’s importance and to acquire the house and its contents. Associated with a pre-eminent historical figure who established many of the statewide systems that we take for granted today, the property includes furnishings, personal belongings, ethnographic artifacts, and invaluable archival materials collected and used by Judge James Wickersham and his immediate family. This property provides the opportunity to interpret Alaska’s history through James Wickersham, considered by many historians as the most pivotal person in the state’s early 20th-century development. His home, typical of ‘Alaska-style’ architecture, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is one of the finest opportunities available in Alaska to preserve and enhance a historical resource of this stature for both residents and visitors. Wickersham was appointed to his judicial position in 1900, when greed and corruption were rampant in Alaska. As a district judge, he gained the reputation as a just and tireless protector of the rights of the people. He walked, mushed, and took steamers to hold court around his 300,000 square-mile district. He was a pioneer and adventurer, walking his court circuits, climbing Mt. McKinley, dog mushing the Seward Peninsula, discovering a mining district, and helping establish the town James Wickersham on the front porch of the Wickersham State of Fairbanks. Historic Site iv Executive Summary He was “Our Jim” or “Fighting Jim.” He won seven political races on a home rule platform and became Alaska’s sole delegate to Congress, where he served from 1908-1921 and from 1930-1932. His insightful legislation includes the 1912 Organic Act, which created territorial status, the 1914 Alaska Railroad bill, the 1915 Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines bill, the 1916 bill, which created Mt. McKinley Park (now know as Denali National Park and Preserve), and the 1916 Statehood bill. The Wickersham’s Fairbanks home Wickersham moved to Juneau after years as a peripatetic delegate from Fairbanks. In 1928, he purchased his Juneau home and gathered together his vast library, most of which is in the Alaska State Library, where it is available digitally for interpretive use and to aid in rehabilitation. Wickersham made monumental contributions that documented and preserved Alaskan history. Valued resources include his Bibliography of Alaska 1724-1924, the book Old Yukon: Tales, Trails, and Trials, and later volumes of his eight Alaska Law Reports, compilations of Alaska judicial opinions from 1884-1937. The 1915 Fairbanks Tanana Chiefs Conference The Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan offers a vision of what should occur over the next few years to interpret and operate this valuable historic resource. This plan defines a mission statement and goals and offers a history of Wickersham, the house, and the collections. It identifies interpretive themes and recommends interpretive projects and historic locations of furnishings and objects. This plan also defines visitors’ experiences and goals, and recommends James Wickersham at his desk staffing levels, house operations, and funding possibilities. Executive Summary v 1. IntroduCtIon Background In 1984, the Alaska State Legislature funded the purchase of the Wickersham House and collections to recognize its historic importance to the State of Alaska. The Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR) was designated as the managing agency. Over the years, preservation projects have included installation of a fire suppression system, improved foundation and drainage, and replacement of the roof and second floor windows. In the interior of the house, the library was renovated. Recently, the roof was repaired and the second and third floors have undergone extensive renovations. Over the years, the DPOR has assumed responsibility for landscaping and house maintenance and repairs to the extent budgeted, while relying heavily on volunteer caretakers for routine care and operation. The collection was cataloged in a computerized database in 1984, and again in 2004. During these projects, the collection was inventoried and boxed for storage. The property has never been funded with a dedicated operating budget, staffed with paid employees, or restored for historical interpretation. Mission statements, purpose, and Goals Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation Mission Statement The Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation provides outdoor recreation opportunities and conserves and interprets natural, cultural, and historic resources for the use, enjoyment, and welfare of the people. Wickersham State Historic Site Mission Statement The Wickersham State Historic Site is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history, home, and material culture of Judge James Wickersham for the education and appreciation of Alaska’s residents and visitors. James Wickersham in his garden The Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan Introduction 1 Wickersham State Historic Site Purpose The primary purposes of the Wickersham State Historic Site are: • To house, display, and interpret the Wickersham collection of ethnographic and historical memorabilia as it reflects the territorial history of Alaska. • To provide the opportunity for visitors to gain knowledge of James Wickersham’s significant contributions to Alaska’s judicial, political, and economic development. • The secondary purposes of the Wickersham State Historic Site are: • To provide a unique opportunity to appreciate territorial Alaskan culture, interior design, and architecture. • To recreate a context in which to interpret and study Alaska’s judicial and political leaders. Wickersham State Historic Site Goals The Wickersham State Historic Site will be managed as a house museum kept in the public trust and supported by recognized museum practices. These efforts will include ongoing maintenance of the historic property, professional collection management, historically accurate James Wickersham interpretation, and public access. 2 Introduction The Wickersham State Historic Site Master Interpretive Plan a bed in the office, and access to the office’s library. He studied Governor Palmer’s books to study for the bar exam and was admitted to the 2. Illinois bar on January 14, 1880. During these years, he also taught school while boarding with HIstory of JaMes the Isaac Bell family. wICkersHaM early years—patoka and springfield, Illinois He married Deborah Bell in 1880, and their 1857 - 1884 first son Darrell was born in 1882. In 1883, the young family moved to Tacoma, Washington James Wickersham was born Oct. 9, 1857, the Territory, probably traveling there on the new first son of Mary Jane McHaney and Alexander transcontinental railway. His parents and his Wickersham of Patoka, Illinois. He was the younger siblings moved to Washington Territory Wickersham’s library in Tacoma, WA oldest of several siblings who included Sarah, in 1884, where they established the town of Nancy, Edgar, Harry, Clyde, Mary (May), Frank, Buckley. and Jennie. Throughout his life, he maintained close familial relationships, particularly with tacoma, washington 1884 – 1900 his mother Mary Jane, Edgar (who became a United States Deputy Marshal in Alaska), and Wickersham was involved in legal and historic his sisters. He was proud of his family’s history endeavors while in Tacoma, some of which in America. His ancestors, Thomas and Alice influenced his move to Alaska. Life-long (Hogge) Wickersham, were Quakers who arrived friendships and enemies that contributed toward in Pennsylvania from England in 1700. his future challenges and successes were made while he was in Tacoma. During this period, he He attended public school in Patoka through also developed his lifelong interest in ethnology. The “Committee of Fifteen”—Wickersham is standing on the top row, fourth from the left the 8th grade. After teaching school for several His collection still holds a rare Salish robe and years in rural Illinois, he moved to Springfield in several baskets that were collected while he 1877. Springfield was the hometown of Abraham lived in Tacoma. Lincoln. Wickersham was strongly influenced by this Republican president and by the impact He established