The Class of 1872

Alexander C. Miller was born in Freeport, Illinois, on August 4, 1858. He was the son of Christian and Dorothy (Oberdieck) Miller. He received his elementary education in public schools and graduated from Freeport High School in 1872.

He subsequently learned telegraphy and in April, 1874, secured the position of night telegraph operator at Morrison, Illinois. He was transferred from one station to another until 1879 when he was promoted to the position of train dispatcher in Chicago where he was located until 1885 when he was transfered to the Santa Fe. He was stationed in New Mexico and Arizona until 1893 when he entered the service of the Rock Island, in Indian Territory, remaining until 1899.

He then moved to Fairhaven, Washington, and established the Fairhaven Times. After nearly a year he sold his interest in the paper and secured a position as chief clerk in the U. S. Census department of 1900. He subsequently purchased an interest in the business of J. L. Easton, agent for the California Powder Works and also engaged in real estate and insurance businesses, and was associated with Easton for several years.

Miller was treasurer of the Fairhaven City Water & Power Co. Member of the K. of P. and A. O. U. W. He married in 1890 to Miss Christiana Schricker. Residence: 1415 Taylor Ave. Business address: 1200 McKenzie Ave., Bellingham.

From "Sketches of Washingtonians", by Wellington C. Wolfe, 1906.

Charles Flint Putnam was born in Freeport, Illinois, on December 1, 1854. He did not graduate with his class, but had he stayed in Freeport, he would have graduated with the class of 1872. His father, Colonel Holden Putnam, was killed in action in the Civil War at Mission Ridge, on November 25, 1863.

He entered the Naval Academy in 1868 at the tender age of 13. After graduating from Annapolis in 1873, he served on the USS Kearsarge (above) in the Far East from 1873 to 1875.

Master Putnam was stationed at San Francisco in 1876, and served aboard the USS Jamestown (below).

In 1879 Putnam was assigned to the USS Hassler, a Coast Survey steamer.

In 1881 Charles Putnam volunteered for service aboard another steamer, the USS Rodgers (below), fitted out to search for the USS Jeanette, which had been lost in the Arctic on an expedition to reach the North Pole.

He volunteered, with a small group of men, to winter at Cape Serdze, taking expeditions from there to hunt for the Jeanette.

When the USS Rodgers burned at St. Lawrence Bay, Siberia, on November 30, 1881, Putnam took supplies to the survivors on dog sleds.

On his return to his depot at Cape Serdze, he missed his way in a blinding snow storm on January 10, 1882, drifted out to sea on an ice-floe and was never heard from again.

Two ships have been named USS Putnam for him.

The first USS Putnam (below) was the Clemson class Destroyer, DD-287, launched September 30, 1919, decommissioned September 21, 1929.

The DD-757 was the second USS Putnam (below). The flush-decked, "short-hulled" Allen M. Sumner Class, all-purpose destroyer, was christened by Mrs. Doana Putnam Wheeler and launched on 26 March 1944. She saw action at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Ulithi and the East China Sea. She was decommissioned on August 6, 1973.