Klondike Gold Rush

The Klondike Gold Rush was the gold rush immigration and prospecting in Yukon Canada and Alaska. The most concentrated efforts were along the Klondike River around Dawson City. Ever since the first discovery approximately 400 tons of gold have been excavated from the region.

The first discovery was made in 1896 in the Bonanza Creek. The news about the finding quickly reached the US. At his time the American economy was in a series of economic crisis that caused a lot of unemployment. The first prospectors embarked in San Francisco and Seattle for Klondike. They arrived in the towns of Skagway and Dyea and then went for Dowson City. The population of the area swiftly grew and almost caused famine.

The gold rush attracted men from all kinds of professions. The possibility of making a fortune drew people who had no previous association with prospecting, exploring or mining. Some were teachers, doctors, writers, intellectuals, majors, soldiers etc. They came not only from the United States. Some came from South Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Among them was William Howard Tarf who would later become an American president. Another famous person that took part in the frenzy was Frederick Russel Burnham- a famous explorer and scout.

Many of the adventurers continued on after reaching Dawson City. They did not undertake prospecting but looked for their fortune elsewhere. This helped develop a lot the western parts of Canada, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

After arriving at the ports in Skagway and Dyea the prospective prospectors followed the Chilkoot trail and went through the Chilkoot Pass. Then, through the White Pass and kept on to the Bennett and Linderman Lake. The last part of the trip was made with rafts and boats.car rental canada

On the Canadian boats there were checked by Canadian mounted police force. In order to be allowed on Canadian territory they had to bring a year’s worth of food and have no guns.

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