The history of Whitehorse, Yukon


		The history of Whitehorse, Yukon An Explorer's Guide to Whitehorse, Yukon Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star A work in progress - currently (February 2024) over 7,600 brief summaries of articles from the newspaper, and hundreds of complete articles. Yukon Historical & Museums Association Among other things, the site has an excellent illustrated tour of Whitehorse heritage buildings. Yukon History & Abandoned Places This very active Facebook group, with almost 22,000 members, has a great deal of information about Whitehorse, with a search function to find what you're looking for. The History of Whitehorse An excellent illustrated summary by Ken Spotswood. The History of Whitehorse This history was published in the City of Whitehorse Official Community Plan, April 2023. Historic Images of Whitehorse, Yukon A collection of historic postcards and other photos. Whitehorse Mayors and Aldermen / Councillors, past & present A listing of all elected officials from the first council in 1950 to the present day. The history of Whitehorse hotels and motels, 1942-2019 A complete listing of all hotels and motels in Whitehorse since 1942, with photos and brief histories of each. Whitehorse communities and street names Whitehorse is divided into 37 communities, which have a total of 459 streets. On this page we describe each community and each street, with photos of each community's distinctive wooden sign. The history of Whitehorse area street, building, and place names A series of 53 articles by Delores Smith, published in The Whitehorse Star 1994-1995. Street name origins in downtown Whitehorse Police officers, politicians, railway executives, a bush pilot and others have been honoured by having one of the 21 streets named for them. Adapted from a CKRW Yukon Nugget series of 5 articles by Les McLaughlin. The history of the Hillcrest area of Whitehorse Built by the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1948, the community survived when the base closed in 1968. Street name origins in the Whistle Bend community The streets are - and will continue to be as the community grows - named after northern steamships. The history of the Mary Lake Country Residential subdivision The story of the subdivision area, from the 1950s to May 1988 when the Phase II lottery was completed. Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous: the early years A history of the winter festival, published in the program for the 1970 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous. Attempting to run Miles Canyon and the rapids, 1899 An article from The Klondike Nugget of October 7, 1899, tells the story of a canoeist and his photographer. Photographs of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, 1900 A wide variety of subjects are shown in these 26 photos, possibly shot by Percy Fremlin Scharschmidt for his newspaper, The Northern Star / The White Horse Star. Whitehorse, January 1900 An article from the Klondike Nugget (Dawson City) of January 3, 1900, tells of the new city to be built, and of the welcome demise of the town of Bennett. Whitehorse, July 1900 A lengthy article from The Bennett Sun (Bennett Lake, B.C.) of July 7, 1900, as well as several smaller Whitehorse-related pieces. Land sales at White Horse, 1901 An article from The White Horse Star (White Horse, Yukon Territory) of January 16, 1901, gives the regulations regarding the sale of government lands. Voters in Whitehorse, 1902 Published in The Weekly Star of November 20, 1902. There are 216 men - women would not get the vote for 16 more years. A Supplementary List was published the next week. White Horse, 1903 On January 8, 1903, The Leader (Regina) published extracts from a letter written by NWMP Inspector Horrigan, describing his first journey to the Yukon Territory, the small community of White Horse, and policing duties there. Whitehorse, 1904 "Description of the Mineral Resources of the District" - a lengthy article published every day in The Daily Evening Star from March 4 until March 26, 1904. Running Miles Canyon and Whitehorse Rapids, 1916 An article from The Weekly Star of July 14, 1916, describes a thrilling ride by Lowell Jackson Thomas with canyon pilot Ed Dixon. The history of Whitehorse Motors in Whitehorse, Yukon A detailed history of the company, and also the history of Ford Motors in the Yukon, starting in 1913. The 25th Anniversary publication of the Whitehorse Star A 12-page special published on about May 22nd, 1925, with 15 photos and many articles about history and current economic and social news. Forest fire threatens Whitehorse, 1937 An article published in The Whitehorse Star of June 11, 1937. W. H. Theatre opens, 1937 An article about the new White Horse Theatre, published