Skagway:
Gateway to the Klondike

(J.B. Moore Collection [Acc. #76-35-53N], University of Alaska, Fairbanks Archives, photo by H.C. Barley) M ajestic mountains rise abruptly on either side of Skagway, a town situated in a narrow glaciated valley at the head of the Taiya Inlet in Alaska. Positioned along one of the main transportation corridors leading to Canada's interior, Skagway was established as a result of a gold strike in the Klondike region of Canada's Yukon Territory. Beginning in the summer of 1897, thousands of hopeful stampeders poured in to the new town and prepared for the arduous 500-mile journey to the gold fields. Realizing the grueling challenges that lay ahead on the route and the economic potential of supplying goods and services to other stampeders, some chose to remain in Skagway and establish a permanent community. Although it lasted but a brief period, and few obtained the wealth they dreamed of, the Klondike Gold Rush left a lasting mark on the Alaskan and Canadian landscapes. Today, Skagway's "boomtown" era remains alive in the many turn-of-the-century buildings that survive. The city now hosts half a million tourists annually and has a year-round population of approximately 800.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. Routes from Seattle to Klondike 2. Chilkoot and White Pass Trails Determining the Facts: Readings 1. Gold is Discovered in the Klondike 2. Settlement and Commerce 3. Transportation: Key to Survival Visual Evidence: Images 1. Skagway, Alaska, 1898 2. Trail Street, Skagway, 1897 3. Moore Cabin and Moore House 4. Moore and Family, 1904 5. Golden North Hotel 6. Arctic Brotherhood Hall 7. McCabe College Building Putting It All Together: Activities 1. Gold Rushes 2. History and the Use of Local Buildings Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park This lesson is based on the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the Skagway Historic District and White Pass, several of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Skagway Historic District and White Pass have been designated National Historic Landmarks.

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