AUTHOR’S NOTE: The fate of King David Thurman, a Cooper Landing-area resident, had finally been learned in February and March 1915. Reports of his death became exaggerated over time.

The official investigation of the death of King David Thurman was considered complete when James Kalles, guardian of Thurman’s estate, sent a report of the investigation to the U.S. commissioner in Seward on March 12, 1915.

According to the report, Thurman had been attacked and grievously injured by a brown bear near his remote cabin on the Chickaloon River flats and had then managed to return to his cabin, where he realized that no one knew where he was and he had no chance to walk out on his own. Rather than continue to suffer, he put his Colt revolver to his left temple and pulled the trigger.

Because Th

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