REFERENCE CODE: AkAMH

REPOSITORY NAME:
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
Bob and Evangeline Atwood Alaska Resource Center
625 C Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: 907-929-9235
Fax: 907-929-9233
Email: resourcecenter@anchoragemuseum.org

Guide prepared by: Susan Pope, Volunteer

TITLE: Dr. H.E. Auringer Collection

COLLECTION NUMBER: B1991.048

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: circa 1910-1942 (bulk 1912-1914)

Extent: 1 box; 0.4 linear feet

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Horace Edward Auringer, Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, Basil Clemons, Clemons
& Koon

Administrative/Biographical History:
Dr. Horace E. Auringer was born in February, 1889, in New York. He arrived in Alaska
sometime in 1912. He was hired by the Guggenheim Mine to open a six bed hospital in Flat,
Alaska. From there he traveled the region by dog team and other modes of transportation to
serve the miners in the remote areas of the Iditarod District of interior Alaska.

He left Alaska in 1916 or 1917 to serve in the U.S. Army medical corps in World War I. He did
not return to Alaska after completing his military service. He opened a medical practice in
Savona, New York; then moved in 1920 to Corning, N.Y., where he worked at the Corning
Hospital. In 1929 he opened a family practice in Addison, N.Y. where he worked until his
retirement. He died in 1961 in Corning, N.Y.

Scope and Content Description:
The collection consists of 186 black-and-white prints, 37 nitrate negatives and a memoir by
S.E. Patchell, entitled My Extraordinary Years of Adventures and Romance in Klondike and

Alaska, (London: A.E. Stockwell, Ltd., 1942). Included are many photographs taken by Basil
Clemons, whom Auringer knew while in the territory.

Arrangement: Not applicable


CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

Restrictions on Access: The collection is open for research use. Access to original nitrate
negatives is limited.

Physical Access: Original items in good condition.

Technical Access: No special equipment is needed to access the materials.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:
The Anchorage Museum is the owner of the materials and makes available reproductions for
research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the
Anchorage Museum before any reproduction use. The Anchorage Museum does not
necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission
for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation:
Dr. H.E. Auringer Collection, Anchorage Museum, B1991.048


ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and Appraisal Information
Donated by Edward M. Auringer, M.D., son of Dr. H.E. Auringer, in 1991.

Processing Note
Nitrate negatives scanned 2014.

Separated Materials
Nitrate negatives removed to freezer in 2014.


SUBJECTS
Auringer, Horace E., 1889-1961
Patchell, Sarah Elizabeth Wade
Clemons, Basil, 1887-1964
Yukon Gold Company
United States. Army. Medical Corps

Flat Hospital (Alaska)
Gold mines and mining—Alaska
Rural health services—Alaska
Hospitals—Alaska
Physicians—Alaska
Nurses—Alaska
Nursing—Alaska
Dogsledding—Alaska
Sled dog racing—Alaska
Alaska—Societies, etc.
Alaska Natives—Alaska
Log cabins—Alaska
Chatanika (Alaska)
Flat (Alaska)
Ester (Alaska)
Holy Cross (Alaska)
Iditarod (Alaska)
Kaltag (Alaska)
Ophir (Alaska)
Poorman (Alaska)
Ruby (Alaska)
Takotna (Alaska)
Yukon River (Yukon and Alaska)

