Arctic & Northern Mining

Dateline: October 21, 2022. Last update: February 22, 2026.

Early Books About the Yukon and/or the Klondike Gold Fields

Which ship took the first Klondike gold Outside?
The conventional wisdom says the steamships Excelsior and Portland brought out the first Klondike gold in July 1897. But perhaps the Lakme was, in October 1896.

Patsy Henderson recalls the start of the Gold Rush
An article in The Whitehorse Star of June 26, 1958.

Tons of Gold!!
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898 was triggered by the arrival of the "treasure ships" Excelsior and Portland in San Francisco and Seattle. Here's who and what was on those boats.

Stampede Routes to Klondike Gold
A section of an 1897 map, and 1898 descriptions of the various ways to get to Dawson City.

A Trip to the Yukon, 1896: The Chilkoot Trail
The first in a series of lengthy articles by J. H. Jones of Galena, Kansas, in The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, Kansas), from December 23, 1896.

A Trip to the Yukon, 1896: Through Miles Canyon
The second in a series of lengthy articles in The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, Kansas), from December 21, 1896.

A Trip to the Yukon, 1896: Part 3, From White Horse down the Yukon River
The third in a series of lengthy articles in The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, Kansas), from December 30, 1896.

A Trip to the Yukon, 1896: Part 4, Down the Yukon River to Circle City
The fourth in a series of lengthy articles in The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, Kansas), from January 7, 1897.

A Trip to the Yukon, 1896: Part 5, Life in Circle City
The fifth in a series of lengthy articles in The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, Kansas), from January 21, 1897.

Routes to the Yukon, June 1897
An article with a very large and detailed map and brief descriptions of possible routes, from The San Francisco Call of June 26, 1897.

El Dorado at Last - Gold in the Klondike!
A lengthy article from The Daily Colonist (Victoria, BC) of Sunday, July 18, 1897.

Arctic Mining & Development Company, 1897-1898
A history of the company, which intended to operate on the Kuskowim River in Alaska, as told through newspaper reports starting in 1895.

The White Pass Trail - August 1897
Two articles from The Examiner (San Francisco) of August 24, 1897, paint a grim picture of conditions on the White Pass and at Skagway.

Four Tons of Treasure on the Way, September 1897
An article from The Examiner (San Francisco) of September 4, 1897.

Stranded at St. Michael, 1897
An article in The San Francisco Call of September 14, 1897, tells the story of 225 people from the steamer Humboldt trying to get to the Klondike goldfields.

Escaping Starvation in the Klondike, 1897
An article in The San Francisco Call of September 14, 1897, paints a grim picture of conditions at Dawson City and in the goldfields.

Gone Mad on Gold - Skaguay and Dyea, 1897
A lengthy article from The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), of October 14, 1897.

Many Yukon steamers are not seaworthy, 1897
An article from the Elmira Gazette and Free Press (Elmira, New York), of October 14, 1897.

Los Angeles Herald's Klondyke Gold Promotion, 1897
On October 21, 1897, the Los Angeles Herald ran this full-page-height ad for new subscribers and advertisers to win a total of 7½ ounces of gold from the Klondyke.

H. J. Bigger's trip to Alaska, 1897
A lengthy (4,420 words) article in The West Plains Journal (West Plains, Missouri), of October 28 and November 4, 1897.

The Canadian Gold Fields, 1897
On November 5, 1897, William Ogilvie gave a lecture on the Yukon at Victoria, and the following day the Victoria Daily Times published it as a 2-page, 9,500-word article.

George A. Brackett's Wagon Road at Skaguay, Alaska
A lengthy article from The Minneapolis Times of Monday Morning, January 3, 1898, is the first substantial article about the Brackett Road.

Klondykers are not starving yet
A lengthy article about conditions on the Klondike trails, from The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana) of January 9, 1898.

The White Pass Trail, February 1898
An article from The Morning Alaskan (Skaguay) of February 1, 1898 (Vol. 1 No. 1 of the newspaper).

An Australian's view of the Klondyke
A fairly lengthy article in The Kalgoorlie Miner (Kalgoorlie, Australia) of February 22, 1898, describes 'Life on the Field, Cost of Living, How to Get There.'

