George Carmack

Infobox Person
name = George Washington Carmack


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birth_date = September 24, 1860
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death_date = June 5, 1922
death_place = Seattle, Washington
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known_for = With his brother-in-law, credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
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occupation = Prospector
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spouse = Kate Carmack
Marguerite Laimee
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children = Daughter, Graphie Grace Carmack
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relations = Sister, Rose Watson


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George Washington Carmack (September 24, 1860 – June 5, 1922) [cite web | title=George Washington Carmack (1860 - 1922) | work=Find-A-Grave | url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2543 | accessdate=2006-08-31] was a Contra Costa County, California-born prospector in the Yukon. He was originally credited with the discovery of gold that set off the Klondike Gold Rush on August 16, 1896. Today, historians usually give the credit to his brother-in-law, Skookum Jim Mason.

Early years

Carmack's mother died when he was 8 years old and his father died when he was 11. His great-grandfather was Abraham Blystone. Carmack served aboard the "USS Wachusetts" in 1882, before deserting the United States Marine Corps in the same year. [Guide]

Carmack arrived in the north in 1885 for trading, fishing and trapping. ["Early days in the Klondike", Business. The Globe & Mail, June 10, 1922.] He married in common-law [Guide] a Tagish First Nation woman who went by the name Kate, in 1887. [SHAWW]

Prospector

Carmack was not popular with other miners who nicknamed him "Squaw Man" for his association with native people and "Lyin' George" for his exaggerated claims. Nevertheless, he did find a coal deposit near what is today the village of Carmacks, Yukon which was named after him.

In August 1896, he and Kate were fishing at the mouth of the Klondike River when Skookum Jim, his nephew Dawson Charlie and another nephew found them. Prospector Robert Henderson who had been mining gold on the Indian River, just south of the Klondike, suggested that he should try out Rabbit Creek, now Bonanza Creek, where the gold discovery was made.

Wealthy, the Carmacks moved to a ranch near Hollister, California and lived with Carmack's sister, Rose Watson (Rose Curtis).

Later years

In 1900, he abandoned Kate, moved to Seattle, and married Marguerite P. Laimee in Olympia, Washington. [Guide]

Kate and Graphie stayed with Rose. Kate, illiterate, without financial means, unable to prove she was Carmack's legal wife entitled to alimony, returned to Carcross in July 1901 where she raised Graphie. [Guide] [SHAAW]

Carmack died in Seattle in 1922.

Graphie married Marguerite's brother. Together with Rose, Graphie challenged, and settled out of court, the appointment of Marguerite as administratrix of Carmack's estate. [Guide]

References

* cite web |url=http://www.lib.washington.edu/SpecialColl/findaids/docs/papersrecords/CarmackGeorge5176.xml
title=Guide to the George W. Carmack Papers |accessdate=2008-06-05 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=lib.washington.edu
*

Persondata
NAME = Carmack, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = With brother-in-law, credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush
DATE OF BIRTH = September 24, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH =
DATE OF DEATH = June 5, 1922
PLACE OF DEATH = Seattle, Washington