Aunt Phil’s Trunk : Volume Two

Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Two Alaska history decoded - Now in eBooks Laurel Downing Bill’s critically acclaimed four-book Alaska history series is a must-have for anyone interested in the Last Frontier. The books, which are appropriate for ages 9 to 99, are a delightful journey through Alaska's rich past. Dozens of entertaining nonfiction short stories fill the pages of “Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Two,” which is filled with colorful short stories about Alaska's colorful past between 1900 and 1912. It includes accounts of lawmen that attempted to curtail murderers, thieves and conmen, early postmen who carved trails through the wilderness and adventurous souls who blazed the now-famous Iditarod Trail from Seward to Nome. These easy-to-read tales are complemented with close to 350 historical photographs mined from museums, libraries and universities across the state. Did you know: Murderers, conmen and crooked judges flocked to the beaches of Nome in 1899 Famous lawman Wyatt Earp followed the gold rush and built a bar in Alaska The largest volcanic eruption of the 20th Century happened in Alaska in 1912 Critics and readers alike are saying that “Aunt Phil’s Trunk” is a true treasure trove and offers a stimulating and well-researched journey into Alaska’s past. Order your copy of “Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume Two” now!

The “Aunt Phil’s Trunk” Alaska history series is taking Alaska by storm. This critically acclaimed four-book series written by Laurel Downing Bill is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of the Last Frontier. The books, which are appropriate for ages 9 to 99, are a delightful journey through Alaska’s rich past. “Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume Two,” which shares Alaska’s past from 1900 to 1912, continues to bring Alaska’s history alive. This second book in the series is packed with easy-to-read short stories and close to 350 historical photographs to entertain the history buff within. Through vivid accounts of Alaska’s gold-rush days of the 1890s, readers learn how early settlers in the northern territory built towns like Fairbanks, Cordova and Seward in the vast wilderness. The stories follow vaudeville actors who entertained gold-laden miners, show how railroad workers settled right of way disputes with shotguns and how those living in Southwest Alaska survived terror filled days following a massive volcanic eruption in 1912. Volume Two also features stories about Alaska’s early lawmen, as well as the criminals they pursued. Sometimes the lawmen were the criminals! Even the infamous U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp made his way to the Last Frontier and built a bar in Nome around 1901. Other entertaining nonfiction stories in this volume include those of the pioneering postmen who hacked out mail routes in the wilderness, rugged adventurers who challenged the Great Land’s highest peaks and the brave men who blazed the Iditarod Trail. It ends with the largest volcanic eruption in North American history in 1912, which resulted in the formation of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. Anyone interested in Alaska history will love this easy-to-read treasure trove of short nonfiction stories.

Hi! I’m Laurel Bill (Laurel Downing Bill), author of the “Aunt Phil’s Trunk” Alaska history series. The series developed after I inherited newspaper clips, research and rare Alaska history books from my Alaska historian aunt, Phyllis Downing Carlson, who died in 1993. Aunt Phil wrote many articles about Alaska’s past for national newspapers and magazines during her lifetime. And she won national awards for many of them. Once I saw the quality of her work, I knew I had to bring them to light for the world. I returned to college to get the tools needed for the big project ahead. I graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2003 with honors and a degree in journalism and a minor in history. The series was born as a weekly newspaper column in The Anchorage Chronicle, July 2002. The short stories soon became one of the most popular features in the paper. After receiving such an enthusiastic response to tales of Alaska’s days gone by, I turned my attention to developing the state’s history from thousands of years ago – when the Native people first arrived in the country – up to the present. Then I searched through the archives of museums, libraries and universities around the country to find historical photographs to help tell the stories. I found so many photographs and wonderful stories that my plan for one book has turned into five volumes. And my desire to share Alaska’s history has turned into a passion.