The Rush to the Klondike Over the Mountain Passes
An illustrated 6-page article by Edward S. Curtis in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine of April 1898 paints a grim picture of the journey.

The River Trip to the Klondike, 1897
An illustrated 20-page article by John Sidney Webb in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine of April 1898 describes in great detail the country between Mt. Michael and the Klondike gold-fields.

The Klondike News
A 40-page souvenir edition dated April 1st, 1898, was the only one ever published.

Map of Klondike Gold Creeks
Published in The Klondike News, Dawson, N.W.T., April 1st, 1898.

St. Michael to Dawson and beyond by dog team, 1897-1898
A very lengthy and detailed article in the Victoria Daily Times of April 6, 1898, describes Jack Carr's arduous 2,600-mile journey to the Klondike and on to Skagway.

Captain Edward Barrington (1866-1898)
An article from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer of September 17, 1898, describes the life and death of Captain Barrington.

Map of the Indian River and Klondike Goldfields
Drawn by Tappan Adney, corrected to September, 1898.

How to get to the Klondyke
The "safest, best and cheapest route" was from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, according to this 69-page brochure from 1898.

Edmonton to the Yukon River, 1897-1898
A lengthy illustrated article from The Vancouver Daily Province of May 12, 1945, describes the North-West Mounted Police expedition led by Inspector J. D. Moodie.

Edmonton to the Yukon River, 1897-1898
Inspector J. D. Moodie's report in the 1898 Annual Report of the North-West Mounted Police (86 pages, 6.6MB).

Johnston, Kerfoot & Co., Vancouver, 1897-1898
An 'advertorial' about this large Klondike outfitter from The Vancouver Semi-Weekly World of June 22, 1897, with an ad and a photo of their Cordova Street store.

A Tale of Hardship on the Edmonton Trail, 1897-1898
An article in The Victoria Daily Times in February 1899 tells of the 'Journeying of Five Victims of the Edmonton Route in Unexplored Wilds'.

From England to Atlin on the Teslin Trail, 1898
A lengthy illustrated article by Guy Lawrence, about his journey with his father in 1898, from The Vancouver Sun Magazine Supplement of July 24, 1948.

Who Discovered Klondike Gold?
Part of Canadian Heritage's "Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History" project, this large site allows people to look at the primary documents and to explore the debates, questions and issues related to the discovery.

The 1898 Yukon Act
The Klondike Gold Rush was the direct cause of the Yukon becoming a separate Territory.

Geology of the Klondike Gold Fields
A lengthy illustrated article by Angelo Heilprin, published in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly, July 1899.

Alexander McDonald, one of the Klondike Kings in 1899
A lengthy article from the Dawson Daily News' Mining Edition, published in September 1899. All of his mining properties are listed, with some great detail about operations.

American Heroes of the Klondike Gold Rush
Short bios, listed by the person's home town.

Canadian Heroes of the Klondike Gold Rush
Short bios, listed by the person's home town.

Alaskan Bonanza Mining, Trading and Transportation Company
This prospectus from 1898 promotes the sale of shares in the company to engage in various businesses in the Klondike.

The Romance of the Klondike
An illustrated story by Clarence Pullen, from The Cosmopolitan Magazine, 1898.

Captain Jack Crawford
A poem by the "Poet Scout," written to honour Klondike balloonist John Leonard.

Children of the Gold Rush
A review of the book by Claire Rudolph Murphy and Jane G. Haigh.

Dan Snure - Klondike Outfit List
The complete list, copied from a letter to his family in Ontario in 1898.

Dawson City and the Yukon Territory in February 1899
An article in The Philadelphia Times of February 26, 1899, tells of the growth of Dawson City and the ease of travel now.

Shipping to Atlin and Dawson, 1899
An article and related ads from The Vancouver Daily World of May 18, 1899, describe the large freight shipments going north from Vancouver, BC.

Leonard Party No Longer Has Hope of Success, October 1899
An article in the Alameda Daily Argus (Alameda, California) of October 5, 1899, describes the failure of the Leonard expedition and the probable upcoming sale of their steamer 'Dawson City'.

