Yukon/Klondike Gold Rush

The Gold Rush

Three men named George Washington Carmack, Skookum Jim Mason, and Dawson Charlie found gold in a river named Rabbit Creek now named Bonanza Creek in Yukon, Canada. The news of their find was published in newspapers, mainly in California. Once others got word about their find, many left their families to find gold in Alaska. At this time, American citizens were suffering from an economic depression. As a result, people had no money and were poor. The Yukon Gold Rush afforded citizens the opportunity for wealth and people were eager to join the venture.

In the 1800s people in the United States had no jobs to pay for their families. Most people lived in shanty towns and small houses that were approximately 15-20 feet across. Because of the lack of employment, many had no money to pay for food. A bucket of beef was $60, a bushel of wheat was around $1.00, and a barrel of flour was $3.00 in the late 1800s. The average American made about $16.00 a week. Others, like teachers, for example, made approximately $10 to $15 a month. Since salaries did not cover the cost of living, people often stole or went without food.

The journey to Alaska took approximately 6 months from California to the city of Dawson, Alaska. Prospectors faced horrible weather conditions such as devastating snow storms while traveling from Washington on their way to the Yukon in the rugged mountains of Alaska. Traveling via steamboat or via railroad both presented dangers; to travel via steamboat people had to wait until the summer months for ice to thaw in the rivers. Rail travel was harsh mostly because of the many trees in the way. Most people didn’t make it to Dawson alive. Once in Alaskan territory, prospectors had to either take the White Pass Trail or the Chilkoot Pass Trail to reach Dawson. Chilkoot is a 31 mile route with a lot of hurdles. People that proceeded on the Chilkoot trail had to carry heavy loads on their backs as they hiked up the steep mountain. Although it did take longer at 45 miles of trail, White Pass Trail conditions were easier because it was wide enough for animals and humans to both walk on a level path.

When people arrived, they suffered extreme difficulties in Alaska. Digging and melting through permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of ice on or under Earth’s surface, was usually a necessity to find the much sought after gold. Dawson prospectors didn’t have running water or electricity in their tents. Hunting was a problem as well because there were too many people and too little game. They also faced the risk of avalanches during travel and while making camp. Before their journey, Canadian authorities made all of the people looking for gold bring enough supplies to last their first year. At this time, Alaska was not yet a part of the United States. Alaska became the forty-ninth state of the Union in 1959.

People used equipment like shovels, cross picks, sluice boxes, and rocker boxes to mine gold. Prospectors panned for gold by mixing river gravel with water in a shallow pan until the mixture of gravel and water spilled over the side of the bowl leaving only the gold. The most common sites for mining were the Yukon River, in mountains’ mines, and caves in the Yukon. From the base camp in Dawson prospectors would travel to other sites like Skagway and Dyea to mine gold as well. Sled dogs were also useful during the Klondike Gold Rush. Sled dogs were brought to Alaska to endure the extreme cold of the Yukon. The sled dogs carried supplies that a lot of other modes of transportation could not. Prospectors relied on dog teams to carry their supplies when going to different mining areas. Preferred dog breeds included Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Huskies both raised in Alaska and brought from the U.S.

It took about 42 hours for the average prospector to get one ounce of gold. The Yukon Gold Rush and it’s earnings changed America. For example, more businesses opened, more jobs were available, and things became more common like electricity, fire hydrants, and running water. People like Alexander McDonald, “The King of the Klondike”, made approximately $5,000 every day from mining for gold. Later, he started foolishly spending his money on expensive drinks at bars and eventually died from a heart attack. According to Robert W. Service’s poem “King of the Klondike”, "He lived like a prince and he spent like a king, did ol’ mac. Whatever he said ‘r he did had th’ ring of pure gold; but one day in th’ spring, struck a vein in th’ rock that made us all sing, ‘Rah f’r Mac!”’ 

Belinda Mulrooney was the “Queen of the Klondike.” She was known as ‘The richest woman in the Klondike’. After amassing a fortune during the Gold Rush she subsequently lost it in a divorce in 1906. She decided to prospect again and once again became rich. Her first fortune gave her millions, but her second fortune lasted until her death in 1967. Many prospectors eventually lost their gold from lack of foresight, bad business deals, and spending it on saloons and other foolish occupations. Out of the 30,000 that arrived, only 4,000 got rich from gold but America’s economy changed for the better. When gold was found in the Yukon territory of Alaska many did not hesitate to try their chances at winning a pot of gold. 

By 1899 the gold had been claimed and lives had been changed. Banks in the U.S went from holding $36 million in 1887 to holding over $100 million in 1899. Problems like economic depression and low resources were solved. In Jack London’s famous novel Call of the Wild we read, “When Buck earned sixteen hundred dollars in five minutes for John Thornton, he made it possible for his master to pay off certain debts and to journey with his partners into the East after a fabled lost mine, the history of which was as old as the history of the country.” The historic Yukon Gold Rush provided citizens the opportunity for change and riches. The effects of their determination were felt at the beginning of the 20th century and are still relevant to present-day America.