Emery (or Emory) Valentine (1858 – September 9, 1930) was an American politician and the sixth mayor of

Juneau, Alaska The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the se ...

, from 1908 to 1912 and from 1917 to 1919. He was also a

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

, goldsmith, jeweller, assayer,

gunsmith A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very h ...

, watchmaker, architect,

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

, and businessman.Atwood, Evangeline, DeArmond, Robert N. ''Who's Who in Alaska Politics: A Biographical Dictionary of Alaskan Political Personalities, 1884–1974''. Binford & Mort, 1977:

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, Oregon.

Early life

Valentine was born in Dowagiac, Michigan. He traveled to Colorado around the age of 10 and became a miner, until he was injured in an accident and lost his leg. He then learned to be a goldsmith and became an apprentice to a jeweler.

Career

Valentine came to own a number of stores throughout Colorado and Montana, from 1876 to 1886, when he left the states and settled in Juneau in May 1886. There, he bought a plot of land from

Joe Juneau Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

and began his own jewelry store, E. Valentine Jeweler. He would have built a jewelry store in Skagway, but he faced competition from Herman Kirmse, a well-known jeweler.

Architect

Emery Valentine built a number of notable buildings in Juneau, including the Valentine Building (now on the National Register of Historic Places), at 119 Seward Street, in 1912, and the Seward Building (now known as Dockside Jewelers), at 145 South Franklin Street. In 1897, he traveled to Skagway, where he built a dock. It was the same dock that local gangster Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith was killed in a gunfight by Frank Reid on July 8, 1898.

Firefighter

After coming to Juneau, Valentine organized the Juneau Volunteer Fire Department. At first, the establishment implemented a horse-drawn cart and a hand

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...

. Usually, volunteers would form bucket brigades to transport water as well. Valentine also donated a specialized wagon to the department in 1897; the wagon carried the slogan "You ring the Bell and we'll do the rest". As mayor, he renovated the department and designed the city's first water system.

Politician

Valentine served as a member of the city council for a single term in 1902. During his six terms as mayor, he helped to acquire the People's Dock, near the southern region of the town. Although a Republican, Valentine had close ties with the Progressive ("Bull Moose") Party.

Other

Valentine also worked as the Japanese vice-consul from 1912 to 1914. For his service to the country of Japan, he was awarded the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

Family

Emery Valentine was married at least three times: *Katherine (divorced in Juneau in May 1891) *Maude Adela Hayford Gough (married October 19, 1900, in Juneau; divorced May 14, 1903) *Mrs. Frank (Josephine G.) Cook (married December 20, 1909, in Juneau; divorced in Juneau in 1915)

Later life

Valentine was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in

References

External links

The fireman mayor
– article for the Internet version of the '' Juneau Empire'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, Emery 1858 births 1930 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Alaska Alaska city council members Alaska Republicans American amputees American jewellers American miners Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Juneau, Alaska) Businesspeople from Alaska Mayors of Juneau, Alaska People from Dowagiac, Michigan Progressive Party (United States, 1912) politicians Architects from Alaska People from the Territory of Alaska People from pre-statehood Alaska