Captain D. C. Bayse - An Alaska Cave, 1899
An article from The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) of October 13, 1899, describes an exciting event involving bears and an ancient civilization along the Yukon River.

Complaints about Canadian Development Co.'s roadhouse service
An article from The Daily Morning Alaskan (Skagway, Alaska) of Saturday, December 16, 1899.

Romances of the World's Great Mines: The Klondike
An illustrated story by Samuel Erasmus Moffett, from Cosmopolitan, September 1903, pp 447-456.

Dyea, Alaska
A comprehensive guide to the history and current condition of this ghost town that was the gateway to the Chilkoot Pass. Includes a complete photo-inventory of the cemeteries.

Experience the Klondike in Dawson City
Whatever your reason for wanting to see the North, Dawson City should be on your 'must-see' list.

George and Martha Louise Black
The couple played important parts in the political history of the Yukon, with Martha becoming the Yukon's federal Member of Parliament.

Golden Dreams: The Quest for the Klondike
A beautifully-designed site with 25 photos of the Klondike rush as seen through the lens of Asahel Curtis.

Gold Fever - PBS
This excellent site has some great photos, and uses original quotes extensively.

"The Gold Rush"
An excellent summary/review of Charlie Chaplin's classic 1925 movie (re-released in 1942 with added narration and music) about the Klondike.

A look back at the Klondike from 1948
A lengthy illustrated article by Bert Parker, who came to Dawson in 1898 when he was 18, from The Vancouver Sun Magazine Supplement of July 31, 1948.

Gold Mining in the Klondike
From Wikipedia, descriptions and photos of some of the techniques used in placer gold mining.

Environmental Consequences of the Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898 was over almost as soon as it began, but had a lasting impact on the landscape and native people along the route north.

Hiking the Chilkoot Trail
A lengthy photojournal describing 3 days following the footsteps of the stampeders in July 2009.

Historic Hotels of Carcross
Lots of details on the village's early-day accommodations - it was a favoured stop on the Klondike Trail.

John Leonard, Klondike Balloonist
Between 1899 and 1903, Leonard brought the thrills of aerial acrobatics to the Yukon and Alaska.

The Klondike Gold Rush: Curriculum Materials
An extensive resource (pdf file) developed by Kathryn Morse, University of Washington Dept. of History.

Klondike Gold Rush Historical Database
Contains photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, contemporary Seattle business names and locations, vessel sailing dates and passenger lists.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - Seattle Unit
A good introduction to both the Klondike rush, and to the Seattle unit's interpretive displays.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - Skagway Unit
This site offers a great deal of information about the gold rush and the signs of it that are still visible today.

Klondike Pioneers from Australia
A listing of approximately 260 names, with some details on their arrival.

Klondike Pioneers from Hollister, California
These very descriptive letters home originally appeared in the Hollister Free Lance newspaper in 1898.

Klondike Pioneers from Montana
A listing of approximately 620 names, with some details on their arrival.

Charles Engel and family in the Klondike, 1895-97
An article from the Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York) of November 14, 1897.

The Klondike Rainmaker
The story of how one 'scientist' tried to create weather that was perfect for gold miners.

Klondike River, 1898
A lengthy description of conditions, from Johnson's Cyclopaedia, 1898, pages 143-145.

Klondike Ship Passenger Lists
Lists from 1899 sailings of the Upper Lakes (Yukon River) boats Gleaner, Lully C., Ruth, and Clifford Sifton.

In Fear of Klondike Pirates
In May 1898, trading companies feared that Spain might send ships into the Pacific to rob ships carrying Klondike gold, in order to finance the Spanish-American War.

The Klondike Adventure of George W. Wylde
A lengthy series of articles published in The Mexico Weekly Ledger (Mexico, Missouri) between 1898 and 1916, many written by Wylde.

Edward Lakenan runs Miles Canyon and White Horse Rapids, 1898
The Mexico Weekly Ledger (Mexico, Missouri) published a colourful story by Edward Lakenan on August 14, 1898, about running Miles Canyon and the White Horse Rapids.

'Klondyke Adventurers: On the way to the field'
This article describing George Vernon's trip across the Chilkoot Trail appeared in the October 1, 1898 edition of the Evening Observer, Brisbane, Australia.

