The world's record for the fastest time of a midwinter "mush" from Nome to Seattle via Valdez was set by Charles Edward "Ned" Darling (1871-1923) at 42 days, beating the previous record by four days. Born in Ireland, at the time of this image Ned was a hardware merchant in Nome, Alaska. He moved to Berkeley, California, before 1920 with his wife, novelist Esther Birdsall Darling (1868-1965).
This image was taken as Ned prepares to leave Nome with his dog sled team. Between 1898 and 1910 the population of Nome spiked from an about 2,500 to 12,488 due to the Yukon gold rush. At this time, Nome was the largest city in the Alaska Territory, although Nome was only accessible by dog sled or by steamship.
Signs in image: U. S. Mercantile Co., Furnishings, Groceries; Lipton's Coffee; G. M. Thuland, Lawyer, Notary; The Surprise Store; The Hudson, Furnished Rooms; Delbar & McGrath, New & Second-Hand Furniture; Carllis Bros, Groceries, Fruits, & Confectionery; Nome Gold; Stationery; Darling & Dean Written on negative: C.E. Darling leaving Nome, Alaska for Seattle and the Outside, Feb. 2nd, 1906 Typed on verso: C. E. Darling leaving Nome for Seattle and the Outside. Feb. 2, 1906, photo by Nowell SHS category: Alaska - People
Caption information source: The Seattle Daily Times, March 19, 1906, page 8 Caption information source: The Seattle Daily Times, April 6, 1912, page 12
Physical Description: 1 photographic print mounted on cardboard: b&w ; 7.5 x 9.5 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
