Joseph C. Cooper
Joe Cooper came into the Yukon River watershed in 1887. He signed the founding charter of the Yukon Order of Pioneers at Forty Mile in December 1894.1) Cooper was one of ten members to apply for a charter for a branch YOOP lodge at Birch Creek, Alaska in 1895.2) Author Harry de Windt hired Joe Cooper, an old-timer returning to the Yukon gold fields, to take his party over the Chilkoot and down the Yukon to Forty Mile in 1896. Cooper told tales of disasters that had occurred at Miles Canyon. He and an old-timer friend from a neighbouring camp rode the boats through the canyon. After the gold rush, Cooper had a saloon in Dawson and was very successful through the sale of refreshments, chiefly alcoholic.3)
In 1899, Tom Chisholm found a man who had frozen his hands and feet. He was helpless and Chisholm brought him back to Dawson. Bill McPhee, Bob Lowry, and Pat Galvin raised money for his relief. They were frustrated by the law in their attempt to give a benefit at a local theatre on a Sunday, so they circulated a subscription paper and $4,135 was raised. Joe Cooper took care of the disabled man and accompanied him outside on the steamer Tyrrell. The owners of the vessel gave the man a free first-class passage.4)