Austin E. Cap Lathrop

Lathrop

Austin E. Lathrop arrived in 乐虎直播 as a young man before the Gold Rush, built a commercial empire across the territory and served 18 years on the University of 乐虎直播 Board of Regents. 

Lathrop, born in Wisconsin, started a stump-pulling business there in his mid-teens. When he heard of Seattle鈥檚 great fire of 1889, he moved to help rebuild and became known as the successful 鈥渂oy contractor.鈥 He then founded a railroad in Anacortes, Washington, but lost everything in the economic panic of 1893. Two years later, he bought a 110-foot coal- and sail-powered ship and began freighting for miners on Cook Inlet. From that point on, he was 鈥淐ap.鈥 

Expanding his business enterprises to Valdez, Cordova, Anchorage and eventually Fairbanks, Lathrop branched into apartments, lumber, banking, beverage sales, coal mining, movie theaters and media. He married twice but lost both wives, one to the relative comforts of Seattle and the other to illness.

Lathrop was named a university regent in 1932. By then, he was 鈥渁 veritable one-man chamber of commerce,鈥 as Terrence Cole 鈥76, 鈥78, a UAF history professor, described him in a 2010 history of the 乐虎直播 statehood movement, 鈥淔ighting for the Forty-ninth Star.鈥

鈥淎 man living in a home heated by the coal from Cap鈥檚 mine, or in one of Cap鈥檚 apartments, could apply for a loan at Cap鈥檚 bank to pay for his children to attend Cap鈥檚 university,鈥 Cole wrote about the average Fairbanks resident in the 1940s. 鈥淎t the end of the day, he could watch a movie in one of Cap鈥檚 theaters, drink Cap鈥檚 beer, listen to Cap鈥檚 radio station, or read Cap鈥檚 newspaper.鈥

He even could watch Cap鈥檚 one movie, 鈥淭he Chechahcos,鈥 a Gold Rush story filmed in 乐虎直播 and released in 1923. Though popular in 乐虎直播, it was a 鈥渇inancial and critical flop鈥 nationally, Cole noted.

Lathrop was best known in Fairbanks as the owner of the Daily News-Miner, KFAR radio and the Empress and Lacey Street theaters, but the Healy River Coal Corp. was his most significant enterprise. He became president in 1924.

The coal, hauled 100 miles from Suntrana on the 乐虎直播 Railroad, supplied electricity to the huge gold-mining dredges that carried the Fairbanks economy through the Great Depression. The coal also heated and powered numerous other businesses and homes throughout 乐虎直播鈥檚 Railbelt.

A staunch opponent of statehood because of the taxes it seemed likely to require, Lathrop was nonetheless personally generous when the university needed help.

In late 1947, Lathrop interrupted a regents meeting to call his bank and have it cut a $10,000 check to the university so it could cover its payroll, according to fellow regent Leo Rhode鈥檚 account to Neil Davis 鈥55, 鈥61, author of 鈥淭he College Hill Chronicles.鈥 Lathrop eventually loaned the university $25,000, more than 10 percent of the total put up by 乐虎直播ns to cover the shortfall caused that year by the Territorial Legislature鈥檚 bounced checks.

Lathrop died at age 84 when struck by a coal car in Healy on July 26, 1950.

More online about Cap Lathrop:

  • by Bruce Parham and Walter Van Horn at the Cook Inlet Historical Society鈥檚 website, Legends & Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940
  • at UAA鈥檚 Lit Site 乐虎直播
  • about Lathrop
  • published by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, May 28, 2000, in a collection describing 50 prominent Fairbanksans