b1991030-castner.pdf

Accession:

1991, June 29 Castner Collection

Photographs, 1898, 1903, Photographs of Glenn Expedition of 1898 and of Alaska in 1903.

Donated. Carr, James, 5532 Huntley Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92645

64 Photos. 5 Copies. 1 Map.

Castner B91.30

Scope and Contents

General Joseph C. Castner was born in New Brunswick, NJ on November 18,
1869. He attended Rutgers College graduating with a bachelor’s degree in science in
1891 and later a master’s degree in science in 1916. In 1891, after having been named
“best soldier of the cadet body” he was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Army.
In 1898, while serving in Alaska he took part in the Glenn Expedition. The
expedition, headed by Captain Edwin F. Glenn was to establish a camp on Prince
William Sound and then explore from there possible routes that would allow easy access
from tidewater to crossings of the Tanana River in the direction of the Yukon River.
Castner, as a 2
nd
Lieutenant sought out a route out of Portage Bay and over the Portage
Glacier, as well as a route from upper Cook Inlet north to the Tanana River.
For his “gallantry” in action while serving in the Philippines from 1900 to 1901,
he received two Silver Stars. Later, during World War I he would be honored with the
Distinguished Service Medal and a third Silver Star while serving as the commanding
Colonel of the 38^th
/ Infantry in France. From 1908 to 1912, Castner was appointed the
Constructing Quartermaster in the U.S. Army serving in Hawaii and soon after in 1915 he
became the Adjutant General for the District of Columbia. In 1921, Castner became a
Brigadier General. Castner commanded forces in China during the years of 1926 to 1929
and in 1933 Castner retired as a commander of the Third Division in the Western States.
He died on July 8, 1946.
The Castner Collection contains photographs taken by William C. Mendenhall
and A. H. Brooks. The photos in this collection are primarily of the 1898 Glenn
Expedition with some photos of Alaska taken in 1903. The photos of the Glenn
Expedition include several photos along the Tanana River, and various army camps and
town views. The map in the collection is a hand drawn map illustrating a route from Fort
Hamlin along the Yukon River traveling from east to west to the Peavey trade post where
the North and South forks of the Koyukuk River meet. Please see collection list for
specific item descriptions.
The collection is arranged in number order and divided into four photo folders
B91.30.1-15, B91.30.16-30, B91.30.31-50, B91.30.51-64, and a map folder B91.30.65.

Donated. Carr, James, Garden Grove, CA 2003 SLL

64 Photos. 5 Copies. 1 Map.

Castner B91.30

Item List

Folder B91.30.1-16

B91.30.1 Dyea B&W 5 x 6.5
B91.30.2 Copper Mountain, Prince William Sound Sepia 6 x 4.5*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.3 Mouth of Six Mile Creek B&W 4.5 x 6*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.4 Camp of Lt. Learnard’s Party at Camp B&W 4.5 x 6.5
B91.30.5 Tidal Fish trap Cook’s Inlet Sepia 4.5 x 5.5*
B91.30.6 Ladd’s Station, Alaska Sepia 5 x 6.5*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.7 Miners at Spruce Camp B&W 5 x 6.5
B91.30.8 Matanuska Glacier from Glacier Point Sepia 5 x 6*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.9 Looking down Portage Bay from the summit of Portage Sepia 5 x 6
B91.30.10 Copper River plateau B&W 4.5 x 6
Slide 1.15
B91.30.11 Slana Glacier Sepia 5 x 6
B91.30.12 View from Finger Lake toward Chugach Range on trail
from Knik to Matanuska River
Sepia 4.5 x 6
Slide 1.15
B91.30.13 Bolder Creek Gorge B&W 4.5 x 6
B91.30.14 Matanuska at the mouth of Granite Creek Sepia 5 x 6*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.15 Trap Ridges Matanuska Valley Sepia 5 x 6

Folder B91.30.16-30

B91.30.16 South from the Tanana Valley toward Mt. Hayes B&W 4.5 x 6
B91.30.17 A Family of Copper River Native Alaskan People B&W 3.5 x 4.5
Slide 2.1
B91.30.18 Junction of Copper and Gakona rivers Sepia 3.5 x 4.5
B91.30.19 Mount Blackburn B&W 4.5 x 6.5
B91.30.20 Mt. Sanford Sepia 4.5 x 6
B91.30.21 Sledge dogs and owner B&W 3.5 x 4.5*
B91.30.22 Men with canoes on Lake Laberge Sepia 3.5 x 4.5
B91.30.23 Dawson City B&W 4 x 6
B91.30.24 Looking up the Matanuska below Moose Creek B&W 4 x 6*
Slide 1.5
B91.30.25 Copper River Plateau B&W 4 x 6
B91.30.26 Alaskan Alps B&W 4 x 6

B91.30.27 Nome B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.28 Fairbanks on Chena Slough B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.29 Totem pole at Sitka B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.30 Fire Engine house, Circle City B&W 5 x 7*

Folder B91.30.31-50
B91.30.31 Totem pole at Wrangell B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.32 Dawson City B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.33 Sitka Habor B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.34 View of Juneau B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.35 Port Safety Esquimeaux B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.36 Pack train at Circle B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.37 Fort Yukon B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.38 Steamer Sarah with passengers on stampede to
Fairbanks
B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.39 Sluicing B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.40 Pack train between Tyoneck and Ladd’s station B&W 5 x 7*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.41 Salmon drying on banks of Sushitna B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.42 Shaman Village of Native Alaskan People B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.43 Rampart City B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.44 Forty mile town B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.45 Four men with packs, showing Native style of packing B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.46 Totem Pole B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.47 St. James Mission below Tanana Station B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.48 Lynn Canal, from steamship Wheeling , Skagway B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.49 Army Supplies B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.50 Tyonick, Cook Inlet B&W 5 x 7*

Folder B91.30.51-64

B91.30.51 Circle City party (used as cover photo, Castner book) B&W 5 x 7*
Slide 2.11
B91.30.52 Luther S. Kelly, In camp, Portage Bay B&W 5 x 7* 8 x 10
Slide 2.11
B91.30.53 Army men snow shoeing B&W 5 x 7*
Slide 2.11
B91.30.54 Copper-Tanana Divide B&W 5 x 7*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.55 St. Michael’s B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.56 Native Alaskan fishing station on the Tanana River B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.57 Portage Bay Camp, May 1898 B&W 5 x 7* 8 x 10
Slide 1.15

B91.30.58 Army camp B&W 5 x 7*
B91.30.59 Cadet Captain Castner B&W 4.5 x 3.5*
Slide 2.11
B91.30.60 Sunrise showing mountains north of Turnagain Arm B&W 8 x 10*
B91.30.61 Camp in gorge of a tributary of Hicks Creek B&W 8 x 10*
Slide 1.15

B91.30.62 Looking up the valley of Matanuska River from
Glacier Point
B&W 8 x 10*
Slide 1.15
B91.30.63 Hunting camp of Copper River, Ahtena Native
Alaskans
B&W 8 x 10*
Slide AT 3.4
B91.30.64 Athapaskan Native Alaskans, house and cache at
mouth of Volkman River
B&W 8 x 10*

Folder B91.30.65

B91.30.65 Map- Oct. 31 1898 hand drawn

*Has Negative
**At time of this description’s creation B91.30.8, 14, and 37 were not found in collection folders.