VIII. Sources
Click on any of the numbers below to go to a source document:
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1. Mary Hitchcock, Bering Sea, June 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women: True Tales of the 1897-98 Gold Rush (Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press, 1989),
p. 56.
A wealthy woman's awestruck description of the Bering Sea, showing the reaction to the new and extreme natural environment many encountered in Alaska. Hitchcock was a tourist, interested in experiencing the Yukon River and the atmosphere of the gold rush.
2. Inga Kolloen, Dyea Trail, March 21, 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women, p. 73.
A young woman's experience on the Dyea Trail and the hardships of the trip to the Klondike.
3. Inga Kolloen, Dyea Trail, March 29, 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women, p. 78.
A young woman's experience on the Dyea Trail, indicating difficulties with weather, living conditions, and the attitudes of men.
4. Martha Purdy, Summer 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women, pp. 102-103.
A woman's account of crossing the worst part of the Chilkoot Pass, indicating the overwhelming effort involved and the particular experience of women.
5. Flora Shaw, Lake Bennett, July 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women, p. 175.
A female journalist's description of boat building at Lake Bennett, with concerns about the men's inexperience and the risks they took with their boats.
6. Frances Dorley, Five Finger Rapids, summer 1898; in Melanie Mayer, Klondike Women, p. 198.
A Seattle dressmaker's account of tensions between men and women while navigating a small boat down the Yukon River.
7. Letter from Thomas J. Church to General J. B. Metcalfe, July 19, 1897. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 1. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress.
A letter from a Seattleite in Chicago concerning Seattle's role in outfitting miners the opportunities for Seattle merchants to make money from the excitement over gold mining.
8. Letter from Eugene Higgins to E. O. Graves, January 22, 1898. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress.
A letter from a Seattleite in New York concerned about Seattle's chances to profit from the business of gold miners and compete with San Francisco, Portland, and Tacoma for that business. Includes suggestions for an advertising campaign.
9. Letter from Erastus Brainerd, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, to local businessmen, November 20, 1897. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 18. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A letter from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce's secretary to Seattle businessmen urging them and their employees to write to papers and friends around the country pushing Seattle as the best outfitting place for Alaska.
10. Seattle Chamber of Commerce Report, September 7, 1897. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 7. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A report from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce's publicity committee outlining specific plans for advertising Seattle as the point for departure for the goldfields.
11. "Outfit for a Woman," in Gold Fields of Alaska: Klondike Gold Fields and Northwest Territory, R. A. Irving, ed. (Chicago: North American Transportation and Trading Company, 1897?), pp. 78-79. Original: Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15730.
A Chicago guidebook's opinion on what a woman needed for a mining outfit.
12. A Guide to the Klondike and the Yukon Gold Fields (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897), p. 95. Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
A Seattle guidebook's statement to miners that the city had the ability to buy any and all miners' gold, and that the city planned to establish an assay office where gold could be weighed and valued officially.
13. Letter from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce to James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway, n.d. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks,
vol. 1. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A Seattle Chamber of Commerce letter stating the reasons why Seattle needed and could support a government assay office, including a statement about how this would best serve the miners' needs.
14. "The Klondike Year," in Seattle Argus, December 18, 1897.
A Seattle newspaper's account of the first big year of the gold rush, including an interesting description of Seattle's crucial role and its great progress in strengthening trade connections and ending the economic slump of the early 1890s.
15. "The Skagway Trail," in Seattle Argus, September 25, 1897.
A description of the toll taken on horses and other pack animals along the Skagway Trail to White Pass in 1897.
16. Seattle Argus, September 25, 1897.
A report on the difficult conditions along the Skagway Trail in 1897 and the fact that very few who attempted to cross White Pass made it. Many turned back frustrated by the difficulties of the trail.
17. "A Klondiker's Advice," in Seattle Argus, December 18, 1897.
