GUTHRIE RESEARCH BY LOCATION

ALASKA ONLINE GENEALOGY RECORDS

ALASKA STATE ARCHIVES – GENEALOGY
(includes probate index 1883-1960, naturalization records, pioneer home residents, and teacher files)

LIST OF ALASKA BOROUGHS AND CENSUS AREAS, FORMATION DATES, and MAPS

GUTHRIE FAMILY GROUP CONNECTIONS in ALASKA:

• Shadrack Guthrie line (documented in blog research as part of the broader Guthrie Research Tree): Descendants include Robert Lee “Lee” Guthrie (c.1862 MS – 1934), who relocated to Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush era.
• Metlakatla / Tsimshian community lines (Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area): Descendants of Josiah Guthrie (c.1848/1855 BC – c.1923 AK), associated with the Tsimshian migration from British Columbia to Alaska in the late 1880s. This appears to be a distinct or independently documented branch involving indigenous and mixed-heritage families in the Annette Islands area. Additional related individuals include sons Alexander Frank “Alec” Guthrie Sr. (1882–1944), Thomas Frank Guthrie Sr. (1900–1945), and later descendants such as Roy James Guthrie Sr. (1951–2020).

These connections reflect Alaska’s unique settlement patterns: post-1867 territorial growth, the 1890s Gold Rush, and established Native communities. No pre-1867 Guthrie records are known, as the region was Russian America until the U.S. purchase.

SOURCE: EARLY SETTLEMENT & GOLD RUSH CONTEXT (Skagway & Southeastern Alaska)

Robert Lee Guthrie exemplifies the transient yet impactful presence of Guthries during Alaska’s rapid territorial expansion. Born in Mississippi and previously in Arkansas, he arrived in Skagway in 1897. The 1900 U.S. Federal Census lists him (age 37, single) as a saloon keeper (“The Board & Trade”) in Skagway, Southern Supervisors District. He later married Abbie C. Atkins (1900, Bell Co., Texas) and maintained ties to Alaska while visiting family in Texas. Historical accounts note his role among early civic figures in the boomtown. This branch ties directly into established Guthrie lineages researched on the blog.

SOURCE: METLAKATLA / TSIMSHIAN COMMUNITY RECORDS (Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area)

The Guthrie surname appears prominently in the Tsimshian community of Metlakatla (Annette Islands), established after the 1887 migration from Canada. Josiah Guthrie (born in British Columbia or Metlakatla area) married Mary Eaton (1885, Metlakatla, BC); she died in 1895 in Metlakatla, Annette Islands, Alaska Territory. He later married Rebecca. Their children and descendants (including Alexander Frank Guthrie Sr., Thomas Frank Guthrie Sr., Minnette S. Guthrie, and later generations) remained in the Ketchikan/Metlakatla area through the 20th century. These records often intersect with church, vital, and community documents rather than traditional colonial probate or military rolls.

SOURCE: U.S. FEDERAL CENSUS RECORDS (Selected Guthrie Entries)

Alaska’s censuses (starting with 1900 territorial enumerations) provide key snapshots. Examples include:

• 1900: Robert Lee Guthrie, Skagway (saloon keeper).
• 1940 (Ketchikan, First Judicial Division): Multiple Guthries, including David Guthrie, Patricia Guthrie, Dorothy Guthrie, and others in household contexts.
• Additional 20th-century enumerations in Ketchikan Gateway and Prince of Wales-Hyder areas document the Metlakatla Guthries and their descendants.

Full images and indexes are available via FamilySearch and Ancestry (search “Alaska” + “Guthrie” in census collections).

SOURCE: ALASKA VITAL RECORDS, 1816–2005 (FamilySearch Collection)

The statewide collection at FamilySearch includes births, marriages, deaths, and divorces from the Alaska State Archives (index + images, incomplete but expanding). Coverage is strongest post-1913 territorial registration, with earlier church and district records filling gaps. Marriages and deaths for the Metlakatla Guthries and Skagway-area individuals are documented here. Pre-1930 records are scarcer but include some Gold Rush-era entries.

SOURCE: ALASKA PROBATE RECORDS (Alaska State Archives & FamilySearch)

The Archives hold over 17,000 probate case files/dockets (1884–1959), with a searchable index (spreadsheet available on the Archives site). FamilySearch has digitized portions (1900–1959 wills and estates). No major published transcriptions of Guthrie probates were located in secondary sources, but researchers should query the index for Skagway, Ketchikan, Metlakatla, and other boroughs/census areas. Sitka precinct records are separately indexed and partially available via Ancestry/FamilySearch partnerships. These files often include estate inventories, guardianships, and heir lists valuable for 20th-century Guthrie lines.

RESEARCH NOTES & NUANCES

Alaska’s administrative structure differs significantly from the Lower 48: there are 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in the Unorganized Borough (treated as county equivalents for genealogy). Formation dates are mostly post-1960s (e.g., Fairbanks North Star 1964, Denali 1990), so pre-statehood records (pre-1959) are organized by judicial districts or precincts rather than modern boroughs.

Early Guthrie research in Alaska requires cross-referencing:

• Gold Rush / Territorial era (Skagway, Juneau, Nome) — often newspaper abstracts or district court records.
• Indigenous / community records (e.g., Tsimshian Metlakatla) — church registers, Bureau of Indian Affairs documents, or Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) materials.
• Vital statistics access — restricted for recent records (50-year privacy for marriages); contact the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics for certified copies.

Edge cases & related considerations: Russian-era records (pre-1867) are unlikely to yield Guthrie mentions. Post-WWII military and homesteading records may surface additional 20th-century families. DNA/genealogy databases have been noted in modern contexts (e.g., cold-case investigations involving Guthries), highlighting the value of yDNA or autosomal testing for connecting Alaskan branches to broader Guthrie Family Groups.

NEEDED DATA Access to the full Alaska State Archives probate index or unindexed vital images could reveal additional estates or marriages. Contributions of 1940+ census details, Metlakatla church records, or family photos/stories from descendants are welcome to expand these branches. Researchers with FamilySearch or Ancestry access to the full vital/probate collections are encouraged to check for unlisted Guthrie entries in Ketchikan, Skagway, or Anchorage areas.

LAST WILL & TESTAMENT or full transcriptions of specific documents are not publicly excerpted in secondary sources for these Alaskan Guthries at this time; primary records remain at the State Archives or FamilySearch.

Sources compiled from FamilySearch wikis, Alaska State Archives indexes, U.S. Census enumerations, WikiTree/Geni family profiles, and historical newspaper abstracts. All data is for genealogical research purposes only. Verify originals for accuracy.