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Photographs of the Conrad Mines, Yukon Territory

by L. P. Muirhead, 1906
Arctic & Northern Mining

    Lewis Potter Muirhead shot by far the best photographic record of the silver mines owned by Col. John H. Conrad at Windy Arm, but little is known about him or his brother, Charles Hope, who worked as his photography partner for several years.

    Charles Hope Muirhead was born on August 28, 1872, near Helenburgh, Scotland. Lewis Potter Muirhead was born on November 9, 1874, at Govan, Lanark, Scotland.

    The brothers arrived in the United States in 1893. They took up photography and in 1896 established their Muirhead Bros. photography business in Sidney, BC. Three years later they followed the Klondike gold rush north, working at Bennett, then opening a business in a tent at Junction City, near Atlin. By 1903, L. P. Muirhead seemed to be doing the field work, with the Kluane gold fields his focus in 1904 and 1905, and the Conrad silver mines in 1906.

    In 1906 the photography partnership dissolved. Charles moved to Wenatchee, Washington, and Lewis to the Seattle area where he worked as a commercial marine photographer. In 1911, Lewis and his wife Margaret had a daughter, Marion.

    Charles Hope Muirhead died at Portland Oregon, on April 26, 1957. Lewis Potter Muirhead moved to England in 1926, and died at Battle, Sussex, England, in 1957.

    There are at least three Muirhead photo collections in archives, in Whitehorse, Victoria, and Anchorage. The Yukon Archives has 65 of their photographs in the L. P. Muirhead fonds, the BC Archives has 113 of their photographs in the Muirhead Brothers Photographers fonds, and the Anchorage Museum has 75 of their photographs in the Atlin Gold Rush Photograph Album. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto has several Muirhead photographs of the Conrad mines in their J.B. Tyrrell papers.

    We have posted 38 of L. P. Muirhead's Conrad photos below. You can go directly to specific subjects using these links:

Communities

Conrad City, Yukon Territory
Wynton, British Columbia
Other places

Mines

Big Thing Mine
Montana Mine
Mountain Hero Mine
Thistle Mine
Vault Mine
Venus Mine

Conrad City, Yukon Territory

    The Conrad Hotel, September 1906. Archie and Lulu Gauld had just purchased the hotel, and they, with daughter "Dimple," are probably in the centre of the group.
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 15, page 24.

    Alex Chisholm Hardware, September 1906. Chisholm had leased waterfront property opposite Lots 5 and 6, Block 1, but this appears to be a hillside lot.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6411

    The Conrad Mines cookhouse at Conrad City, 1906.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6415

    "On Windy Arm, Y.T.", September 1906. The Mabel F., operated by Captain P. H. Johnson, started service from Carcross to Conrad in July 1906. This photo was taken from the public wharf at Conrad, looking north.
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 15, page 8.

    Although the name "Muirhead" isn't on the photo, we believe this is one of theirs. The Mabel F. is shown at the Conrad Mines dock at Conrad City - the large structure is the terminus of the Mountain Hero aerial tramway.
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #157.
The aerial tramway at Conrad City, Yukon, in 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Ore dump."
   
Businesses along the waterfront at Conrad City, Yukon, in 1906.

    Conrad waterfront, September 1906. James Durie's Windy Arm Trading on the left, Havana Cigar Store on the right; to the right of the cigar store was the public wharf at the foot of Miller Street. The 4-horse wagon was one of Billy Weisdeppe's "Diamond W" wagons.
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #212.

Wynton, British Columbia
Wynton, British Columbia, 1906

    The Wynton townsite of 80 acres, the entire delta of Dail Creek, was staked on August 11, 1905, by Charles Edgar Wynn-Johnson. This photo shows its maximum extent except for a sawmill on the south side of the delta.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6456.
Wynton, British Columbia, 1906

    "Two of the leading hotels, Wynton, B.C." The Lakeview Hotel was owned by W. A. "Big Bill" Anderson, the Wynton Hotel was owned by Archie Gauld and Mr. Simpson.
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #190.

Other Places
Wood camp above Conrad City, Yukon, 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Windy Arm & wood camp. Conrad City in distance." The Vault mine is far below and just upstream (to the left) of this camp. The first aerial tramway to the Vault started from the location of this wood camp.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6454.
People at Windy Arm, Yukon, in 1906

    "Windy Arm."
   
Sternwheeler Gleaner sailing between Conrad and Carcross, 1906.

    "Windy Arm." The sternwheeler Gleaner sailing between Conrad and Carcross, 1906.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6455.
Windy Arm, Yukon, in 1906

    "Windy Arm."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6453.

Big Thing Mine
Horses hauling timbers to the Big Thing Mines, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. En route from the Montana Mine to the Big Thing." Billy Weisdeppe's pack train hauling timbers, September 1906.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6435.
Conrad Mines, Big Thing Group, 1906

    "Conrad Mines, Big Thing Group."
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #205.
Conrad Mines, Big Thing, 1906 - today, commonly called the first stone house

    "Conrad Mines, Big Thing." Today, this is commonly called "the first stone house."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6419.

    "Conrad Mines, Big Thing Group."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6429.

Montana Mine
Conrad Mines. Montana tunnel, 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Montana."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6430.

Mountain Hero Mine
Conrad Mines - the Mountain Hero camp in 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Montana." This is actually the Mountain Hero camp in 1906. The Montana is higher, on the far (south) side of that ridge. The buildings in this photo are, from the left, the upper aerial tramway terminus, the adit driven in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the Montana vein, a tent for Billy Weisdeppe's horses, and the stone house.
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 14, page 8.
Conrad Mines - the Mountain Hero camp in 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Montana." This is also the Mountain Hero camp in 1906.
    Yukon Archives, Karpes fonds, 78/87.
Inside the Mountain Hero silver mine, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Mountain Hero."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6421.
Conrad Mines - the Mountain Hero camp in 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Montana." This is also the Mountain Hero camp in 1906, with the upper aerial tramway terminus.
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 14, page 11.

Horses hauling timbers from the Mountain Hero aerial tramway to the Big Thing Group.

    "Billy's grass-hoppers, Conrad Mines." Hauling timbers from the Mountain Hero aerial tramway to the Big Thing Group.
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 14, page 36.
Horses hauling timbers from the Mountain Hero aerial tramway to the Big Thing Group.

    "Resting, that's all. Conrad Mines." Hauling timbers from the Mountain Hero aerial tramway to the Big Thing Group.
   

Thistle Mine

    "Conrad Mines. Thistle."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6422.

    "Conrad Mines. Thistle."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6423.

Vault Mine
Conrad Mines. Vault, 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Vault."
    Yukon Archives, Smith collection, 95/99, #12.
Conrad Mines. Vault, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Vault."
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #206.
Conrad Mines. Vault, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Vault."
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #185.
Conrad Mines. Vault, 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Vault."
    Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, J.B. Tyrrell papers, Album 15, page 44.

Venus Mine
The 1901 cabin at the Venus silver mine, Yukon

    The original cabin built on the Venus property by Jack Stewart and Jack Pooley in 1901, photographed in 1906.
    Yukon Archives, Smith collection, 95/99, #5.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6424.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Scott/Phelps collection, 89/31, #192.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6425.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6431.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6428.
Conrad Mines. Venus, 1906.

    "Conrad Mines. Venus."
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6427.
Conrad Mines. Venus.

    "Conrad Mines. Venus." The Venus No. 2 adit.
    Yukon Archives, Muirhead fonds, #6426.