A newspaper column including advice from a miner about the real difficulties of mining in the Klondike.
18. Letters home from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, September 18, 1897 and September 25, 1897. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Two letters from a 29-year-old man from Lexington, Kentucky, who traveled to Wrangell, Alaska in 1897 and faced great difficulties in attempting to travel up the Stikine River route to the goldfields. His letters include an account of the ship's voyage to Victoria and the environmental toll of trying to get to the mouth of the Stikine River.
19. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Rampart, Alaska, July 2, 1899. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh expressing his desire to stick to gold mining for another year because life at home offered no better opportunities.
20. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh to friend Brokie, Rampart, Alaska, Summer 1899. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A cheerful letter from a miner to a friend at home describing daily activities and worries about not being able to get jobs at home.
21. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh to his father, February 24, 1898. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A description of the hardships of traveling by dog sled up the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
22. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh to his father, Lake Teslin, B.C., May 5, 1898. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A personal description of the hardships of the Teslin Trail, one of the less popular routes to the goldfields.
23. Letter home from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Lake Teslin, B.C., May 5, 1898. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
An emotional letter home about the challenges of the Teslin Trail and the effect of these challenges on the miner's emotional state.
24. Seattle Financial Information, from Polk's Seattle City Directory, 1898-1905.
With figures showing changes in population, banking, exports, and imports, this information gives a basic idea of Seattle's trade economy in the years after the gold rush.
25. Promoting Seattle and the Gold Rush, from Trade Register (Seattle), January 8, 1898.
Report on one of the Chamber of Commerce's plans to promote the gold rush and Seattle. The Chamber sent a gold exhibit on the Great Northern Railway to be shown in major American cities as means of attracting people to the idea of gold mining.
26. Letter home from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Hoosier Creek, Alaska, November 12, 1899. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's letters describing, in colorful terms, the frustration and futility of not finding gold when others did.
27. Letter fragment from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Rampart Mining District, January 1900. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's letter about the difficulties of mining, including the hard work, mines filling with water, and neighbors finding gold.
28. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Rampart Mining District, December 21, 1899. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's letter about the hardships of mid-winter life in the gold mines.
29. Last letter home from R. Hunter Fitzhugh, Rampart, Alaska, October 29, 1900. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's letter about the difficulty of whip-sawing, a common method of sawing wood in the Yukon Valley. The men put the log on a frame about eight feet off the ground. One stood above it, one stood below it, and push-pulled a saw up and down through the log. They all hated this kind of work.
30. Letter from R. Hunter Fitzhugh to his mother, Hoosier Creek, March 2, 1900. Robert Hunter Fitzhugh Collection, Box 2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's commentary on the Nome gold miners headed down river in the spring of 1900.
31. Letter from William Ballou, Seattle, March 29, 1898. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A Massachusetts miner's view of Seattle while passing through in March 1898.
32. Letter home from William Ballou, Rampart Mining District, September 20, 1899. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's perspective on the freedom and uncertainty of gold seeking.
33. Letter from William Ballou, Rampart City, Alaska, Summer 1898. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A description of the lower Yukon Valley by a miner headed upriver to the mines.
34. Letter from William Ballou, Dawson City, Spring 1899. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Observations on gambling in Dawson City.
35. Letter from Joseph Gibson, Dawson City, to his wife Sarah Ellen Gibson, n.d. Sarah Ellen Gibson Collection, Correspondence 1884-1903, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A husband's letter to his wife urging her to join him in Dawson City, where he felt there was enough work for them to do well. He refers to previous family troubles and the promise of a new start.
36. Letter from William Ballou, Dawson City, June 20, 1899. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Views on work, laziness, and the challenges of Alaska.
37. Letter from Lynn Smith, Chena River, October 1904. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Brief comment on the cold and wood fires.
38. Excerpt from the diary of Harold Peterson, August-September 1898(?). Diary of Harold Peterson, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A man's description of the mud and the crowds along the Dyea Trail.
