Old Yukon: Tales, Trails, and Trials

by James Wickersham, Terrence Cole (Introduction)

In this humorous and upbeat memoir, James Wickersham describes his career as a pioneer judge and later as a congressional representative assigned to a vast, snow-covered district, extending over 300,000 square miles in the undeveloped Alaska Territory.  Wickersham’s many adventures include traveling by dogsled over hundreds of miles through snow-covered mountains; serving as judge for the trials of many famous outlaws in the midst of the gold strikes; and hunting, mining, and climbing in his local Alaska wilderness. Though he was instrumental in the early history of Alaska, and his legacy is evident throughout the state—for example, he named the city of Fairbanks—this is the first and only work to focus on Wickersham’s life during this pivotal time in Alaska’s history.

Genres: Nonfiction

514 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is an account of Alaska around 1900 by a person appointed as a Federal Judge at that time. He is a good storyteller and University of Alaska did a great job with the footnotes. If you generally skip footnotes, it will diminish the story told. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Carol Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read, engaging at times. From a historical perspective it’s a significant piece of work. Evidently, the role of a federal judge in Alaska at the beginning of the 20th century required significant skill as an outdoorsman as well as a tolerance for bitterly cold weather.

[Max Malavansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating history of Judge Wickersham...

A larger than life Judge Wickersham and his exploits in his career we're better off for it. I highly recommend this book...

[Steve S]

What I read had really cool facts about pioneering days in Alaska and specifically in the court system. I got bored and didn't finish. I'd like to finish it at some point.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Judge James Wickersham's account of his time in Alaska serving as the Third District Federal Judge in the territory of Alaska at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Its a fascinating read but will appeal to a very select audience. I am from Fairbanks, Alaska and have a fascination for Alaskan history, so this is right up my ally. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Alaska, the gold rush, or tales of the north in general. Terrance Cole (University of Alaska historian) introduces the book and has edited and abridged it. He's done a superb job in my view of bringing the judge and his times alive for the contemporary reader; thank you Terrance.
Wickersham was a key figure in settling interior Alaska in general and Fairbanks in particular in the first decade of the twentieth century. Gold rush Alaska was a dog-eat-dog, tough place. One key to settling the territory was to bring sanity, law, and order to its rapidly expanding population. Wickersham was a stalwart in that regard. He was never afraid to stand up to the rabble. He was also a bit of a visionary in regard to what Alaska's bright future could hold if the right decisions were made and justice was upheld. But Wickersham was also a complex and controversial figure, as editor Cole points out throughout the book. He gathered both admirers and enemies by the boat-load in his wake. He also was one of the very first to explore Mt. McKinley, which is also detailed in this book. I recommend this as a good and enjoyable read.

[Mary Roush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge James Wickersham was a larger-than-life character in a larger-than-life setting. His book, Old Yukon, is dense with his tales, trails, and trials, from aiding stampeders in opening up The Tanana-Yukon valley, to his own grand adventures climbing Denali, to legal battles with greedy politicians trying to usurp the wealth of Alaska, Judge Wickersham paints a rich history. I learned about Alaska's geology and geography, flora and fauna, and her history of native peoples, explorers, prospectors, scoundrels, and champions. Fun and hearty.