This is the continuation of an interview with Bill and Lill Fickus by Dan O'Neill and Steve Ulvi on September 26, 1994 in the Fickus' home in Crevice Creek, Alaska. In this, part two of the five part interview, they talk about their life at Crevice Creek. This is a continuation from tape number Oral History 93-15-63, and the interview continues on tape numbers Oral History 93-15-65, 93-15-66, 93-15-67.
Digital Asset Information
Project: Gates of the Arctic National Park
Date of Interview: Sep 26, 1994
Narrator(s): Bill Fickus, Lill Fickus
Interviewer(s): Dan O'Neill, Steve Ulvi
Themes
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Sections
1) When the Fickuses began living at Crevice Creek year round continued
2) Crevice Creek claims
3) Bill's involvement in mining
4) Schooling at Crevice Creek
5) Guiding with horses
6) The involvement the girls had in beauty pageants and the challenges of raising children in the bush
7) Why the Fickuses never left Crevice Creek and how they get food
8) Celebrations they have had at Crevice Creek
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Transcript
Section 1: Barkly, Pat\ Barkly, Emily\ Barkly, Pat -- heart attack\ Fickus' -- help out the Barkly's\ mining claims\ Fairbanks\ mail\ Bettles|
Section 2: cabins\ Crevice Creek\ McCanick Creek\ Midus Creek\ Sixtymile Creek\ Nome\ tent frames\ claims\ Curtis Creek\ nugget gold\ prospecting\ Morris, Ryan\ Elliott, Tim\ dredging\ bedrock|
Section 3: Fickus, Bill\ road -- repair\ mining\ shovel\ ground sluicing\ Crevice Creek -- not a winter mining creek\ marriage\ mining -- 1994 first year not doing it\ Fickus, Debbie|
Section 4: correspondence school\ Fickus, Debbie -- help out younger kids\ Fickus, Matt\ reading\ Fickus' -- take turn teaching\ mail\ teacher -- flew in\ tests -- Juneau sent to\ Fickus, Linda\ Fickus, Debbie -- 8th grade graduation\ Bettles\ Fickus, Bill -- airport maintenance\ Holly, Tom\ Fairbanks -- high school\ Brice, Al\ apartment living\ summer -- spent at Crevice Creek\ Fickus, Debbie -- paralegal secretary\ Fickus, Tim -- shot\ bunkhouse\ Fickus, Bill and Matt -- getting supplies\ Fairbanks -- flew to\ hospital\ Casey\ Grizzly Adams\ Dillion, John\ Fickus, Tim -- recovery\ horse -- stepped on Tim|
Section 5: hay\ hay -- 30 acres\ wheat\ barley\ oats\ harvest\ tracker\ hay -- mow\ chap -- getting it out\ horses -- 7 to 9\ wheat -- not imported\ wheat -- cut once a year|
Section 6: Fickus, Debbie -- Miss Alaska\ Fickus, Linda -- Miss Teen Alaska\ Miss USA Pageant\ Miss Anchorage\ Miss Southcentral\ Miss North Pole\ girls -- honor their state\ Crevice Creek\ Fickus, Lill -- proud of kids\ time zones\ Fickus, Matt -- pilot\ Fickus, Matt -- flying\ Fickus, Tim -- not a pilot\ Fickus, Bill -- doesn't have a drivers license anymore\ Fickus, Lill -- giving birth\ Fickus, Bill -- never been in hospital\ Fickus, Lill -- no washing machine\ washing clothes\ cloth diapers\ clothes -- sewing\ Fickus, Lill -- beadwork|
Section 7: mining\ Crevice Creek -- like it there\ children -- grown up in bush\ Fickus, Lill -- friends in Fairbanks\ Scranton, Pennslyvania\ horses\ Fickus, Tim and Linda -- went to Pennsylvania\ horses -- one for everyone\ Fickus, Debbie -- move to Fairbanks\ Fickus, Debbie -- move to Anchorage\ horses -- boarding\ children -- no boredom\ Fickus, Debbie -- read a lot\ groceries\ food -- grow a lot\ garden\ potatoes\ celery\ cabbage\ Tanana Valley Fair\ Anaktuvuk Pass\ Bettles\ eggs\ chicken\ squash\ canning|
Section 8: Fickus, Bill -- won't leave\ vacation -- Hawaii\ Fickus, Lill -- like to visit Lower 48\ grandchildren\ Fourth of July\ children -- visits\ weddings\ Tay, Roger\ Musser, John\ geological crews\ lamb\ Cleanmiller, Lotta -- Australian\ horses\ wolves\ moose\ horses -- kick with back feet\ horses -- chase grizzly bears\ grizzly bear -- story\ bears -- run into on horseback|