39. Letter from O. G. Herning, Willow Creek Mining District, March 2, 1903. O. G. Herning Correspondence, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's discussion of why mining was a worthwhile business, namely to make money and get out.
40. Excerpt from diary of Edward C. Adams, Dawson City, January 16, 1901. Edward C. Adams, "Dairy [sic] of the Tripp from Seattle to Dawson City and also for the whole year of 1900," VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A succinct statement of just how cold it was.
41. Letter from Lynn Smith, Rampart, to his sister Polly, September 19, 1898. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters,
Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Commentary on the food.
42. Letters from Jonas Houck to his wife in Detroit, Michigan. Jonas Houck Papers, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A Detroit miner's account of various points along the journey, the trail, and Dawson City.
43. Letter from Lynn Smith, Rampart, April 15, 1902. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Account of a particularly miserable trip and meal.
44. Letter from Lynn Smith, Rampart, to his sister, November 1898. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Mention of a man who brought in eggs in order to make money. A preview of Jack London's story with a similar plot, "A Thousand Dozen."
45. Letter from Lynn Smith, Glenn Gulch, October 29, 1901. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The excitement of panning for gold described by a long-time miner.
46. Letter from Lynn Smith, Rampart, December 17, 1903. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Account of trading for furs with the Tanana Indians and the diseases afflicting native peoples.
47. Letter home from Lynn Smith, June 1900. Herbert Heller Papers, Lynn Smith Correspondence and Letters, Box 1, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's comment on the removal of native peoples from an island near St. Michaels, at the mouth of the Yukon River.
48. Letter from Herman Ferree, Sheep Camp, to his sister in Indiana, February 19, 1898. "Dyea and the Dyea Trail," VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Enthusiasm for the jobs and wages to be had packing goods at Chilkoot Pass as well as a description of the crowds on the trail.
49. Excerpts from Frank Purdy's diary, November-December 1898. Diary of Frank Purdy, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A Massachusetts miner's somewhat sad entries about December 1898 in the goldfields.
50. Excerpt from the Dyea Trail, January 12, 1898.
Grand plans for the town of Dyea, the start of the Dyea Trail, and the idea of a gateway city.
51. Reprint in the November 21, 1898, Alton Democrat of a letter from an Iowa gold seeker at Clear Creek, Alaska. Letters of Iowa Goldseekers, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks. See also, John Clark Hunt, ed. "The Adventures of the Iowa Goldseekers," Alaska Journal 3 (Winter 1973), p. 2-11.
A detailed description of digging mining holes in Alaska creeks.
52. Excerpt from Dawson Daily News, May 23, 1900. Reprinted in Norman Bolotin, A Klondike Scrapbook: Ordinary People, Extrordinary Times (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1987), p. 50.
A newspaper description of dogs in Dawson City. Dogs were crucial to sled transport in winter, but in summer they had nothing to do and were often abandoned and neglected.
53. Letter from Assistant Commissioner, Royal Northwest Mounted Police, Yukon Territory to Clifford Sifton, Minister of Interior, Ottawa, Ontario, January 2, 1905. Reprinted in Norman Bolotin, A Klondike Scrapbook: Ordinary People, Extrordinary Times (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1987),
p. 84-85.
A letter from a Canadian official about prostitution in Dawson City and the ways in which women and dance hall owners circumvented the law.
54. Letter from E. G. Abbott to his family. Reprinted in Alton Democrat, June 10, 1898; Letters of Iowa Goldseekers, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks. See also, John Clark Hunt, ed., "The Adventures of the Iowa Goldseekers," Alaska Journal 3 (Winter 1973), p. 2-11.
Description of the loads carried by boats from Tagish Lake to Dawson City, showing the sheer amount of goods miners transported to the goldfields.
55. Excerpts from Asahel Curtis's diary. Asahel Curtis Papers, Manuscripts and University Archives, University of Washington Libraries.
