Like so much of Whitehorse, Capital Hotel doesn't look like much from the outside, but a much closer inspection will indicate an interesting history.
Whitehorse was built in steps. Shifts in the Yukon's boom-and-bust economy resulted in stages of expansion over the last 100 years. Takhini subdivision, built during the creation of the Alaska Highway, is reminiscent of the 1940s era, when walls were built thickly of concrete.
The Capital Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Whitehorse, has a building history that matches the Yukon's up-and-down economics. Despite its strong place in Whitehorse culture, factual information on the Capital Hotel is tough to come by. A visit to the Whitehorse City Planning Department results in dust blown off heavy books hand scrolled with property registration records. The history of Lots 16 and 17, where the Capital now stands, is recorded in ink-well hand writing, now faded by the years.
A closer inspection reveals a strange history of the lots being traded quickly and for no apparent developmental reasons. But 100 years ago, in the height of the gold rush when Whitehorse was a stop-over for people both entering and fleeing Dawson City, land was cheap and could be swapped in a hand of poker.
Starting in 1900, with original owner William McInnes of Nanaimo, B.C., the lots had seven different owners in 14 years - a difficult history to trace. What isn't apparent is what the land was used for. What is apparent is the Capital Hotel didn't yet exist.
In the early 1920s, Whitehorse's mayor-of-the-day used the property
as a storage facility for his hardware outlet. The shack that once held hammers, nails and screws is now reportedly the Capital's front lobby. Apparently, the mayor added on to the storage shed and it became his home. He sold it, either in the late '20s or '30s, to a couple who renovated it into a beauty palour. The building was split into a his-and-hers style place, right down the middle. Boys to the left, women to the right. The beauty salon / barber shop was the Capital's front entrance until renovations were performed in the early 1980s.
Layers of dust are blown from the books and history becomes a bit clearer. The truth slowly unfurls.
In Aug. 1941, Richard and Ivy White purchased Lot 16 and added a back area to the original structure. The still-standing bar room was added on with a lounge and 14 rooms. The beauty parlour / barber shop / hardware shack finally became the Capital Hotel.
In the early 1950s, Cal Miller bought the empty lot next door and dragged in an old army surplus shed, probably left over from the years when the Canadian and American militaries were prominent in the area building the Alcan highway.
The shack was added on and nine more main floor hotel rooms became available in Whitehorse.
Unfortunately, history once again gets confusing. At least one of the White's owned the building until 1965, before ownership was transferred to the Capital Hotel. Records indicate The Yukon Cattle Company (Yukon cows?) once owned the hotel. Maybe the hotel was traded in a poker game. Maybe it wasn't.
And on it goes. If more information is sought on the Capital's ownership history, go to City Hall and finger through the old books.
However, what's real is what can be seen and heard. Still resembling a mix of the gold rush era, war times, and colourful '90s, the Capital has lots to look at. Decorating the walls are an on-going Yukon theme of large-boned, very scantily clad beauts from the past.
Long bars and short tables make the narrow building user-friendly, and conversations can easily be built. If things go well, a staircase in the middle of the bar can lead patrons to upper heights. But don't go to the Capital for a restful sleep. The band plays on and on and on...
Eva Stehelin did own the Capital for 14 years beginning in the 1980s. She relates stories, particularly centred around February's Sourdough Rendezvous Festival, of male beauty pageants, can-can dancers and Lady Godiva.
The famous figure came to life at one festival, riding her horse through the bar sans attire, at temperatures far below freezing. The still unidentified horse and rider disappeared out the back door before the crowd knew better.
"Was that Lady Godiva?" one patron quipped.
"No, just a horse's ass," said another.
When gold prices peaked in the early 1980s, so did the Capital. Stehelin said the place was generally packed with people from all walks of life - miners, lawyers, plumbers, office workers, transients and politicians all used the Capital as the local watering hole.
Not much has changed. On any given day, like the Yukon, the Capital is full of people of all types looking for a laid-back, refreshing place to tell tales and relax over a beer. Rooms are cheap. Loud conversation, great stories and music are included in the prices.
