JESSE LEE HOME WAS FIRST FOUNDED
AT UN ALASKA, AND WAS NAMED FOR
FIRST MISSIONARY OF NORTHWEST
Moved from Unalaska to Seward this Year Where Mag
nificent $200,000.00 Buildings Were Erected—
Will Add Many Buildings in 1926
(By LADDIE KYLE)
Far away on the island of Unalaska,
largest of the Aleutian chain,«in the
days of Russian rule, the Russian
Greek Church worshipped in a beau
tiful church and mission school. After
the passing of Alaska into the hands
of “Uncle Sam” the Russians scattered
here and there over the country, and
the mission became almost extinct. It j
was then, something like forty years
ago, that a government school was or
ganized.
This was taught by two or three dif- j
ferent persons, before a man named
Tuck took charge of it. It is report- j
ed that he was a down-East Yankee !
for after struggling a year or two with i
the problem of teaching aleut orphans !
who had been under Russian tutelage
and others who had neither home nor j
teachings, he wrote back East to his
home community, asking them to send j
Home” in honor of one of the first
home missionaries- going out from the
Northwest to preach the gospel to the
Indians—Jason and Jesse Lee—two
brothers who had faithfully and devo
tedly given themselves to the teach
ings of the Indians.
At this time Miss Soule returned to
tier home for a short visit and was
married to Dr. A. W. Newhall, who
was a graduate of the same mission
training school, and who had now
completed; his medical course. For 23
pears these devoted leaders gave their
lives entirely to this island mission,
with the assistance of other Christian
workers sent to aid them as the num
ber of children increased. A strong
plea was made for small boys to be
taken in with their orphaned sisters,
so one room in the house was given
over to the boys. It was not long
before the house was crowded with
THE BOYS’ BUILDING, JESSE LEE HOME
a woman who was capable of mother
ing a group of 36 orphan girls, and
making a comfortable home for them
while he did the teaching. This cry
for the Far North immediately brought
a response from a missionary society
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in Burlington, Vermont, who sent to
the islands the first American mission
ary in the person of Miss Agnes
Soule. The missionary society paid
her the munificent sum of $30 per
month for her kindly services and a
small, two-roomed house was secured
in the village. Miss Soule and the na
tive girls moved into it.
This was the beginning of the care
and shelter that was to be given so
freely to the homeless, wandering or
phans of our darker sisters.
It was not easy, this task for the
young white girl: Fuel must be gath
ered, fire kept burning to keep the bit
ter cold from their doors; they even
had to haul their supplies in wheel
barrows from the dock to the village.
The resident natives, all of whom be
longed to the Russian Church, were
prejudiced against this new mission
worker and would in no wise lend aid,
or offer any assistance financially. In
spite of this feeling and bitterness, the
little mission grew in numbers and in
fluence, and soon a spot was selected
just out of the town beyond the vil
lage school house and here they moved
the little two-room building.
At this time,“Miss Soule, who had
been alone with the orphanage, fight
ing with faithful heart the rebuffs and
hostile treatment of the natives, peti
tioned for a helper. The missionary
society, at that time a baby organiza
tion in itself, replied that at the pres
ent time they could not raise suffi
cient funds for the upkeep of another
missionary at that point. In desper
ate need of help and determined to
win, Miss Soule then wrote to a young
friend of hers to come and assist, of
fering the lady one-half of her own
monthly salary of $30, or $15 each.
The young lady came and together for
two years they struggled and fought
all the hardships.
They then sent another petition for
more houseroom and help and the Na
tional Organization of the Woman’s
Home Missionary Society of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church took hold of
the work. The large girls’ building
was erected and called “Jesse Lee
homeless boys and girls, and in a few
years another building was erected,
which was called “The Boys’ Home.”
It is still known as such and at present
is being used as a mission station by
Rev. and Mrs. Lambert, succeeding
Dr. and Mrs. Newhall, the latter still
being lovingly remembered and re
ferred to as “Mamma Newhall” by the
many who had the privilege of being
under her wise and loving care. Not
only the mission children but the
village people and those far from
other islands have lived to bless her
name and revere her memory because
of those things which she and her as
sociated workers have done for them
spiritually and physically. On the lit
tle cemetery hillside, near the mis
sion where she toiled so faithfully,
she lies at rest. Above her, defying
the element, stands this memorial her
grateful friends have erected: “She
Hath Done what she could.
