Eva McGown
Encyclopedia
Eva McGown née Montgomery (1883–1972), the "hostess of Fairbanks," was best known for her three decades helping newcomers, military wives, construction workers, students, and visitors to find shelter in Fairbanks
, Alaska
during periods of time — particularly World War II
— when the demand for housing far oustripped supply. Named Official Hostess of Fairbanks and Honorary Hostess of Alaska, McGown was featured in an article in Reader's Digest
and a broadcast of the popular biographical television program This is Your Life
, and was the basis for the character Bridie Ballantyne in the 1958 novel Ice Palace and its 1960 film adaptation. She died in 1972 in a fire in the Nordale Hotel, where she had lived the last 28 years of her life.
, County Antrim
, Ireland
. Little is known about her early life other than that she was director of a choir in Belfast
in the early 1900s.
In 1914, when she was 31, she came to the United States to marry Arthur Louis McGown, the part-owner of the Model Cafe in Fairbanks
. Her travel from Belfast to Fairbanks included a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean
on what she later described as "a filthy boat" and a cross-country journey by train to Seattle
, where she boarded a steamer bound for Valdez, Alaska
, followed by over a month's winter travel by horse-drawn sleigh and dogsled to Fairbanks, staying at roadhouses along the way. "There were rough and tough men on the trail," Eva later remembered. "But never a cursing word did they say in my hearing. They gave me hot bricks for my feet and wrapped furs around me." She arrived in Fairbanks on February 26, 1914, and was married to Arthur McGown that same evening.
Arthur became ill five years into their marriage and remained an invalid for the remainder of his life. He died in 1930 of a bone tumor.
When World War II
arrived, her services as a greeter with an intricate knowledge of available rooms in Fairbanks became vital, and the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
put her on the payroll for $75 a month to help military wives, construction workers, and others find a place to stay. She later became a city employee for $110 per month. "It was said that Eva carried an inventory in her head of all the spare bedrooms in Fairbanks," writes Stanton Patty. "She also arranged for beds to be set up in church basements and auditoriums — sometimes even at the city jail." McGown's work was accomplished from a desk in the corner of the Nordale Hotel lobby.
It was estimated that from 1940 to 1951, McGown helped around 50,000 new arrivals, construction workers, students, and visitors find a place to stay.
and on April 22, 1953 she was featured on a broadcast of the NBC
biographical television show This is Your Life
with host Ralph Edwards
. Her TV appearance was also included as part of the first broadcast of Fairbanks television station KFAR-TV in early 1955. In her 1958 novel about Alaska, Ice Palace, author Edna Ferber
based the character of Bridie Ballantyne, official greeter of the fictional town of Baranof, on McGown;, the part of Bridie Ballantyne was played by Carolyn Jones
in the 1960 film adaptation of the novel
.
, Soroptimists, Fort Wainwright
and Eielson
Officers' Women's Clubs. She was a member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church where she played the organ and led the choir. She continued to play the organ until she developed arthritis in her hands, but afterwards still sung with her strong soprano
voice.
In 1953, territorial governor B. Frank Heintzleman issued a proclamation in 1953 naming McGown Alaska's honorary hostess.
In 1971 the University of Alaska Fairbanks
dedicated a music rehearsal hall in McGown's honor. The Eva McGown Music Room is located in the Fine Arts Complex. It is specifically designed for choral practice and is equipped with risers for group rehearsal.
A stained glass window designed by Helen L. Atkinson and made by Debbie Mathews from over 500 pieces of glass was created for St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in 1999. The window commemorates Eva McGown and the St. Matthew's choir of the early 1900s and depicts McGown playing the organ.
. An Alaska Supreme Court
decision later ruled that the City of Fairbanks had a duty to protect hotel occupants through fire inspections.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
during periods of time — particularly World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
— when the demand for housing far oustripped supply. Named Official Hostess of Fairbanks and Honorary Hostess of Alaska, McGown was featured in an article in Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and a broadcast of the popular biographical television program This is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
, and was the basis for the character Bridie Ballantyne in the 1958 novel Ice Palace and its 1960 film adaptation. She died in 1972 in a fire in the Nordale Hotel, where she had lived the last 28 years of her life.
Early life and marriage
Eva Montgomery was born on June 23, 1883 in AntrimAntrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Little is known about her early life other than that she was director of a choir in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in the early 1900s.