Detailed Description of the Collection

F1
1 — Arctic Brotherhood’s Ball in AB Hall, Iditarod, Alaska, 1913 [group portrait]
2 — Home of the Iditarod Pioneer, Iditarod, Alaska, 1913. Clemons [street view, men standing in front of newspaper building]
3 — [View of trees, lake or harbor with hill and houses in background]
4 — [Palm trees, people, boulevard lined with concrete fences and gate]
5 — [Unidentified seascape with islands and landforms with buildings in the distance]
6 — [Unidentified seascape with ships in the distance]
7 — [Aboard ship with metal gangplank to hanging lifeboat]
8 — [Unidentified seaport with large ship in background and smaller ships nearby]
9 — [Coastal town with buildings, stone fence, and road]
10 — [Aboard ship with ship’s officer and unidentified man]
11 — [Aboard ship with unidentified ship’s officer]
12 — [Aboard ship with unidentified man]
13 — [Man driving dog sled, pulled by three large dogs, with passenger in sled]
14 — [Three men standing on plank holding pitchfork and shovel beside trench or stream in marsh or tundra, probably digging water trench for mining operation]
15 — [People, porch steps, building, dense foliage]
16 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer, rocking chair, interior of home or building, floral arrangement]
17 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer riding horse, two log cabins, outhouse, box of Clemons Photos in dirt behind horse, Iditarod]
18 — Dr. H.E. Auringer, Flat-Iditarod, Alaska. Clemons Photo 14 [log cabin, tin roof, glass window with diamond-shaped panes]
19 — [Dr. H. E. Auringer, Iditarod, boulders, tundra, mountain]
20 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer, Flat Hospital, two-story log structure, one-story log structure to right, tar-paper wooden structure to left, sign, “Baths and Laundry”]
21 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer, woman, tennis court, tennis rackets, unknown location]
22 — [Three men, two women with bicycles, stone fence, road, two story building, trees]
23 — [Four men, one woman, bicycles, metal gate, stone pillars, road]
24 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, nurses, nursing, log cabins, Flat]
25 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, nurses, nursing, log cabins, tools, Flat]
26 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell wearing nurses’ uniform standing on boardwalk outside Flat Hospital]
27 — [Baseball game, grass field, houses and buildings in background, Flat]
28 — [Baseball game, grass field, houses and buildings in background, Flat]
29 — [Boardwalk, Flat, man with mosquito netting on head]
30 — [Iditarod Emergency Hospital and Drug Store, boardwalk, buildings, telegraph poles, Iditarod]
31 — [Miss Murray Ladies Furnishings, houses and buildings, husky dog in foreground, Iditarod]
32 — [A.J. Weiss Clothier, Welcome Cigar Store, The Grand Bar, Arcade, The Bank Café, houses and buildings, boardwalk, telegraph poles, Iditarod]
33 — [Houses and buildings, Iditarod]
34 — [Gold mines and mining, buildings, Iditarod]
35 — [Man at door to building, Iditarod]
36 — [Man with sled and sled dog, in front of log building, Iditarod]
37 — [Man at door to log cabin, Iditarod]
38 — [Miners, gold mines and mining, Iditarod]
39 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, nurses, nursing, log cabins, Flat]
40 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, nurses, nursing, Flat]
41 — [Man and woman, bridge, Flat]
42 — [Man and woman, bridge, Flat]
43 — [Women with umbrella, bridge, Flat]
44 — [Houses and buildings, Flat. Original caption and photographer’s name faded]
45 — [Houses and buildings, dogsled, Flat]
46 — [Log house with wood supply, Flat] F2
 44a — [Women with horse, buildings in background, Flat]
 45a — [Woman with children, outside building, other houses and buildings in background, Flat]
 46a — [Women walking, log houses and buildings, Flat]
47 — [Large dog team. two men, sled, buildings in background]
48 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, husky dog, cabin, Flat]
49 — [Husky dog in front of woodpile]
50 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, fur pieces, Flat]
51 — [Infant, hospital, Flat]
52 — Office and building, Yukon Gold Co. [Flat. Photographer’s name cropped on print]
53 — Cripple, Alaska, 1912. Clemons Photo [Iditarod District]
54 — Head of Flat Creek, Alaska, May, 1911[?] [mines and mining. Original caption and photographer’s name scratched out of print]
