by Martha Hutchens
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| image by @igorr1, deposit photos |
Mollie Walsh remains a bit of a mystery. The facts that are generally accepted include that she ran a “grub tent” in Alaska, the circumstances surrounding her marriage, and that Jack Newman loved her.
Mollie Walsh was actually born Mary Welsh, but even the date of her birth is debated. She grew up in Minnesota but eventually struck out on her own and moved to Butte, Montana, where she worked as a laundress. She saved enough money from this job to head north to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897.
Initially, Mollie settled in Skagway, where she worked as a cook and a waitress.
Two sources agree that Mollie was active in the “Union Church,” though one places the church in Skagway and another in Log Cabin.
Mollie didn’t stay in Skagway for long. It was a rough place, and she didn’t feel safe there. Besides, she had an entrepreneurial spirit and decided to set up a grub tent along the trail. This eating establishment, nothing more than a cookstove and a tent, became a favorite stopping point thanks to Mollie’s simple cooking and sense of fun.
Mollie was known for her generosity. According to Jack Newman, she first caught his attention when she risked her reputation to nurse a sick girl at a brothel. Later, when he got caught in a snowstorm, he stumbled into her trailside tent. Having lost a mitten, one of his hands was near frozen. Mollie tended to his hand, and he left her tent with love beginning to grow in his heart.
Jack set his heart on marrying Mollie, even supposedly taking part in a gunfight with one of her other suitors. He shot the other man in the leg, claiming he had “promised Mollie he wouldn’t kill him, but wanted to make it hard for the man to run to her place.” (This altercation is highly disputed.)
Though Mollie liked Jack, she saw little chance for happiness together. She eventually wanted to move to a more populated area, but Jack wanted to remain in the wilderness. Mollie eventually married Michael Bartlett.
The Bartlett family had moved to Alaska from Texas and made their fortune selling supplies to miners. Mike’s family was not impressed with his choice of a bride, believing her to have made her money as a prostitute. They disliked her even more when she tried to take part in their business.
To escape the tension, Mike and Mollie moved to Seattle, though he still spent much time in Alaska handling family business. They had a son.
Many of Jack’s friends were gold miners who traveled back and forth between Seattle and Alaska. These friends kept him informed about Mollie’s life. Jack tried to forget her, now that she was married, but had no success—especially when rumors traveled north that Michael was abusing Mollie.
In this case, rumor proved true. While it’s hard to know which stories are exaggerated, it seems that Mollie left Michael three separate times. Once, he tracked her down. Another time, he threatened to kill himself and even fired a shot, but Mollie told the police that he was no threat to anyone but himself. Finally, she had him arrested.
A judge found Michael guilty of abusing his wife and sentenced him to 30 days in jail. Mollie persuaded him to suspend the sentence, fearing that after his release, he would find her and kill her.
She was right to be afraid. One week after the judge reluctantly agreed to release him, Michael shot and killed Mollie.
The trial took more than a year, but Michael was eventually found not guilty. One story claims he was found “not guilty by reason of insanity” and that it was a “crime of passion.” Another suggests he was found innocent due to alcohol poisoning, with the argument that his wife had driven him to drink.
This tragic story might have been lost to history if not for one thing: Jack Newman never forgot his first love, even after he married another. In 1930, he had a bronze statue of Mollie made and sent to Skagway. The likeness now stands at the entrance to Mollie Walsh Park. The inscription Jack wrote to accompany the statue reads:
"Alone without help—This courageous girl ran a grub tent near Log Cabin during the Gold Rush of 1897-1898. She fed and lodged the wildest, gold-crazed men generations shall surely know. This inspiring spirit was murdered on October 27, 1902."
Mollie Walsh was actually born Mary Welsh, but even the date of her birth is debated. She grew up in Minnesota but eventually struck out on her own and moved to Butte, Montana, where she worked as a laundress. She saved enough money from this job to head north to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897.
Initially, Mollie settled in Skagway, where she worked as a cook and a waitress.
Two sources agree that Mollie was active in the “Union Church,” though one places the church in Skagway and another in Log Cabin.
Mollie didn’t stay in Skagway for long. It was a rough place, and she didn’t feel safe there. Besides, she had an entrepreneurial spirit and decided to set up a grub tent along the trail. This eating establishment, nothing more than a cookstove and a tent, became a favorite stopping point thanks to Mollie’s simple cooking and sense of fun.
 |
| image by @IngeBlessas, deposit photos |
Jack set his heart on marrying Mollie, even supposedly taking part in a gunfight with one of her other suitors. He shot the other man in the leg, claiming he had “promised Mollie he wouldn’t kill him, but wanted to make it hard for the man to run to her place.” (This altercation is highly disputed.)
Though Mollie liked Jack, she saw little chance for happiness together. She eventually wanted to move to a more populated area, but Jack wanted to remain in the wilderness. Mollie eventually married Michael Bartlett.
The Bartlett family had moved to Alaska from Texas and made their fortune selling supplies to miners. Mike’s family was not impressed with his choice of a bride, believing her to have made her money as a prostitute. They disliked her even more when she tried to take part in their business.
 |
| image by @rixipix, deposit photos |
Many of Jack’s friends were gold miners who traveled back and forth between Seattle and Alaska. These friends kept him informed about Mollie’s life. Jack tried to forget her, now that she was married, but had no success—especially when rumors traveled north that Michael was abusing Mollie.
In this case, rumor proved true. While it’s hard to know which stories are exaggerated, it seems that Mollie left Michael three separate times. Once, he tracked her down. Another time, he threatened to kill himself and even fired a shot, but Mollie told the police that he was no threat to anyone but himself. Finally, she had him arrested.
A judge found Michael guilty of abusing his wife and sentenced him to 30 days in jail. Mollie persuaded him to suspend the sentence, fearing that after his release, he would find her and kill her.
She was right to be afraid. One week after the judge reluctantly agreed to release him, Michael shot and killed Mollie.
The trial took more than a year, but Michael was eventually found not guilty. One story claims he was found “not guilty by reason of insanity” and that it was a “crime of passion.” Another suggests he was found innocent due to alcohol poisoning, with the argument that his wife had driven him to drink.
 |
| image by @HayDmitriy, deposit photos |
"Alone without help—This courageous girl ran a grub tent near Log Cabin during the Gold Rush of 1897-1898. She fed and lodged the wildest, gold-crazed men generations shall surely know. This inspiring spirit was murdered on October 27, 1902."
Best-selling author Martha Hutchens is a history nerd who loves nothing more than finding a new place and time to explore. She won the 2019 Golden Heart for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha occasionally finds time for knitting when writing projects allow.
Martha’s debut novel is now available.
Heiress Kaitlyn Montgomery runs straight from the scandal chasing her toward a fresh start on a secluded ranch. She strikes a bargain with Drew—a marriage convenient for both of them.
But the more Kaitlyn adapts to ranch life and forms a bond with Drew’s children and their enigmatic father, she realizes that this ranch is where she is meant to be. And then her past catches up with her…
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