H. L. Miller (b. ~1860)
H. L. Miller was locally known as “Cow” Miller after he brought the first milk cow to Dawson. She arrived on 29 June 1898 with nineteen male companions. The first milking brought in just $30 in Klondike dust. It was expected that she would be better once she got settled. The best Dawson could afford in food was flour and packing case hay. It was thought that one hundred dollars a milking was not too much to expect as she came from a good family.1) G.G. Berg bought ten of the Miller’s steers to be slaughtered as needed to supply Berg’s new place of business on Front Street.2)
At the end of July 1898, Miller travelled to the Sound for more meat for Dawson. Miller always tried to keep abreast of the times and was expected to bring in a drove of pigs this time.3) Cow Miller returned to Dawson in October with a scow load of live hogs that he started out to get about five weeks before. He disposed of about eighty-five and prepared to return immediately to the States before the ice blocked the road. Miller made two trips in the summer of 1898 to earn the title of “Banner Klondike stockman” from his unusual success in bringing livestock to the Dawson market. It was thought that Miller would return with turkeys etc. for Thanksgiving and Christmas.4) Jack Devine remembered Cow Miller and in 1950 was startled to realize Miller was about ninety.5)