Hazel Esther Meloy, nee Morgan (1893 - 1983)
	
Hazel Morgan was born in Hope, Idaho to father Perry Oliver Hassard Morgan. Hazel’s mother was an actress and her parents divorced when she was young. Hazel was home-schooled by her aunt Nina Owen before she was sent to a Mormon school in Thatcher, Arizona. She was there for about three years and left when she was fourteen. Hazel was fifteen when she married Dave Demurs, mainly so she didn’t have to go back to school. They went to Canada for the wedding and Hazel lied about her age. They had two children, Nina Maria and Maurice David. Hazel left Demurs in 1918 when she was twenty-five and the children stayed with him and his parents. She moved to Butte, Montana and married Lou Anderton who had been a soldier in the First World War. They were married for about three years. She was living near Butte, Montana and working as a waitress. The Anaconda Mining Company had a fire and Hazel lost her job. She couldn’t pay her rent, so she got on a train trying to get back to Hope and stopped in Sand Point, Idaho.((“Hazel Meloy – Yukon Pioneer.” Hazel Meloy interviewed by Eleanor Millard, MLA Ogilvie District, in Dawson, 1977.) Dawson City Museum, eight 60-minute cassettes transcribed by Sally Robinson, October 1989.)) 
 	
About 1923, Hazel wanted to go to Nome, but Juneau was as far as she could get. She lived there for about three years and worked in mess hall for the mine mill. Her third husband was Harry Boyden who she met in Alaska. They lived in the bush and carried the mail into McCarthy and Chisana. Hazel worked for a time at a restaurant in McCarthy. She was with Boyden just for a short time and then met her fourth husband, Jack Meloy. Jack and Hazel married at Fort Selkirk in 1926. Hazel waited in Whitehorse until her divorce papers were signed and then she come down on the stage and Jack met her at Minto. He was prospecting in the area. They lived at Coffee Creek where Hazel ran the store for Taylor and Drury and Jack cut wood for the riverboats. After they got flooded out, they lived at Kirkman Creek. They were known for their hospitality and the gracious log home and gardens.((“Hazel Meloy – Yukon Pioneer.” Hazel Meloy interviewed by Eleanor Millard, MLA Ogilvie District, in Dawson, 1977.) Dawson City Museum, eight 60-minute cassettes transcribed by Sally Robinson, October 1989.)) 
	
The Meloys moved to Kirkman Creek in 1948 [pre 1947?] and lived there for sixteen years until they moved to Dawson.((Mike Rourke, //Yukon River: Marsh Lake, Yukon, to Circle, Alaska.// Watson Lake: Rivers North Publications, 1985: 116-117.)) Jack trapped, cut wood for the steamers, prospected, and did some placer mining. They had a ranch with hay meadows, a garden and horses.((Yukon Archives, John D. Scott, “A Life in the Yukon.” Unpublished manuscript, 1992: 36.)) In 1947, the federal experimental farm near Haines Junction sent judges to the agricultural display in Dawson on Discovery Day, August 18th. They were impressed by Mrs. Meloy’s six-inch dalia blooms of numerous varieties. Mrs. Meloy was a member of the Dalia Association of America.((J.W. Abbott report, Mile 1019 Experimental Farm: yearly survey of Yukon Agricultural Enterprise, 1947. YA, GOV 1672 file 35459))   

The steamers did not like to stop at Kirkman are there were sandbars near the landing. If the Meloys wanted them to stop they put up a white flag. Once when Jack was away Mrs. Meloy put up a flag, but Captain Campbell was in a hurry and did not stop the steamer //Casca.// He ignored the flag a second time, but she was ready for the third occasion and put two bullets through the pilothouse. He stopped after that.((Yukon Archives, John D. Scott, “A Life in the Yukon.” Unpublished manuscript, 1992: 36.)) 

Harry Breaden had a variation on this story, saying Mrs. Meloy put out the flag for the riverboat but it didn't stop, so she put a rifle shell through the wheelhouse. "That brought them to an abrupt halt." Mr. Meloy had fallen severely ill. The skipper ignored the white flag, figuring a later boat would stop. That's when Mrs. Meloy shot at the boat and the skipper decided to stop after all.((Harry Breaden interviewed by Cal Waddington for Parks and Historic Sites, July - September 1978. Yukon River Aural History Project. Yukon Archives, Acc # 81/32)) 

Author Joyce Yardley had a third version of the story which was that the //Casca// did not stop for Mrs. Meloy’s white flag on its last trip up to Dawson, so she shot the flag on the wheelhouse just above Captain Morrison’s ear. She wanted to send a last load of potatoes to Dawson.((Joyce Yardley, //Yukon Riverboat Days.// Surry B.C.: Hancock House, 1996: 130.))