55 — [Two women on bridge, Flat]
56 — Flat City, Alaska. Clemons [buildings]
57 — [Gold mining and mines, mining equipment, mine tailings, Iditarod District]
58 — [Gold mining and mines, mining equipment, Iditarod District]
59 — [Gold mining, mines, mining equipment, Iditarod District]
60 — [Gold mining and mines, mining equipment, mine tailings, Iditarod District]
61 — [Gold mining and mines, mining equipment, mine tailings, Iditarod District]
62 — Ross’ car, Fairbanks, Alaska. Clemons Photo [automobiles]
63 — Clemons Photo [Gold mining, mining and mines, buildings]
64 — Ruby’s first dog race, Mar. 1, 1913 [Martin Sickinger General Merchandise, Furniture, and Hardware, The Senate, dog racing, Basil Clemons, photographer]
65 — [Mountain, marsh]
66 — [Gulls on water, islands in background]
67 — [Horse-drawn sled or wagon, river, mountains]
68 — Ruby, Alaska, 1912. Clemons Photo [men, small open boats, some with possible steam engines, platform with tools and man working, on shore of Yukon River]
69 — Funeral of Thomas Everson, Ruby, Alaska, 1912. Clemons [men and horse-drawn, flag- draped carriage carrying casket]
70 — Lower Ruby, Alaska, May 10, 1912. Clemons Photo [ships tied up to river bank]
71 — [Dog teams with sleds, winter scene, men in parkas, wood supply, in front of log cabin, road or trail cut into hillside in background.]
72 — Interior, Johnso [sic] and Fernander’s cabin, Long City, Ruby Dist., Alaska, 1912. Clemons Photo [Five men sitting on bench facing camera, pictures of women on wall behind them]
73 — [Dog team crossing clearing on hillside]
74 — E. Coke Hill, start in Ruby’s dog race, 1913. Clemons Photo [men handling dogs, lining street, Bank Saloon and buildings in background]
75 — [Summer street scene, foot race, Anderson Drug Store in background]
76 — Minook in Ruby’s first dog race, Mar. 1, 1913 [winter scene, woodpile, buildings, dog team and driver]
77 — Kaltag, Alaska, 1912. Clemons [log and frame structures on riverbank, wood supply, flag and pole, steam ships]
78 — Second Ave., Ruby, Alaska, 1912. Clemons #69 [view of log and frame buildings climbing uphill, men on plank walkway, Ruby Telegraph, Record-Citizen in background]
79 — 3rd Street, Ruby, Alaska, 1912. Clemons Photo [view of log and frame buildings climbing uphill, men in foreground]
80 — N.C. Co. from the boats, Ruby, Alaska, 1913. Clemons Photo [tent and frame buildings, cabins and people lining shore]
81 — Looking down Flat Cr., Alaska, Iditarod Mining Dis., 1912, from Bishop A. Marsh, Flat Iron, Fra. [dredge in foreground, buildings in valley]
82 — Sumit [sic] Asso. on divide betewe [sic] Flat and Willow Crs, Iditarod, Alaska. Clemons Photo, 1912, Donnley, Dettering (Caribou Bill) and Welsh [working in rock piles, sluices]
83 — Interior, Jery [sic] Ford’s Saloon, Flat, Alaska, 1912 [men, pool table, stove, bar]
84 — S.M. Dalby, Ruby, Alaska, 1912 [two horse team pulling large sledge with sign S.M. Dalby, wagon in background with sign S.M. Salby, Dry Wood, loading or unloading wood, Clemons photographer]
85 — Warren, Burk & Heney, Windy Bench Claim, Long Cr., Ruby Mining Dist., Alaska, 1912, Clemons, 1913 [sluices, steam equipment, smokestack]
86 — Ruby, Alaska, October 1, 1911. Clemons [bird’s eye view, houses, tents, steamship, banks of the Yukon River]
87 — [?] Creek, Ruby Dist., Alaska, April 1912 [woman with shotgun in front of tent, four men, one holding dead ptarmigan, Clemons Photo sign attached to tree trunk, Clemons photographer. Original caption illegible]
88 — The Moose Barbeque, Ruby, Alaska, Oct. 24, 1914, by Ruby branch of Long Lodge #1428, L.O.O.M . Basil Clemons Photo [large hall with long tables and men seated at benches and tables of food]
89 — Looking up Cripple Creek, Alaska, 1912. Clemons [log cabin with smokestack and mountain in background]
90 — Christmas Day, 1912, at White & La Furgies Cigar Store, Cripple, Alaska. Clemons Photo [men and dog lined up on porch of frame cigar store]
91 — Cripple, Alaska, 1912. Clemons Photo, [panoramic view of trees and bend in river]
92 — Looking up Colorado Cr., Cripple, Alaska. Clemons Photo, 1912[mountains in background]
93 — Looking down Colorado Creek, Cripple, Alaska. Clemons, 1912 [person sitting on sled in foreground, hills in background]
94 — River front, Cripple City, 1912, sketch shows new trail to Iditarod via Long City, Poorman, Cripple, Ophir & Tacotna [map with several rivers and villages along the trail sketched onto print]