Seattle photographer Asahel Curtis's reflections about the men he encountered in the Klondike.
56. Letter from T. T. Barbour, Dawson City. Reprinted in Alton Democrat, June 26, 1898. (Letters of Iowa Goldseekers, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks. See also, John Clark Hunt, ed., "The Adventures of the Iowa Goldseekers," Alaska Journal 3 (Winter 1973), p. 2-11.
Comments on the crowds along the Yukon on the way to Dawson and at Dawson City itself.
57. Letter from Eli Clark to Erastus Brainerd, Seattle, August 9, 1907. Erastus Brainerd Papers, Box 2, Folder 8, Manuscripts and University Archives, University of Washington Libraries.
A letter from a Seattle promoter in 1907 commenting on the resentment that Alaskans had for Seattle's domination and control of the Alaska trade and asking that Seattle be more considerate of views from Alaska.
58. Archdeacon Hudson Stuck on salmon, 1920. Cited in Michael J. Carey, "Save the Salmon: The Carlisle Cannery on the Yukon, 1918-1921," Alaska Journal 15 (Summer 1985), p. 33.
An important note on the other crucial commodity along the Yukon besides gold: salmon.
59. Alaska Steamship Company tourism advertisement, 1938. Alaska Steamship Records, Box 61, Manuscripts and University Archives, University of Washington Libraries.
Decades later, an echo of the importance of gold—or the idea of gold—to Seattle boosterism.
60. Excerpts from the diary of Charles P. Mosier, winter 1898-1899. Diary of Charles P. Mosier, MSS 12, Acc. 82/168, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Excerpts from the terse, mundane diary of a 17-year-old miner from New York state. Shows the daily work of winter mining and the constant focus on how much gold, measured in dollars and cents, the excavated dirt contained. Shows how little gold they often found. The work consisted of digging holes, thawing the dirt with fires, and then cleaning out the thawed dirt, setting fires again, cleaning it out again, and so forth. In the spring miners sluiced the dirt and washed it in long wooden troughs in order to separate the gold from the dirt and gravel.
61. Excerpt from James Cooper diary, Skagway, August 16, 1897. "Diary of James S. Cooper and Associates to the Klondike," Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission is not permitted.
A New York miner's descriptions of the bustling town of Skagway, prices, liquor, horses, boats, and guns.
62. Excerpt from James Cooper diary, Klondike Mining District, November 1897. "Diary of James S. Cooper and Associates to the Klondike." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
A diary describing the quiet, boring, dark, and cold life of a miner's cabin in November 1897, .
63. Excerpt from James Cooper diary, Dawson, December 29, 1897. "Diary of James S. Cooper and Associates to the Klondike." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
Sad and depressing days at the end of December 1897.
64. Letter home from Thomas J. Kearney, May 29, 1899. Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
A man who worked running pack trains from Dawson City to the goldfields describing packing gold and the level of trust given to him by the gold's owner.
65. Excerpt from James Cooper diary, above Five Fingers Rapids, October 4, 1897. "Diary of James S. Cooper and Associates to the Klondike." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
The daily work, routine, and danger of boat travel from the lakes at the head of the Yukon, down the river toward Dawson City and the goldfields.
66. Letter home from Thomas Kearney, Dawson, August 4, 1898. Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
A letter from a Dawson City's man working in a bakery to avoid the less dependable work of gold mining. Also a note about the hundreds of men and women leaving because of the lack of opportunity to strike it rich.
67. Letter home from John H. Lindsay, Fox Gulch, April 3, 1899. John H. Lindsay Collection, MSS 12, Acc. 82/173, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Description of Bonanza Creek in 1899 and the crowds of people looking for work at a time when no work was to be found.
68. Letters home from John H. Lindsay. John H. Lindsay Collection, MSS 12, Acc. 82/173, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Entries on the search for work and the departure of many men and women for other goldfields down the Yukon.
