on local history by local historian David Reamer. Have a question about Anchorage history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story.
Early Jan. 29, the Ferndale struck sand directly opposite the Whites’ home. Here, the captain made another fatal error, ordering the wheel turned hard to port, which pitched the ship onto its side and left it at the mercy of the punishing breakers. Some of the crew attempted to escape via one of the ship’s boats, but a wave immediately smashed the small vessel against the yardarm, and all aboard drowned.
While White characteristically downplayed her efforts that morning, others were quick to promote her heroics. The chamber of commerce in Portland awarded her a gold medal and $275, roughly $8,500 today after accounting for inflation. Fervent advocacy by newspapers, Sen. John B. Allen, and Washington Gov. Elisha Ferry led to a more considerable honor. The Life-Saving Service, which later merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the Coast Guard, awarded her the Gold Lifesaving Medal.
Around 1895 — accounts vary — Martha gave birth to a daughter at Tyonek, the first-known settler child born in the Upper Cook Inlet. They named her Martha, though everyone called her “Babe” to differentiate her from her mother. In 1900, Edward and Martha divorced. Between 1900 and 1904, she remarried and divorced again. By this time, she was operating a boarding house in Sunrise. Sometime after 1904, she left Alaska, moving to Chicago, where her daughter was educated while she ran a store. Mother White later said she moved south with $50,000 sewn into her skirts for safekeeping.
When it came to charities, she was a hustler. Though not a member of the Red Cross, she continually worked to their benefit. One time, she persuaded every passenger on a visiting steamer to enter a raffle for a handmade, decorative pillow. That effort raised $106 for the Red Cross, about $2,000 in 2022 money. In 1917, she convinced the U.S. Marshal to look the other way and organized a throwback party. For one night, Anchorage was like Dawson in its 1898 peak, with gambling and dancehall girls.
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