95 — [Nine-dog team with driver in fur parka and full sled stopped along snowy trail]
96 — Clemons Photo, Alaska, 1914 [man dressed in suit with hat standing on corduroy bridge, over small creek in tundra] F3
97 — Mitchell and Fallon, Ester Creek, Alaskan gold miners, Fairbanks, Clemons Photo [men in front of log cabin]
98 — Grand Thanksgiving Ball given by the Arctic Brotherhood, Camp No. 26 in A.B. Hall, Flat City, Alaska, 1913, Clemons Photo [men and women dressed in formal attire posing for picture amidst elaborate ceiling decorations]
99 — Interior boiler house, Yukon Gold Co.’s 500 horse power plant, Flat, Alaska, 1912 Clemons Photo for 4-G Co.
100 — [?] supper of Mr. and Mrs. [?] Smith, Iditarod, Alaska, Nov. 19, A.D. 1912. Clemons [men and women dressed in formal attire sitting at a dining table. Caption partially cropped]
101 — Otter Creek & Discovery City, gold mining scene in the Iditarod, Alaska. Clemons & Koon Photo, 1914 [tailings, sluice, houses, tents in distance]
102 — The Flat Creek Social Club, Iditarod, Alaska, 1914. Clemons & Koon [men and women and baby seated in walled tent]
103 — Flat City & Otter Creek, Iditarod Gold Mining Dist., Alaska, 1914. Clemons [houses and buildings, road and bridge, panoramic view across creek to hills, unidentified man in foreground]
104 — [Man with cigar wearing suit and standing in front of unidentified creek, hills in background]
105 — Discovery City, Iditarod Gold Mining Dist., Alaska, 1914, Clemons & Koon Photo [gold mines and mining, Otter Creek, houses, tents, and buildings]
106 — [Dogs pulling dog sled on trail along hillside]
107 — [white women and Alaska Native women wearing Western-style clothing, each woman holding rolled paper, on beach next to fish traps, fish drying racks, Holy Cross?]
108 — [Holy Cross mission, Walker Slough, boardwalk, church, buildings, waterfront]
109 — Hazard Asso. C. H. Watson, Chatanika, Alaska, Fairbanks Gold Mining Dist., 1913. Clemons Photo [logs, mining equipment, people in foreground]
110 — [Soldier, military uniform, firearms, U.S. Army, Alaska (?)]
111 — [Town buildings and street located in valley, gold-mining]
112 — [Soldier, military uniform, U.S. Army, Alaska (?)]
113 — [Sawmill, stacked logs, winter scene]
114 — [Alaska Native school girls in uniform, school, school children]
115 — [Mission school, Alaska Native school children, Catholic priests and nuns, school house]
116 — [Alaska Native school children, Catholic nuns, forest location, winter]
117 — [Houses and buildings, interiors, log construction, people, pictures on the wall]
118 — [Dragline excavator, gold mining equipment, gold mining]
119 — [Gold mining, gold mining equipment, miners, man and woman observing mine]
120 — [Gold mining town, part of mill, buildings, view from hill]
121 — [Alaska Native children, vegetables, agriculture, mission?]
122 — [Priests, mission, school?]
123 — [Dog, wood pile. Has neg]
124 — [Dogs, sled, log cabin. has neg]
125 — [Dogs, log cabins, wagon wheels, man. Has neg]
126 — [Dog, woodpile, log cabin. has neg]
127 — [Dogs, sled, woodpile, log cabins. Has neg]
128 — [Nurses, nursing, people, nursing school, S.E. Patchell?]
129 — [Holy Cross, churches, houses and buildings, missions]
130 — [Holy Cross, houses and buildings, missions]
131 — [Alaska Native children, Yukon River village? river front]
132 — [Women, aboard ship]
133 — [Women, aboard ship]
134 — [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell]
135 — [Holy Cross, mission, houses and buildings, agriculture]
136 — [Holy Cross, mission, houses and buildings, agriculture]
137 — [Soldier, uniform, military, U.S. Army]
138 — [Soldier, uniform, military, training, firearms, U.S. Army]
139 — [Dogs, sled, man guiding sled, log cabin, winter. Has neg]
140 — Arnie Ericksen [man with baby, furniture, houses and building, interiors]
141 — Calvary Pres. Church, Newburgh, N.Y., Ruben
142 — [Miners, gold mining]
143 — Lower Ruby, Alaska, May 10, 1912. Clemons Photo [Yukon River, tugboats, barges]
 144a — [Flat Hospital, log construction, boardwalk, houses and buildings, people]
 144b — [loose photo postcard, same image as .144a; note on back of photo says, “Do you recognize the military club on the left?”]
145 —baby, six months old, March 26, ’18 [furniture, children, houses and buildings, interiors. Cf. .140. In 2019, identified by descendants as Arne Erickson with Hans Gunnar Erickson, born September 29, 1917]
146 — [Flat Hospital, houses and buildings, interiors]
147 — [Man sitting on canvas-covered boat on dried mud bank]