Among the workers of the Jesse Lee
Home at Unalaska may be named
Miss Barnett, who labored both in
Nome and Unalaska until past 70
years of age; Dr. and Mrs. Spence,
who worked at Point Barrow, and
also spent five years in the Jesse Lee
Home, Miss Emma Supena, who holds
the record of longest service in the
Home next to its founders—eighteen
years as Miss Supenan and six years
as Mrs. Newhall, now with her veter
an husband stationed at Point Bar
row, under the Presbyterian Mission
Board. Miss Mary Winchell comes
next in length of service, for twelve
years matron to the girls. Mrs. Goss
also must be remembered as having
' given splendid voluntary work to the
old Jesse Lee Home. Then there was
Miss Cook, Miss Margaret Smith, now
Mrs. Capt. Newlands, Mr. and Mrs.
Karl, Winchell and a number of oth
ers. In later years have served Mr.
and Mrs. Lewis, Miss Gavitt, Miss Lot
ta Ketchum, Miss Marie McLeod, nowT
Mrs. Dan Ross of Unalaska; Miss Mc
Millan, Mr. and Mrs. Drugg, Rev. and
Mrs. J. C. Dorwin. We must also
mention the fine teaching given these
children by Miss Stella Fuller, sent to
Alaska by the Red Cross; Miss Emily
Morgan, now of Nome, Mrs. Don Car
los and Miss Ida Young. There has
been an average of 70 to 75 children
in the mission for many years. Since
the two missions, namely the Nome
Mission and the -Unalaska Mission
have unitted this year, it numbers 47
girls and 35 boys. This was the early
history of the Jesse Lee Home and
its founder, and for this information
we must thank Miss Smith, one of the
present workers at the Home and one
of the older teachers who remained
with them from the old station in
Unalaska.
History of the Home in Seward
Beneath a stretch of towering moun
tains 10,000 feet high, one hundred
acres of land were donated by the
town of Seward. One of the towering
peaks standing above the home is
named for Mrs. Taylor, one of the
founders of the present home, and the
other after Mrs. Goode, another staff
worker for the mission, who were re
sponsible for the location of the new
Home at Seward. It was in the month
of March, this last year, that a tele
gram was sent to Rev. R. V. B. Dun
lap, in charge of the missionary work
for this district, from the Alaska Com
mittee of the Woman’s Home Mission
ary Society, the largest organization
of its kind in the world, to meet a com
mittee composed of Mrs. W. H. C.
Good and Mrs. Taylor, both of whom
were old members and diligent work
ers for the institution. These two la
dies accompanied Rev. Dunlap back to
Alaska and selected the site for the
[future Jesse Lee Home.
Seldovia for a time was under con
sideration, then Anchorage loomed into
the limelight, and it looked as though
Seward would be ignored in the mat
ter. Seldovia was dropped on account
of its location, and the fight was be^
tween Anchorage and Seward. Finally
the Committee decided that Seward
would be the proper place for the
location of the Home, owing to the
desire to place it in close contact with
salt water, thereby obtaining cheaper
freight rates, etc. Seward, too, has a
much more moderate climate than
the other towns Considered, which
would cheapen fuel bills.
About 100 acres of sloping hillside
was tendered the Jessee Lee Home,
on the outskirts of the city, on the
Kenai-Seward highway, the city also
building a surfaced road to the site.
Here the newp buildings wrere erect
ed and the permanent quarters of the
organization selected for all-time. The
buildings in themselves are large and
roomy. Tfiey are of three story type,
stuccoed and plastered throughout.
Both the buildings are of the same
type of architecture, with the girls’
structure somewhat the larger. On the
third floor are two large attic rooms,
at the present time being used for
store rooms—but later being made into
a gymnasium and playroom for the
girls. . A large sunny room faces the
city. This will be the library. Going
down to the second floor we have the
matron’s rooms, three dormitories
with dressing rooms, teachers’ rooms
lavatory, baths, both showrer and tub,
sick ward and nurses’ quarters, a sun
room, and dressing rooms and closets [
in every room.
On the first floor there is a large,
sunny sewing room, sides filled with
beautiful cabinets, cozy sitting room
with large fireplace, where the girls ;
can entertain their guests, children’s |
playroom, teachers’ room, dormitory
and dressing rooms, linen closets, lav
atories, and again those big spacious
closets. It is on this floor that the
apartments of the superintendent and
his wife are located.
In the basement is the large draw
ing room and from these windows only
the tips of the mountains are visible.