in The Whitehorse Star of June 11, 1937. P.R.A. Fellowship Club - Whitehorse, Yukon, 1943 The final newsletter for this club for Alaska Highway workers talks about their many activities, giving thanks to many of their most active members. The Two Decker Cam Smith wrote this humourous poem about a 2-story outhouse at the Commercial Hotel in Whitehorse, Yukon, and published it in 1943. The Yukon Air Route, 1944: Whitehorse A lengthy article in The Morning Bulletin (Queensland, Australia) of June 30, 1944, describes Whitehorse, 'straggling is ugliness along the banks of the Lewes River'. Cemesto homes in Whitehorse, Yukon, 1944-1968 One of the more unique types of housing used in Whitehorse has been the ones built in the 1940s of Cemesto, panels made of sugar cane fibre, cement, and asbestos. Strolling around Whitehorse, 1947 In this lengthy article from the 80-page booklet "All-Year Round Guide to the Yukon", E.J. "Stroller" White takes us on a walking tour of downtown Whitehorse. Whitehorse Aviation to 1947 Two articles from the 80-page booklet "All-Year Round Guide to the Yukon" describe the development of the Whitehorse airport, and the city's part in Yukon aviation generally. The history of the Whitehorse Hospital to 1947 An article from the 80-page booklet "All-Year Round Guide to the Yukon" describes the development of the Whitehorse hospital. A history of Territorial Supply Company An illustrated history of the company from 1948 to 1976, and the ultimate fate of its large Whitehorse building. A Guide to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, 1949 Bill MacBride wrote this comprehensive brochure for the Board of Trade, covering everything from transportation and mining to living conditions and employment. The Fish Lake Hydro-electric Project A series of 3 columns by The Sideliner in The Whitehorse Star during October 1952 look at the development, current status and future plans of the operation. The Whitehorse Dam The story of power production in the Yukon, and the building of the dam which opened in 1958. Dogs - the Heart and Soul of Rendezvous A history of dog sledding, including sled and harness design, by Iris Warner, published in the program for the 1975 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous in Whitehorse. Riverboat Cafe and The Captain's Locker restaurant The riverboat Neecheah was hauled up to the Alaska Highway and used as these 2 restaurants between 1958 and 1979. Cheechako Grill, Whitehorse, Yukon This 5-page menu from the restaurant is probably from the 1960s. Edgewater Hotel in Whitehorse burns, 1961 A huge fire on December 25, 1961, with the temperature at -45 degrees, destroyed the Edgewater Hotel and several other buildings on First Avenue. 1960s memories of a Whitehorse kid Pete Oerlemans worked for CNT (Canadian National Telegraph), and in 2025 son Hessel captioned an aerial photo of upper Whitehorse. The history of Robert Service Way, Whitehorse Highlights from the history of one of the two access roads from the Alaska Highway to downtown Whitehorse. Chadburn Lake, Yukon This popular recreational lake in Whitehorse was named for World War II fighter ace Lloyd Vernon Chadburn. The Spider's Web youth coffee house, 1965-1966 The story of this teen coffee house and its equally short-lived successor, the Padded Cell. Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon, in 1966 Twenty images from a family vacation, shared with ExploreNorth by Michael Drews. The Burning of the Sternwheelers Casca and Whitehorse On June 20, 1974, in the most famous fire in Yukon history, two of the last remaining Yukon River sternwheelers were destroyed. The Territorial Administration Building A new building planned to house all Yukon Government offices opened on May 25, 1976. Heritage Preservation in Whitehorse From 1998, an article about the city's Heritage Advisory Committee having their work cut out for them. The Whitehorse Waterfront Trolley, 2000 Although dreams of having a restored steam engine back on the tracks died, a little trolley from Portugal added charm and colour to the banks of the Yukon River for a few years starting in 2000. KARA / KMA Speedway The stock car race track closed in 2004, but this 3/8 mile semi-banked dirt oval provided people with a lot of fun and excitement for over 30 years. Whitehorse waterfont, 2003-2022 A pair of high-resolution aerial photos show the changes in the waterfront area (jpg, 6.4 MB). Building the Hamilton Blvd. Extension, 2007-2009 A gallery of 25 photos follows construction of a new access route to the residential areas developing above Whitehorse. Crocus Ridge Medical Staff Residence Opens On April 28, 2011, construction of the new staff residence on Hospital Road, overlooking the Yukon River and the city of Whitehorse, was completed.