Gold Rush Wife

The Adventures of Nellie Frost on Turnagain Arm, 1895-1901, as told to her daughter Dorothy Frost.

This grant was for the reprinting of the book Gold Rush Wife, a captivating story about the hardships and joys of Nellie Frost’s years on the mining frontier during Alaska’s Turnagain Arm gold rush that began in 1896.

Written and edited from one-hundred-year-old historic documents and through narratives told to her daughter Dorothy Frost, Gold Rush Wife chronicles Nellie’s experiences in a gold rush that pre-dated the more famous stampede to the Klondike. Nellie’s story provides insight into the rich social life of an isolated, predominately male mining camp. Gold Rush Wife also captures the important bonds women formed with each other and with the Native community to survive the harsh conditions they endured.

  • Grant Type: Publication & Arts Grant
  • Grantee: Rolfe Buzzell
  • Completed: 2021
  • Project Duration: One Year
  • Award Amount: $5,000
  • Match Generated: $9,913