69. Letter from James Hamil to his sister, Dawson City, October 8, 1897. Klondike Miners, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A letter home to Iowa describing Dawson City in 1897, including prices, work, wages, and crowds.
70. Letter from Maud Case to family in Minnesota. George E. Case and Family Papers, Minnesota Historical Society.
A young women's letter on the work conditions in the gold mines in 1903.
71. Letters home from Rebecca Schuldenfrei, Dawson City, October 1897. Schuldenfrei Family Letters, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A middle-aged couple's reactions to life in Dawson City in 1897, including the problems with finding firewood and money worries.
72. Henry Dow Banks account of shopping in Seattle, February 9, 1898. Henry Dow Banks Collection, MSS 40, Acc. 82/240, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A Connecticut miner describes the scene at Seattle in February 1898 as he prepares his outfit to leave for the Yukon.
73. Excerpt from the diary of John D. Davies, Nome, April 3 and 6, 1900. John D. Davies Papers and Diary, MSS 160, Acc. 81/137, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Conditions at Nome, including lack of a reliable source of firewood.
74. Excerpts from diary of Tom Boldrick, Yukon Territory, June 15-16, 1898. Klondike Miners, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Diary describing the back-breaking labor of hauling boats and supplies up the White River in search of a good mining location. Shows the difficulty of such work, the obstacles posed by the natural world, and the huge investment of labor involved before mines were even located.
75. Excerpt from diary of Joseph H. Cavanagh, Eagle City, Alaska, May 16, 1901. Klondike Miners, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A miner's voyage down the Yukon past Eagle City, Alaska, with a description of the town and its facilities. Shows how Yukon towns were growing as a result of the gold rush.
76. Excerpts from diary of Tom Boldrick, July 13 and 14, 1898. Klondike Miners, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Diary entries discussing the wait for news of gold.
77. Excerpt from diary of Tom Boldrick, July 4, 1898. Klondike Miners, VFMS, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
An Independence Day celebration consisting of panning for gold, mosquitoes, and hopes of progress. Includes references to the Spanish-American War and memories of other celebrations at home.
78. Excerpts of letters home from Nora Crane, July 9, 1897 - July 11, 1898. Kepner/Crane microfiche collection, Folder 2-3, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A series of letters from a fairly well-to-do young woman about her voyage up the Yukon to Circle City, Dawson City society, gambling, miners, and various other interesting aspects of life. Good, funny source on one woman's attitudes and experiences.
79. Excerpt of a letter to a friend home from Nora Crane, Circle City, Alaska, July 11, 1898. Kepner/Crane microfiche collection, Folder 2-3, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A woman's view on the prospects for women's work in the Yukon and Alaska.
80. Letter to P. B. Weare, North American Transportation and Trading Company, from Harry L. Kepner, August 26, 1897. Kepner/Crane microfiche collection, Folder 8, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A young man's letter of resignation from one of the supply companies, stating his desire to try gold mining over bookkeeping.
81. Prices from Alfred McMichael's letters, March-June 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Alfred (Mac) McMichael left Detroit in March 1898 for Seattle and went north by the Dyea Trail, ending up at Fourth of July Creek in Alaska. He wrote regular letters home to close friends and their young children. He noted these prices along the way, which serve as a good example of the expense of supplies and other services in gold country.
82. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Seattle, March 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A miner's view of Seattle while en route to the goldfields.
83.Letter from Alfred McMichael, Lake Bennett, Spring 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Reflections on the shared trust that miners held for each other, like leaving their supplies alone while crossing the passes, with no fear of being robbed.
84. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Dawson City, June 22, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A miner's warning to others at home not to follow him, due to the expense and hard work. Provides a positive perspective of the honor of hard labor and the equality it bred on the trails and in the goldfields.
85. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Fourth of July Creek, July 13, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A miner's declaration that few gold rushers could get rich, no matter how hard they worked.