In 1914, when she was 31, she came to the United States to marry Arthur Louis McGown, the part-owner of the Model Cafe in Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. Her travel from Belfast to Fairbanks included a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on what she later described as "a filthy boat" and a cross-country journey by train to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where she boarded a steamer bound for Valdez, Alaska
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, followed by over a month's winter travel by horse-drawn sleigh and dogsled to Fairbanks, staying at roadhouses along the way. "There were rough and tough men on the trail," Eva later remembered. "But never a cursing word did they say in my hearing. They gave me hot bricks for my feet and wrapped furs around me." She arrived in Fairbanks on February 26, 1914, and was married to Arthur McGown that same evening.
Arthur became ill five years into their marriage and remained an invalid for the remainder of his life. He died in 1930 of a bone tumor.
Hostess of Fairbanks
Soon after, Eva left the cabin where she had lived with her husband and moved into Room 207 of the Nordale Hotel on Fairbanks' Second Avenue, where she would live for the rest of her life. She supported herself by selling magazines and taking odd jobs, also occupying herself by as a hospital visitor and visiting lonely women newly arrived to Alaska, doing what she could to make them feel welcome.When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
arrived, her services as a greeter with an intricate knowledge of available rooms in Fairbanks became vital, and the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
put her on the payroll for $75 a month to help military wives, construction workers, and others find a place to stay. She later became a city employee for $110 per month. "It was said that Eva carried an inventory in her head of all the spare bedrooms in Fairbanks," writes Stanton Patty. "She also arranged for beds to be set up in church basements and auditoriums — sometimes even at the city jail." McGown's work was accomplished from a desk in the corner of the Nordale Hotel lobby.
It was estimated that from 1940 to 1951, McGown helped around 50,000 new arrivals, construction workers, students, and visitors find a place to stay.
National exposure
McGown's fame spread far beyond Fairbanks. In 1951, she was the subject of an article in the magazine Reader's DigestReader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and on April 22, 1953 she was featured on a broadcast of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
biographical television show This is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
with host Ralph Edwards
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
. Her TV appearance was also included as part of the first broadcast of Fairbanks television station KFAR-TV in early 1955. In her 1958 novel about Alaska, Ice Palace, author Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
based the character of Bridie Ballantyne, official greeter of the fictional town of Baranof, on McGown;, the part of Bridie Ballantyne was played by Carolyn Jones
Carolyn Jones
Carolyn Sue Jones was an American actress.Jones began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Bachelor Party and a Golden Globe Award as one of the most promising actresses...
in the 1960 film adaptation of the novel
Ice Palace (film)
Ice Palace is a 1960 motion picture adapted from Edna Ferber's 1958 novel of the same name. The film, directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Richard Burton, dramatized the debate over Alaska statehood...
.
Personal life
McGown belonged to the Women Pioneers, Eastern Star, Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Soroptimists, Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and Eielson
Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska....
Officers' Women's Clubs. She was a member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church where she played the organ and led the choir. She continued to play the organ until she developed arthritis in her hands, but afterwards still sung with her strong soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
voice.
Recognitions and honors
McGown was the first woman to win the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce distinguished-service award.In 1953, territorial governor B. Frank Heintzleman issued a proclamation in 1953 naming McGown Alaska's honorary hostess.
In 1971 the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
dedicated a music rehearsal hall in McGown's honor. The Eva McGown Music Room is located in the Fine Arts Complex. It is specifically designed for choral practice and is equipped with risers for group rehearsal.
A stained glass window designed by Helen L. Atkinson and made by Debbie Mathews from over 500 pieces of glass was created for St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in 1999. The window commemorates Eva McGown and the St. Matthew's choir of the early 1900s and depicts McGown playing the organ.
Death
In one of Alaska's deadliest hotel fires, the Nordale Hotel caught fire on February 22, 1972, killing four people and destroying the hotel. Among the four who died in the blaze was McGown, then 88. One of the items recovered from the hotel safe after the hotel fire was a small box belonging to her, in which was contained a piece of dried sod from IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. An Alaska Supreme Court
Alaska Supreme Court
The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court in the State of Alaska's judicial department . The supreme court is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices, who are all appointed by the governor of Alaska and face judicial retention elections and who choose one of their own...
decision later ruled that the City of Fairbanks had a duty to protect hotel occupants through fire inspections.