Although we know very little about Francis Mims, we do know that he was probably born in Oregon about 1893 and definitely died in Skagway on this day, April 29, 1898 at the age of 5 from meningitis. Francis’ remains were shipped home to Oregon.
The Mims family did not stay until the 1900 census in Skagway. There are family records online that point to the Matlock family in Pendleton where Nellie Mims was living with her father and her kids: Hazel born 1896 in Oregon, Lulu born 1899 in Alaska, Pauline born 1894 in Oregon and Wesley born 1897 in Oregon. Oregon records show that Nellie divorced her husband Edwin in 1901. If that entire family came to Skagway in 1898, they were lucky to have only lost one child. The photo above is of Pendleton Oregon in 1905.
UPDATE:
Edwin was convicted on November 4, 1899 of manslaughter and was sentenced to 5 years in prison and $1000 fine. He had been involved in a barfight with a bouncer when Mims pulled out a gun and shot J. Henry Miller.
On April 10, 1901 Governor T.T. Geer of Oregon granted him a full pardon. Presumably that is why Nellie divorced him. Edwin died in 1925 in Tonopah, Nevada.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~szmatlok/Bailey/3-4.html;
Citizen Call of Phillipsburg Montana of April 10, 1901 – online.
http://www.archive.org/stream/reportscasesdec45oregoog/reportscasesdec45oregoog_djvu.txt
I am wondering if LULU Matlock was my grandmother. My father was William Matlock Estes and I know my grandmother was born in JUNO Alaska.
Lula Matlock was the round up queen in Pendleton Oregon 1914 1917. She always went by Matlock and now I think she lived with her grandfather. Is Edwin Mims my grandmother LULU Matlock father and is Nellie her mother. I guess that would make my great grandfather a killer.
This is great history and I would like to know.
i know my great grand father had a gold mine in Juno and when Lulu was fourteen moved to Pendleton Oregon. what Matlock was Lulu grandfather. What was Nellie faathers name. That should be mu great-great grandfather.
This is a wonderful page.
I would like to visit the Matlock property in Juno. do you know where it is?
I look forward to hearing from you,
My best,
Sherry Estes
daughter of William Matlock of Orgon
Thanks for the info. William (born 1847 Missouri) and Anna Matlock (born 1850 Illinois) came to Oregon and had Nellie in 1868 and Wesley in 1872 or 73 there. Nellie married Edwin Mims in Umatilla, Oregon on 10.1.1889. They then had Pauline, Wesley and Francis (who died in Skagway in 1898). Divorced in 1901 and went to live with William and Anna again.
In 1900 and 1910 Lulu Matlock (born Jan or Feb 1899 in Juneau,,Alaska) (and her sister Hazel born July 1896 or 7 California) shows up in Pendleton and Portland as daughter of Wesley (born 1872 or 1873 Oregon)and Carrie Anderson (born about 1875 California) Matlock. They were married December 8, 1892 in Fresno, California. So Edwin Mims would be your great uncle. William Matlock would be your great great grandfather. You can try searching in Fresno for more records, it seems they lived there for awhile.
I had it wrong above, Lulu and Hazel were Wesley Matlocks kids, not Edwin Mims’ kids. Good luck in your genealogy!