86. Letter from Alfred McMichael, on Dyea Trail, April 1, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A male miner's views of women on the Dyea Trail.
87. Letter from Alfred McMichael, on steamer en route from Seattle, March 27, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A miner's description of the steamship voyage from Seattle north to Alaska.
88. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Chilkoot Pass, April 5, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
In contrast to other views, this letter presents a positive and detailed description of crossing the Chilkoot Pass. This particular miner was not burdened with hundreds of pounds of supplies, which may have had something to do with his cheerful attitude. He shipped the bulk of his supplies up the Yukon by steamship.
89. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Sheep Camp, April 8, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Life at Sheep Camp, on the Dyea Trail, with discussions of gambling, morale, and the tragedy of an avalanche at Chilkoot Pass.
90. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Circle City, August 26, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A comment on the lies told about Alaska and how it really was not as wonderful as others had made it out to be.
91. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Circle City, August 9, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A description of the most common way of making money in the gold camps—buying and selling supplies to other miners.
92. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Circle City, September 11, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Description of one of the ways that miners lost their lives, by accidental shooting.
93. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Circle City, September 11, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
An account of two families that came to Dawson and how they survived long enough to earn money to get home. An interesting note on men's work and women's work and the ways to make money in the gold camps.
94. Excerpt from the diary of F. Hiscock, May 25, 1898. F. William Hiscock, "The Youkon Trail of Year 1898." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
The excitement at Lake Bennett as spring arrived, the ice broke up, and the legions of boats started to leave for the Yukon and Dawson City.
95. Letter from Alfred McMichael, Fourth of July Creek, December 10, 1898. Diary and Letters of Alfred McMichael, Juliette Reinicker Papers, MSS 100, Acc. 79/68, Box 10, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
A concise statement on the hard labor of gold mining.
96. Excerpt from the diary of F. Hiscock, Bonanza Creek, November 1898. From F. William Hiscock, "The Youkon Trail of Year 1898." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
A good, clear statement of what Bonanza Creek looked like and how gold mining proceeded.
97. Excerpt from the diary of F. Hiscock, Klondike Mining District, Winter 1898. From F. William Hiscock, "The Youkon Trail of Year 1898." Dawson City Museum, Yukon, Canada. Secondary reproduction without museum permission not permitted.
The dangers of gold mining, potential for accidents, and conditions in the shafts and drifts.
98. Account of Yukon River by Captain W. P. Richardson. Capt. W. P. Richardson, "The Mighty Yukon as Seen and Explored," from Compilation of Narratives of Explorations in Alaska (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1900).
A general description of the Yukon River.
99. Letter from William Ballou, Seattle, April 1, 1898. William B. Ballou Papers, Letters, 1898-1918, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
A description of Klondike madness in Seattle, spring 1898, by a Boston miner on his way to Alaska.
100. O. S. Johnson's Alaska Outfit Statement, bought of Stetson Bros. & Co., 1898. Courtesy of Kathryn Utter.
A long and detailed price list of the items bought by one man in 1898. A difficult list in many ways, taken from a personal account rather than a guidebook.
101. Weight and Approximate Cost of an Outfit. Gold Fields of Alaska: Klondike Gold Fields and Northwest Territory (Chicago: North American Transportation and Trading Company, 1897), p. 78. Original: Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15730.
A guidebook's simple estimate of costs and weight for a Klondike outfit. Good for comparison with an actual outfit, as outlined in document 100, as well as with the recommended grocery list in document 124.
102. Seattle Price List. Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897), p. 99. Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
Prices advertised in a Seattle guidebook for food and a miner's outfit.
103. Gold types. Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 189), p. 99. Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
The price miners could actually get for the gold they mined.
104. An advertisement for Seattle. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 30. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
One of the advertisements that the Seattle Chamber of Commerce placed in newspapers and magazines around the country, advertising Seattle as the gateway to Alaska and the Yukon.
