I spent almost 40 years researching the women who owned the Alaska Garnet Mining & Manufacturing Corporation at Wrangell, Alaska in the early 1900′s. They lived in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area but seemed to virtually drop off the face of the earth. But I am happy to say that I have not only found the original women (and their descendants) but have found more women who were involved in the company.
In the process, this has become more than just the history of the Wrangell Garnet Ledge. It has become a story of Anna E. Durkee and her success as a mining woman—although it could be said that her success was as a promoter of mining and/or fund-raiser. So now, information about her mining activities in Arizona have been added to this web site as I continue to pursue my research of the women and their activities.
Do you know any of these women? Do you know any of the people that have been connected to the women? Are you a descendant? Please help me give them their spot in history! Not all of the information on the women is listed here and will not be listed any time in near the future. I would be very happy to share information with descendants!
Wanted!!! If you have items that were produced by the Alaska Garnet Mining & Manufacturing Co., owned by the women, I would be interested in hearing from you. Even photographs would be appreciated! In addition, I am interested in anything from the Alaska Ruby Mining and Development Co., formed by a group of Chicago businessmen in 1905.
I still do not know where they produced their jewelry although Anna E. Durkee told at least one reporter that they were shipping the garnets to Minneapolis where they would be turned into jewelry. They also sold loose garnets at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon Exposition in Seattle, and the 1915 Pan Pacific Expo in San Francisco.
This site will be updated as more information is obtained. If you have information about the Wrangell Garnet Ledge, please contact me. The book was published in 2016 and is available on Amazon.com. And of course, I continue to search for information on the women. You never know, I may publish an update!
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