The Gold Rush of 1898

A Little History and A lot of Trivia

George Carmack Discovers GOLD!

  • Arrived in the Dawson area 1887 as part of a survey crew.Miner, who discovered gold along with Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie.
  • Mined in the Forty-Mile area when he heard the Indians talking about gold in small tributaries off the Klondike River.
  • On August 1896, George Carmack staked a claim on Bonanza Creek and worked with Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie to work the claim.
  • After 8 days of hard work they cleaned up the sluice and they recovered approximately $1200 worth of gold.
  • Picture
    Yourself
    Here    After hearing of George Carmack's discovery - the other miners rushed to claim stake a piece of ground.
  • Sometimes the gold that was recovered was worth anywhere from about $5.00 - $150.00 per pan.
  • Some miners sold their placer claims too early for sums way below what it was worth not realizing how much it was really worth.
  • The Indians offered advice and help to the stampeders.
  • The stampeders that were well off hired the Indians, both men and women, to pack their goods and supplies up the steep mountain for $1 a pound. Other stampeders just had to pack their own good and supplies.
  • The Indian women also sold moccasins and parkas they had made to the stampeders who did not have warm boots or adequate winter clothing.
  • The natives were impacted by the influx of peoples on their way to the Klondike gold fields. Their way of life was greatly disrupted.

Ref: (1994) Leon, J.W., The Goldfield's of the Klondike, Clairedge, Whitehorse:YT

The Great Stampede!

  • The stampeders used an old trail used by the Indians to trade goods with other native peoples.
  • The trail is rugged and the snow and ice conditions made it very difficult route to travel. Gold,
    Riches,
    and More
  • Stampeders encountered avalanches and snow slides along the trail that sometimes resulted in death.
  • The trail is 30 miles long and climbs up to 3500 feet above sea level.
  • The stampeders climbed up the Chilkoot trail and climbed the steep incline up the "Golden Stairs" to the summit of the Chilkoot Pass. The "Golden Stairs" were steps cut into the side of the mountain with only a single icy rope for a handrail.
  • At the summit, the North West Mounted Police checked each person to ensure that they had enough supplies to last a year. If they did not they were turned back.
  • This trail was considered the better route to travel into the interior.
  • The other route, the White Pass trail was narrow, steep trail that followed the Skagway river.
  • The stampeders travelled the steep trails with their horses burdened with heavy loads of goods and supplies.
  • The horses sometimes fell under loads suffering from exhaustion or broken legs or fell off the steep path.
  • Approximately, 3000 or more horses died along this route that it became known as Dead Horse Gulch.
  • Stampeders suffered a lot of hardship and heartbreak during their journey to the goldfields.

Ref: (1997), Wilson, G., The Klondike Gold Rush: Photographs from 1896 -1899

OK ... so what was it REALLY like?

  • The news of the gold discovery reached the outside world in July 1897.
  • This news of the gold discovery triggered a rush fever and the stampede to the north began.
  • People of all walks of life jumped at the opportunity to strike it rich in the gold fields and boarded ships for the long journey to the northern frontier.
  • The North West Mounted Police denied entry into the Yukon to any person who did not have at least a years supply of food.
  • A years supply of goods and food weighed approximately 2000 lbs. and included flour, dried vegetables, and dried meat.
  • Almost overnight, Skagway and Dyea sprang up. Skagway was the entry point for the White Pass trail route and Dyea the entry point for the Chilkoot trail into the Yukon.
  • The Chilkoot was the considered the better route of the two trails because it was already an established trade trail used by the Indians.
  • While most stampeders persisted in their quest for the gold fields others gave up and turned back when they saw the conditions they would have to endure just to get to the gold fields.
  • These stampeders had to travel the Chilkoot trail or the White Pass trail, also known as the Dead Horse trail (many horses died there), traverse the Golden Stairs, and paddle the Lindeman and Bennett lakes (often windy and choppy) down onto the Yukon River. Other difficulties they had to endure were paddling through the Miles Canyon rapids, the Whitehorse rapids, and the Five Finger Rapids.
  • Upon reaching the lakes, these gold seekers built boats from scratch. They chopped down trees and made rough lumber to build their boats. Many of these people did not have any boat building experience.
  • Miles Canyon was dangerous to paddle through and many people lost their lives. Others lost their goods and supplies when their boats were swamped in the rapids.

Some Interesting Tidbits

  • Skookum Jim (Indian name Keish) and Dawson Charlie ( k 'aa Goo x )
  • Both were Tagish Indians (Tlingits)

Ref: (1995). Backhouse, F. Women of the Klondike, Whitecap:Vancouver,BC