105. Undated newspaper clipping on the "petty jealousies" between Seattle and Tacoma. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A Portland, Oregon, newspaper clipping noting the battle between Seattle and Tacoma for status as the key city for the Klondike.
106. Seattle advertisement. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 39. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
Another advertisement from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, stressing repetition of the word "Seattle" as a ploy to link the city's name with Alaska and gold.
107. Telegram from H. P. Dearborn, New York, to E. O. Graves, Seattle, December 5, 1897. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 3, p. 42. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A telegram from New York alerting the Seattle Chamber of Commerce that a "rival city" was circulating information against Seattle as the superior city for outfitting.
108. Klondike information free advertisement. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 3, p. 42. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
Advertisement on the benefits of outfitting in Tacoma produced by the Tacoma Citizen's Klondike Committee.
109. Reasons to outfit in San Francisco. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
110. Reasons to outfit in Juneau. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbook, vol. 1, p. 187. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
An argument for Juneau as an outfitting point.
111. Seattle Chamber of Commerce advertisement. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 39. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A striking advertisement from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce showing the visual linkage between the words Seattle, Klondike, and Alaska, that succeeded in linking Seattle and Alaska in miners' minds.
112. Open letter from the Women's Klondike Gold Club, Chicago, 1897. Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 4, p. 135. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.
A letter from a woman to a Chicago organization for women interested in going to the Klondike. Outlines plans for establishing a woman's colony or group in the goldfields, with "refined, intelligent women." Includes lots of far-fetched plans and the statement that "THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY WOMAN HAS EVER HAD TO MAKE A FORTUNE. Let us embrace it."
113. Steamer advertisement. Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897). Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
A North American Transportation and Trading Company advertisement for those wanting to travel "Direct to Klondyke on Palace Steamers." This was the fast "rich man's route" to the Yukon from Seattle.
114. Hardware Prices. Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897), 100. Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
Seattle price list for basic hardware items. Good to compare with actual purchases outlined in document 100.
115. "What the Klondike Has Produced." Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897), p.27. Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
Klondike guidebook description of the gold produced by the miners that arrived in Seattle and San Francisco on the first ships in July 1897. Good indication of what the luckiest and earliest miners gained in one season of work.
Miles between various destinations, good reference for transportation questions.
117. Northern Pacific Railway advertisement. Guide to the Klondike and Yukon Gold Fields in Alaska and Northwest Territories (Seattle: Lowman and Hanford, 1897). Original: Provincial Archives of British Columbia; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15074.
An advertisement by the Northern Pacific Railway for those wishing to depart from the Midwest. Almost all miners arrived in Seattle by rail and the railroads heartily promoted their services, lowered fares, and courted this Klondike business.
118. Trail map to Dawson City. Frank La Rouche, En Route to the Klondike: A Series of Photographic Views of the Picturesque Land of Gold and Glaciers (Chicago: W. B. Conkey Company, 1898), facing p. 94.
119. Map of Dyea and Skaguay Trails. Frank La Rouche, En Route to the Klondike: A Series of Photographic Views of the Picturesque Land of Gold and Glaciers (Chicago: W. B. Conkey Company, 1898), facing p. 70.
120. Map of U.S. landforms. Erwin Raisz, "Landforms of the United States" (Cambridge, Mass.: E. J. Raisz, 1954)
121. Map of the Klondike Mining District. Frank La Rouche, En Route to the Klondike: A Series of Photographic Views of the Picturesque Land of Gold and Glaciers (Chicago: W. B. Conkey Company, 1898), facing p. 118.
122. Wallace's Map of the Klondike, 1898. W. J. Wallace, "Wallace's Map of the Klondike and Indian River Gold Fields" (Dawson, Yukon: Maria Christenson, 1962).
