Ed Gelvin

Ed Gelvin was interviewed on November 2, 1991 by Dan O'Neill and William Schneider at Ed's log cabin in Central, Alaska. The yard contained his construction equipment and airplanes and included a small landing strip and a hangar. The interview was conducted at his kitchen table; his wife and grandson were in the background. His wife, Virginia, did not wish to participate in the interview, although at times she added her opinions and perspective. There were a couple of hunting dogs in the house, and books on flying and fishing were prominent in the home. Ed was reserved and quiet in the interview, but voiced strong opinions about Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and willingly described his many years of flying and getting to know many of the old-timers in the area. He speaks with an authority derived from hours of flying in the country as a registered guide and aerial wolf hunter. In this interview, Ed talks about his mining, flying, hunting and guiding activities in the area of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. He describes and tells stories about many of the early pioneers in the area, as well as the more recent "river people" who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s. He also talks about issues with the National Park Service over land selection and use, conflicts between resource development and protection, and his support for aerial wolf hunting.