Fonds yuk-632 - Paul Nieman fonds

The fonds is a draft copy, approximately 200 pages, of Paul Nieman's memoirs entitled, "Pioneering in the Canadian North in the Land of the Midnight Sun". He began writing it in 1979 when he was 77 years old. Nieman describes his life and activities from his early years in Germany, homesteading in Alberta, and travelling north as a young man. He writes about the communities he visited and stayed in, including Fort Chipewyan, Fort Smith, Arctic Red River, Fort McPherson, Aklavik, Old Crow and Whitehorse. Mr. Nieman spent time with John Firth, the old Hudson's Bay Company trader at Fort McPherson, and his family. He relates Mr. Firth's account of the 1911 Lost Patrol tragedy. He also describes the hunt for Albert Johnson, the "Mad Trapper", in 1931/32. He writes about a potlatch in Old Crow in 1938, botanist Bob Porsild, First Nations people he met along the way, running sled dogs, fishing and lists the names of some people from the area of the Bell and Porcupine rivers. Over the years Mr. Nieman was involved in a number of activities including the making and selling of moonshine, prospecting around Quiet Lake, running a trading post at Snag in 1942, surveying the Canol Road, and cooking for a mining camp. Parts I to III are edited by Jim Nixon. Parts IV and V are incomplete but organized by Jim Nixon. He worked on Paul Nieman's manuscript as part of the Yukon Lifestyles Project sponsored by the Yukon Historical and Museums Association.