Austin E. Cap Lathrop
Austin E. Lathrop arrived in 色视频下载 as a young man before the Gold Rush, built a commercial empire across the territory and served 18 years on the University of 色视频下载 Board of Regents.
Lathrop, born in Wisconsin, started a stump-pulling business there in his mid-teens. When he heard of Seattle色视频下载檚 great fire of 1889, he moved to help rebuild and became known as the successful 色视频下载渂oy contractor.色视频下载 He then founded a railroad in Anacortes, Washington, but lost everything in the economic panic of 1893. Two years later, he bought a 110-foot coal- and sail-powered ship and began freighting for miners on Cook Inlet. From that point on, he was 色视频下载淐ap.色视频下载
Expanding his business enterprises to Valdez, Cordova, Anchorage and eventually Fairbanks, Lathrop branched into apartments, lumber, banking, beverage sales, coal mining, movie theaters and media. He married twice but lost both wives, one to the relative comforts of Seattle and the other to illness.
Lathrop was named a university regent in 1932. By then, he was 色视频下载渁 veritable one-man chamber of commerce,色视频下载 as Terrence Cole 色视频下载76, 色视频下载78, a UAF history professor, described him in a 2010 history of the 色视频下载 statehood movement, 色视频下载淔ighting for the Forty-ninth Star.色视频下载
色视频下载淎 man living in a home heated by the coal from Cap色视频下载檚 mine, or in one of Cap色视频下载檚 apartments, could apply for a loan at Cap色视频下载檚 bank to pay for his children to attend Cap色视频下载檚 university,色视频下载 Cole wrote about the average Fairbanks resident in the 1940s. 色视频下载淎t the end of the day, he could watch a movie in one of Cap色视频下载檚 theaters, drink Cap色视频下载檚 beer, listen to Cap色视频下载檚 radio station, or read Cap色视频下载檚 newspaper.色视频下载
He even could watch Cap色视频下载檚 one movie, 色视频下载淭he Chechahcos,色视频下载 a Gold Rush story filmed in 色视频下载 and released in 1923. Though popular in 色视频下载, it was a 色视频下载渇inancial and critical flop色视频下载 nationally, Cole noted.
Lathrop was best known in Fairbanks as the owner of the Daily News-Miner, KFAR radio and the Empress and Lacey Street theaters, but the Healy River Coal Corp. was his most significant enterprise. He became president in 1924.
The coal, hauled 100 miles from Suntrana on the 色视频下载 Railroad, supplied electricity to the huge gold-mining dredges that carried the Fairbanks economy through the Great Depression. The coal also heated and powered numerous other businesses and homes throughout 色视频下载色视频下载檚 Railbelt.
A staunch opponent of statehood because of the taxes it seemed likely to require, Lathrop was nonetheless personally generous when the university needed help.
In late 1947, Lathrop interrupted a regents meeting to call his bank and have it cut a $10,000 check to the university so it could cover its payroll, according to fellow regent Leo Rhode色视频下载檚 account to Neil Davis 色视频下载55, 色视频下载61, author of 色视频下载淭he College Hill Chronicles.色视频下载 Lathrop eventually loaned the university $25,000, more than 10 percent of the total put up by 色视频下载ns to cover the shortfall caused that year by the Territorial Legislature色视频下载檚 bounced checks.
Lathrop died at age 84 when struck by a coal car in Healy on July 26, 1950.
More online about Cap Lathrop:
- by Bruce Parham and Walter Van Horn at the Cook Inlet Historical Society色视频下载檚 website, Legends & Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940
- at UAA色视频下载檚 Lit Site 色视频下载
- about Lathrop
- published by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, May 28, 2000, in a collection describing 50 prominent Fairbanksans