Aunt Phil’s Trunk: Volume One

Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume One Alaska history decoded - Now in eBooks With more than 20,000 copies of “Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume One” in print books sold worldwide, readers are saying the entertaining nonfiction stories are keeping ages 9 to 99 spellbound! Laurel Downing Bill brings Alaska history alive in this first book in the four-book series. It is filled with short stories highlighting Alaska’s colorful past from the arrival of the Native people thousands of years ago all the way up to the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. She shares stories of the rushes for gold to the Koyukuk, Juneau-Douglas and Cook Inlet regions and features an extensive photo essay showing the various routes the gold-crazed prospectors forged to get to the gold fields. Not only do the easy-to-read pages keep readers hooked, they also offer a window into the past with close to 350 historical photographs to complement the entertaining collection of stories. Did you know: Mysterious petroglyphs dot Alaska's coastlines The last shot of the American Civil War boomed in the Bering Sea The Klondike Gold Rush began after a man dreamed of salmon covered in golden scales These stories and many more can be found in “Aunt Phil’s Trunk Volume One.” Anyone interested in Alaska history will love this book, according to Writer's Digest, as it is full of interesting and little-known facts about the state. Order your copy of “Aunt Phil's Trunk Volume One” now!

The critically acclaimed “Aunt Phil's Trunk” Alaska history series by Laurel Downing Bill is noted for its easy-to-read short stories and hundreds of historical photographs that complement the entertaining nonfiction writing. Suitable for ages 9 to 99, the first book in the series shares stories from early Alaska up to about 1900. Volume 1 kicks off the series by showcasing the arrival of Alaska Natives thousands of years ago. Anthropologists believe the Natives traveled from Asia across the Bering Sea Land Bridge and settled in various parts of Alaska. Stories in this section include those of mighty shaman, mysterious petroglyphs and fierce battles against Russian fur traders, who arrived in the mid-1700s. After Alaska became a possession of the United States in 1867, Americans began streaming into the Last Frontier. Explorers, businessmen, miners and crooks came north and changed Alaska forever. The discovery of gold brought even more people. This book highlights the gold rushes of Juneau-Douglas, Cook Inlet and the famous Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. A photo essay of the various routes the gold-crazed stampeders forged to get to the gold fields is truly amazing. Other stories in this volume include how Catholic nuns mingled with rough-and-tumble adventurers on the banks of Nome, how the last shot of the Civil War boomed in the Bering Sea and how infamous conman Soapy Smith served as an angel of mercy before he became the undisputed king of crime in Skagway. This volume is a treasure trove of short stories about Alaska's colorful past and is filled with close to 350 rare historical photographs!

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.