Photo from Wrangell Museum Photo Collection. (Used with permission) F. D. Cheney Photographer.  Photo taken at the Garnet Ledge.

Anna E. Durkee
1915 Newspaper story
Photograph

Anna E. Durkee was the Secretary of the corporation and served as manager of the Alaska Garnet Mining & Manufacturing Co. She was also the controlling stockholder.

Early 1890's: school teacher in Harmony, New York; 1898, clerk at Minneapolis Dry Goods Co.; 1901, Pennsylvania Mutual Life Insurance Co.; 1902, special agent, Mutual Life Insurance Co.; 1903, manager South Dewey Mining Co.; 1904, broker; 1907, Alaska Garnet Mining and Manufacturing Co., secretary.

Was known to have been living in San Francisco about 1915 as AGM&M address on Sutter Street.  Anna also spent time at Pasadena at Hotel Maryland.  She also lived or at least spent time in Arizona where she was involved in mining.

NEW!  I have added information on the Dardanelles Amalgamated Mines, Inc. in hopes of finding more information about Anna and the men who worked the mine. Click on the link to the left.

George W. Durkee was the brother of Eugene Return Durkee, of Durkee Spices and Durkee Famous Foods.  It is possible that Anna also had connections to other Durkee families between New York, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Living so close to Chautauqua, it is possible that Anna may have attended the Chautauqua Institute. 

Her connection to Letitia Crafts, Asst Librarian at the University of Minnesota Library, could also lead to a connection to the Winchell family of geology fame in Minnesota since Gratia Countryman was the head librarian at the library.  Gratia was friends with the Winchells.

Family members have found this web site and have provided information to me.  However, I still need assistance in finding Anna. 

NEW!!! Arizona:  Anna has been documented in Arizona from about 1913 until the early 1930's.  She was part of the Dardanelles Mining Company and the Tungsten Girl Company as well as having real estate transactions in that state. She may have divided up her time between Arizona and California. Unfortunately, she does not show up in any of the census records so it is difficult to document her activities. 

Update 1/2005: Searches of Brooklyn and New York City city directories did not turn up listings for Anna E. Durkee or Mary T. Elmer from 1936 to 1948.  So perhaps the Brooklyn address was not her where she resided?  With Mary T. Elmer's death certificate I have been able to narrow down the search for Anna's death certificate to about 7 years. Mary's DC says she had been living in MN for 7 years before her death in 1955.  The search continues.

Update 3/2005: Per Mary Elmer's descendants and documentation from the Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, I believe that Mary returned to Minnesota about 1948. This narrows down the date of Anna's death to within a few years.  Last known address was E 141st Street, NY.

Update 3/2005: Time period for date of death has been narrowed to June 1947 to December 1948 based on documentation of correspondence from USGS surveyor's report on garnets in Alaska. Also, Mary and Anna were found living in Manhatten in the 1930 US Census!

Update 3/2005:  Information has been received that places Anna as business manager and also as president of the Dardanelles Mining Company (later reorganized into the Dardanelles Amalgamated Mines, Inc.) from about 1919 to the 1930s. The mine was located in Chloride, Arizona. In addition, Mary T. Elmer was also a part of the company.  Stock was issued for the first corporation that was honored by the reorganized company and new stock was also issued for the new company. Stay tuned!

Update May 2005: I have found more information on the Arizona mine as well as census records of the people involved with the mine. I continue to hope that I will find bio material on them to add to the story. 

Update May 2005: Anna's death certificate has been found! She died in 1948. Sad, but true, she is buried without a marker.  I am hoping to raise the funds to place a marker there.  It will cost approximately $900.00 according to the cemetery who does the arrangements.  I am now waiting to find her obituary and her will.

Update June 2005: Two finds in one day!  Anna's patent for the parting compound has been found and the South Dewey Mining Co. was in South Dakota. I have requested copies of the corporation's papers for the South Dakota Corporate Division. Stay tuned!

Update June 2005: South Dewey Mining Co. also incorporated in Idaho!  The State of Idaho Corporate Division copies of the corporate papers were better so I have names of the men. No mention of Anna but I have hopes of finding out more now that I have names and Dates.

For more information on the Durkee Family check out their website at: http://www.durkee.org/