Jack London
A lengthy analysis of Jack London's life as reflected in his works.

"Chasing a Rainbow" and "Rough Times For Miners"
Two articles from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of August 14, 1897, describe fraud and hardships along the trail to the Klondike goldfields.

The Langlow Family in the Klondike
Annotated stories told about the adventures of Lars, Jens, Knute, Ingeborg and Marie.

Lesson Plans for Studying the Klondike
From DiscoveryEducation.com, a lesson plan for teachers, designed for Grades 6-8.

Luc Richard and Thomas A. Barnes
On May 10, 1898, the men and their dogs fell through the ice of Lake Bennett - their complete obituary is posted, as is a photo of their wilderness grave as it looked in 1998.

Maritime Ghosts of the Klondike
As word of the Klondike gold discovery spread, all kinds of boats were patched up and chartered to go to Alaska. Most of those vessels reached their destinations; this is the story of two that didn't.

The Nursing Sisters of Canada
The story of their military service, which included going to the Yukon in 1898 with the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

Old Landmarks Removed
An 1899 newspaper article on changing geographical names in the Yukon Territory.

Our Time Machine is a Canoe
A journey down the Yukon River to Dawson City, exploring historic sites along the way, by Murray Lundberg and his 13-year-old son in July 1997.

Palm Sunday Avalanche
On March 3, 1898, an avalanche in the Chilkoot Pass killed between 60 and 100 people - this list of victims from 4 publications shows why we don't know exactly.

Pan For Gold Database
This large searchable database contains data on people entering the Yukon, obituaries, mining claim registrations, ship passenger lists, etc.

Roadhouses, Hotels, Saloons & Cafes
A listing of approximately 1,265 names of proprietors and managers of services en route to the Klondike.

News from the Klondike, June 16, 1899
A half-page of news and a couple of ads from the Klondike, from the front page of The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia) of June 16, 1899.

Legal claim-jumping in the Klondike, 1899
An article in The Seattle Star of September 9, 1899, reported that the son of the Yukon Commissioner tried to force the Berry brothers off a rich claim because they hadn't renewed the paperwork

Journey to the Klondike, 1900
A lengthy article in The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) of April 21, 1900, describes a journey by steamboat and log railway from Lake Bennett to White Horse.

Robert Bruce Banks and the Clara Nevada Disaster
A collection of moving letters brings a family's struggle and tragedy during the Klondike Gold Rush to life.

Scows, Boats, and a Steamer to Sail from Bennett
An article in The Daily Morning Alaskan (Skagway, Alaska) of April 26, 1900, describes the activities of P. J. Christensen in building and repairing various craft.

'The Snow Conqueror' Steam Tractor
An 1897 press release from 'The Klondike Snow and Ice Transit Co.'

The Death of Jim Hall, 1918
A lengthy article from The Weekly Star of Friday, September 20, 1918, describes the Yukon life and California suicide of Klondike millionaire Jim Hall.

Stories from the Gold Rush
The US National Postal Museum has posted a large, well-illustrated site about both the Klondike and Nome stampedes, with lots of little-known information.

Kate Carmack
We'll never know for certain who discovered the Klondike gold, but it may have been Kate Carmack.

Everett J. Ward
Placer gold claim No. 38 Above on Dominion Creek, one of the richest in the Klondike, was staked by Everett Ward on August 30, 1896.

The history of Baroda, Michigan
The conventional history of the community, with an additional gem about significant improvements to the community made by Frank Phiscator, a resident who struck it rich in the Klondike gold fields.

A Watery Grave - Drownings in the Yukon & Alaska
With tens of thousands of cheechakos on the trail to the goldfields, accidents along the waterways of the North were inevitable - here is a list of some of them.

Women of the Klondike
Ken Spotswood presents a large article on the lives of several of the women who arrived during the Gold Rush.

Klondike Night at Fort Langley, BC, 1955
An article from The Vancouver Province (Vancouver, BC), of October 22, 1955, describes the festivities and some of the Yukoners present.

Klondike Heritage Mail Run, 1985
During the celebration of the National Parks of Canada Centennial, special envelopes were carried between Seattle and Dawson City via the Chilkoot Pass, and they received special cancellations at several points.