148 — [Unidentified buildings, unknown location]
149 — [Women on lawn in front of houses, unknown location, Sarah Elizabeth Patchell?)]
150 — [Baby, field, house, unknown location]
151 — [Children, lawn, unknown location]
152 — [Woman, wicker chair, outside patio, unknown location]
153 — [Vintage auto, people, log cabin, people, Alaska?]
154 — [Older woman, young child, porch, buildings, unknown location]
155 — [Nurses, chairs, buildings, unknown location]
156 — [Nurse, chairs, buildings, unknown location]
157 — [Woman, bridge, forest scene, unknown location]
158 — [Docks, buildings, waterfront, unknown location. Has neg]
159 — [Women sitting in garden with dog, unknown location]
160 — [City, buildings, street, unknown location. Has neg]
161 — [Railroad, railroad track, telephone/telegraph poles and wires. Has neg]
162 — [City, buildings, smokestacks and smoke, highways, unknown location. Has neg]
163 — [Woman, children, bicycle, hobby horse, dog, porch, house, buildings]
164 — [Woman, tree, house, lawn, unknown location]
165 — [Men, train, Coney Island Express]
166 — [Boy with bicycle, lawn, trees, house, unknown location]
167 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, (parents?), siblings Jay, Lucy, Alice, Jessie (wife/mother?)]
168 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, two men, one woman, sitting on outside bench]
169 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, (parents?), siblings Jay, Lucy, Alice, Jessie (wife/mother?)] .170 – [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, (parents?), siblings Jay, Lucy, Alice, Jessie (wife/mother?)]
171 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, two women, one man, sitting on outside bench]
172 — [Dr. H.E. Auringer’s family, (parents?), siblings Jay, Lucy, Alice, Jessie (wife/mother?)]
173 — [Man, railroad station, railroad track. Has neg]
174 — [Man holding hat, field, dog]
175 — [Man, child in sailor hat, waterfront]
176 — [Woman, young man, stone steps, front porch, brick house]
177 — [Man, woman, child, street scene. Has neg]
178 — [Unknown man, (Dr. H.E. Auringer?)]
179 — [Man, vintage auto, building, driveway. Has neg] .180 − Dr. H.E. Auringer, “Out for a tramp with the dogs hunting ptarmigan. Doc.” [Postcard addressed to] I.M. Auringer, 2 Congress St., Cohoes, New York. U.S.A. [winter scene, Dr. Auringer with rifle, two dogs, trees] .181 − Medical regt. on parade [soldiers in uniform marching on field in formation with flag, two soldiers carrying swords, one-story building in background, military base?] .182 − [Sarah Elizabeth Patchell, seated in formal pose with period dress and long white gloves. Tinted photo] F4 [Modern prints made from original negatives] .183 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer with dogs, log cabins, and wagon wheels (neg.)] .184 − [Dogs on woodpile] .185 − [Alaska Natives, group portrait, blurry, (neg).] .186 − [Man next to wood plank buildings (neg.)] .187 − [Men and women next to wood plank building, onlookers on right, blurry (neg.)] .188 − [Men and women next to wood plank building, blurry (neg.) .189 − [Men and women next to wood plank building, window visible, blurry (neg.)] .190 − [Native women on shore, blurry (neg.)] .191 − [Alaska Native people in grass, blurry (neg.)] .192 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer and woman atop Empire State Building, New York, (neg.)] .193 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer, atop Empire State Building, New York, (neg.)] .194 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer, atop Empire State Building, New York, (neg.)] .195 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer, atop Empire State Building, New York, line through the negative (neg.)] .196 − [Dr. H.E. Auringer, atop Empire State Building, New York, blurry, (neg.)] .197 − [Close-up of woman atop Empire State Building, New York, (neg.)] .198 − [Bird’s eye view of city buildings, (neg.)] .199 − Miles City, Montana, [passengers on platform at railway station, (neg.)] .200 − [Man and dog in fields, buildings in background, (neg.)] .201 − [Man in field, buildings in background, (neg.)] .202 − [Man, child, dog, two plow horses and plow in fields, buildings in background, (neg.)] .203 − [Man and child plowing fields, horses, buildings in background, (neg.)] .204 − [Man and woman on steps of brick building, (neg.)] .205 − [Baby on chair, (neg.)] .206 − [Person on bed (neg.)] Guide updated: May 30, 2019