Willie, actually William Wirt French was intrigued and with his long time friend J. M. Hoagland at his side they set out for Alaska and gold. It was the summer of 1898.
William Wirt French was born 20 November 1858 in Curve, Giles County, Virginia. Curve is actually a geographical location not a village. It is located on a curve of the New River and only 2.7 miles from Pearisburg, Virginia. He is one of 10 children from Henly and Harriet French and my 1st cousin 3x removed. He attends school and helps out around the farm.
During the 1880s Willie is 22 still living at home with his family and works as a Railroad Guard. On 6 October 1882 Willie was issued a passport. His description says he is 5'6" tall, has light brown hair and blue eyes, a small mouth and round face.
In 1892 Willie married Rose Baach and they had 5 children.
Mildred Sue
Marion Easley
Lucille Baach
James Hoagland (named after his friend and business partner James M. Hoagland)
William Wirt Jr.
Willie was the attorney for Browning Coal and Coke Co. in Pocahontas, Tazewell County, Virginia.
His office was in the St. Clair Building which housed The Block Company Groceries store also.
On November 2 1898 Willie filed a mining claim above a canyon on Manker Creek. It was listed as claim number 7 and was named Alix. His friend J.M. Hoagland also filed a claim in the same area as claim number 8 he named Lucy. They were witness for each other. Willie was actually in possession of 60 claims.
The rest of the legend goes a little something like this.....
In March of 1899 a group of men including Willie and his dog left from the Lake Klutina area to travel to Valdez. The Valdez Glacier lies between Lake Klutina and Valdez.
It was the Sixth of March, a Monday and the weather seemed to be letting up, it was clear and mild. Willie along with a large group of men decided to go ahead and cross the Valdez Glacier. By Tuesday they had reached the foot of the Glacier. They made camp. Early Wednesday morning Willie and his dog set off joking with the others they would soon catch up. He was last seen on a summit of the glacier. A late storm sprung up Wednesday afternoon and caught Willie by surprise. He never made it to town nor back to his cabin. The rest of the group struggled through the fierce storm and upon arrival in Valdez came the knowledge that neither Willie nor his dog had made it in.
A few days later a search party was able to go back to the trail and search for Willie. They found him on March 13 far off the trail near the summit. He had a wound under his jaw, on his head and on his left hand. He was dead. His dog, a Saint Bernard was curled up around him and barely alive.
On March 15 his body and his dog arrived in Valdez. He was received by the local Masonic Lodge as Willie was a Mason. They gave him a burial with full Masonic Honors on March 21.
J.M. Hoagland took possession of the dog and had it sent to Seattle. From there the dog was sent to Willie's family in Virginia.
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