123. Landform map of Alaska. Erwin Raisz, "Landform Map of Alaska" (Cambridge, Mass.: E. Raisz, 1966).
124. Guidebook excerpts. Klondyke and Yukon Guide: Alaska and Northwest Territory Gold Fields (Seattle: Alaska Illustrators, 1898), pp. 4, 12, 14, 22, 25-26. Original: Library of Congress; Microfiche, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, M2501, Pre-1900 Canadiana, #15371.
This guidebook, like the others cited here, was designed to provide the necessary assistance for the novice. Excerpts include a description of the hazards of Chilkoot Pass, another list of required provisions, and "some rules to paste in your hat on the way to the new land of gold."
125. Table of city population growth. Carlos A. Schwantes, The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History (Norman: University of Nebraska Press, 1989), p. 192. Reproduced with permission from the University of Nebraska Press.
Shows population of five northwest cities every ten years from 1880 to 1920. Note Seattle grew much more rapidly than other northwest cities between 1890 to 1910.
126. Excerpts from a promotional booklet. Compiled by A. S. Allen, "The City of Seattle" (Seattle: Seattle Chamber of Commerce, c. 1900).
Booklet put out by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce to promote the city and explain its recent growth and prosperity. Includes references to food industries, railroads, shipping, the Alaska trade, banking, real estate, and population.
127. Excerpts from The Trade Register 1898. The Trade Register (Seattle).
Newspaper quotes from the height of the supply and outfitting season for gold miners going to the Klondike. One fragment notes the general economic recovery sweeping the nation. The other notes the specific influx of people into Seattle to outfit for the northern goldfields: 15,000 in the first three months of 1898.
128. Shipping and cargo report. March 26, 1898, The Trade Register (Seattle).
Weekly report shows ships and cargoes arriving and departing Seattle during the height of the Klondike rush.
129. Gold Ship Arriving at the Alaska Commercial Company Dock in Seattle. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #5575, Photo by W & S #4712.
130. Gold shipment on Seattle dock. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #1811.
131. "Lucky Prospectors" Arriving in Seattle with Their "Gold Pokes." Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #1809.
132. Yukon River steamers built by Moran Brothers in Seattle to supply Klondike miners Klondike, 1898. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #1808.
133. Outfitting for Alaska at Seattle. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #4769, copy of a 1901 publication.
134. Cooper and Levy Pioneer Outfitters in Seattle. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #4771, photo by Asahel Curtis, Negative #26368.
135. Yukon Mining School. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #2087, Wilse and Kirk Photo #542.
136. U.S. Assay Office at Ninth and James Streets in Seattle. Copy negative and print, Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries; original negative, Washington State Historical Society, photo by Asahel Curtis, Negative #5488.
The men are melting the final shipment of the first $100,000,000.
137. Vault in Seattle Assay Office Showing Gold bricks Valued at $2,500,000, c.1900. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #4155, Photo by Wilse #1251, copyrighted in 1900 by O. F. Adams, Seattle.
138. Statue of William Henry Seward in Volunteer Park, Seattle, August 28, 1931. Copy negative and print, Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries; original negative, Washington State Historical Society, photo by Asahel Curtis, Negative #58599.
139. Seattle's Alaska Building. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Negative #6228.
140. Traveling on the Chilkoot, c. 1898. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #98.
141. Packers Ascending the summit of Chilkoot Pass, 1898. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #97.
142. Blockade on Porcupine Hill, "Skaguay" Trail. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #181.
143. Keith and Wilson mine on French Hill. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #3025.
144. Clean-up on No. 1 below Anvil Creek, Nome. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #1228.
145. Front Street, Dawson, Yukon Territory. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #2267.
146. Midnight hour, Oshiwora or "White Chapel" of Dawson. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #2442.
147. The Klondike Fever and Willamette leaving Seattle with 800 passengers. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Wilse, Negative #2.
148. Alaska freight assembly area. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #58.
149. Dawson laundrywoman and fortune teller. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, photo by Hegg, Negative #B461.
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