In August 1896, on the banks of a quiet creek in the remote Yukon territory, the promise of unimaginable fortune shimmered beneath the surface. Skookum Jim (Keish), Tagish Charlie (K̲áa Goox̱), and George Carmack discovered gold in Bonanza Creek. Their find set into motion one of the most legendary gold rushes in North American history: the Klondike Gold Rush.
This extraordinary chapter in history is now vividly documented and accessible through the new Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection, part of the UBC Library’s Open Collections. The digital archive includes photographs, maps, postcards, and more, offering an in-depth look into the hopes, hardships, and human stories that shaped this rush for gold.
Photograph depicts three men sitting outside an open tent (1898-99).
The Rush Begins
It wasn’t until nearly a year after the discovery that the rest of the world caught wind of the gold buried in the frozen north. In July 1897, the steamship Portland docked in Seattle, reportedly carrying “more than a ton of gold.”
The news ignited a frenzy.
Approximately 100,000 gold seekers scrambled to reach the Klondike region of Yukon, hoping to strike it rich.
Postcard titled “Over Half a Million Pyramid of Gold Bars.” Bank of BNA, Dawson, Y.T.
Choosing a Path
For the would-be prospectors, they faced a critical decision at the outset: which trail to take?
Map shewing the “White Pass” route to Yukon Goldfields via Skagway Bay.
The White Pass Trail, referred to as the “Dead Horse Trail,” was known for its narrow, muddy terrain that claimed the lives of many pack animals.
On the other hand, the Chilkoot Trail, steep and treacherous, was carved into the mountains by the boots of thousands. Known for the “Golden Stairs”—a seemingly endless climb of 1,500 steps carved into ice—it was as punishing as it was direct.
As Tappan Adney wrote in The Klondike Stampede (available in the BC Historical Books Collection), “It is impossible to give one an idea of the slowness with which things are moving. It takes a day to go four or five miles and back; it takes a dollar to do what ten cents would do at home … They have arrived here with outfits and means of transportation; they have thought their expenses ended, but they have only just begun” (p. 98).
What Did It Take to Get There?
Every stampeder was required to bring a year’s worth of food and supplies before crossing the Canadian border.
According to the HISTORY.com Editors, this list included:
- Around 1,000 pounds of food
- Warm clothing and outerwear
- Boots and moccasins
- Blankets and mosquito netting
- Mining tools and camping gear
- Medicines, first aid, and soap
The enormous logistical challenge of transporting supplies through snow-covered passes and rugged terrain meant that many stampeders did not reach Dawson City, the centre of the gold rush, as quickly as they had hoped.
Bonanza Creek, Dawson City (between 1897 and 1910).
Fortune or Fable?
While the early stakeholders (also known as the “Klondike Kings”) became wealthy, most prospectors arrived too late. By the time the majority reached the gold fields, every creek had been claimed. Many newcomers found themselves working not for themselves but for others, earning wages of $1 to $10 a day.
Stereograph depicts miners with a sluice channel, looking for gold (1901).
Meanwhile, some individuals found their own ways to profit. In Seattle, outfitting businesses boomed as hopeful miners stocked up for the journey. Others found opportunity by running hotels, trading posts, and supply stores along the way.
The Seattle Hotel, Klondyke (1898).
When gold was discovered in Nome, Alaska in 1899, many disheartened Klondikers left Dawson once again in search of treasure. A new cycle of hardship and high hopes began.
Legacy in the Archives
Today, the Klondike Gold Rush lives on not just in legend but in the preserved images, books, and artifacts left behind. The Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection offers an immersive portal into this dramatic period—one marked by the timeless allure of gold.
Thank you for reading!
References
Klondike Gold Rush (2025). HISTORY.com Editors.
The Trails. Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
The Klondike Gold Rush (2002). University of Washington Libraries.
What Was the Klondike Gold Rush? (2024). National Park Service.