Adjoining the dining room is the
kitchen, a long, sunny place, built in
an all sides with clean maple shelves
and tables. An immense oven stands
at one end of the kitchen, gleaming
[ike a tin soldier. Five hundred dol
lars was paid out for the oven alone.
Then there is the bakeshop; double
range, cooler, sink, and all those ne
cessary details that make for modern
cookery. A laundry with two electric
washers, dryer, stationary tubs and
wringer, lead off from the main hall
way, and beyond this the boiler
room, with its huge boiler burning
me ton of coal per day. The entrance
of the building was dug out to the
gravel and filled with loads of solid
rock and cement, and is a wide, im
posing doorway to the buildings. In
me corner of the building deeply lock
ed in the solid cement is a little box
containing the papers and facts of the
lesse Lee Home, sealed in the heart
of the corner stone.
The boys’ building is modeled after
:he girls with the same number of sto
ries, and much the same rooms and
equipment. The large chapel for wor
ship is in this building.
On a post in this building was pasted
2, typewritten sheet with the day’s du
:ies for each boy. An electric plant
of 25 horsepower insures all the cur
rent needed for light and power.
At the farthest end of the boys’
casement a number of chickens are
kept—thoroughbreds, costing, as high
is §300 for the first six hens. One
of these chickens took a prize in Ore
gon as the most perfect hen at the
exposition.
The work on the building com
menced on the first day of June. The
first stick of timber was laid for the
superstructure on the 1st of July.
Mr. Charles Lechner had the contract
for all plumbing and heating, while
Mr. Gerhard Johnson superintended
-he stuccoing and plastering. John
Helm was in charge of the construc
:ion work. The rest of the work was
lone by day labor under the direction
pf Mr. Dunlap, formerly a constractor
and, builder.
Each of the buildings are capable
cf housing sixty children besides the
workers, and these are only the begin
ning. Mrs. Goode, chairman of the
committee, looks forward to the time
when there will be a hospital, school
building, superintendent’s bungalow,
barns, cattle sheds, and various other
buildings. It is planned that a spa
cious boulevard shall be built, com
mencing from the road laid out and
constructed by the city. This drive
way is to turn to the left just before
one gets to the girls’ building, wind
ing around in front of both houses,
and stretching back to Seward by. way
of the old Taylor road.
There were formerly two distinct
orphanages, one in Unalaska and one
in Nome. It was not the intention of
fhe Methodist church to have an or
REV. R. V. B. DUNLAP.
Superintendent Jesse Lee Home
phanage at Nome but when the fierce
epidemic of influenza broke out in that
city a great many homeless children
were left. Seventy orphans were brot
to the Methodist mission. Mr. Bald
win, superintendent of the Home at
time, took* them in, rented the build
ing next to the church, and thi3 was
the beginning of the mission in Nome.
Up to this time it has been a cus
tom to take in only Indian and Eskimo
children, and those with native blood.
Now the mission welcomes any orphan
child, of any race, sect or creed.
The School Situation
Let us add a word for the school
problem. The school is entirely un
der territorial supervision. Any child
in the district is allowed to attend the
mission school, whether she be an or
phan from the Home or not. Seventy
eight children are now in the school.
Three teachers are employed, namely,
Mrs. Dunlap, Miss Dyer and Mrs. A. E.
Rucker. The school this year is being
held in the mission building, but as
soon as the legislature meets it is ex
pected a school will be erected for the
mission district.
The present workers holding over
from the old station are: Miss Knapp,
former girls’ matron; Mrs. Robbins,
Mrs. Collins and Miss Smith. New
workers who have joined the force
are Miss Thornton, nurse, Mr. and
Mrs. Trumbull, Mrs. Meehan, Mrs.
Olson, Miss Anna Gould, formerly one
of the Jesse Lee Home girls, as was
also Miss McLeod and the Rev. and
Mrs. R. V. B. Dunlap.
It is only just that we speak here
of the commendable efforts of Mr. and
Mrs. Dunlap, who have done so much
good in the community as missionary
workers. Mr. Dunlap was born in
Champaign County, 111., where he re
sided until he reached the age of 11
years. From there he went to South
Dakota, thru the years he was trans
ferred here and there doing masonry
work, etc. At an early age he finished
the preparatory school work at Mitch
ell, South Dakota, graduating from
the Northwestern University of Evans
ton, 111., in 1922. Thereafter he joined
the West Wisconsin Conference Mis
sion stationed at West Salem, Wis. In
the fall of 1903 he was sent to the
(Continued on Page Five)