A small bust, just west of the public rest rooms, in the corner of Mollie Walsh Park, proclaims the memory of a remarkable woman. Mollie Walsh came to Skagway, unaccompanied, in the fall of 1897. A rarity in her day, she was young, unmarried and at least somewhat respectable. She remained in Skagway for a few months, then headed north to open a restaurant in Log Cabin, a tent town located along the White Pass Trail. She soon received the attentions of many packers along the trail. One who was particularly fond of her was Jack Newman. He professed his love for her and even killed a rival to earn her affections, but alas, she soon married Mike Bartlett and left the area. Crestfallen, Newman soon married Hannah Barry instead, but he never stopped thinking about Mollie. Meanwhile, the Bartletts' marriage was turbulent at best, and while they were living in Seattle in October 1902, an argument erupted which resulted in Mollie's murder. Newman read about the slaying and was heartbroken. He revered the memory of the "Angel of the White Pass," and in 1930, he had this bust built and installed in Skagway. The bust, as you may notice, was donated in the name of both Newman and his wife. To calm down Hannah's understandable jealousy, he also installed a plaque in downtown Seattle in honor of Mrs. Newman.
