Stampeders near Sheep Camp on the Chilkoot trail. 1897.
~ Detail from LaRoche 10019.
Cries of "Gold! Gold! Gold!" sent over 100,000
optimistic "stampeders" rushing to Dawson City and the Klondike
gold fields in 1897 and 1898. They believed riches lay waiting for
those who could reach this remote Canadian region.
This exhibit highlights their journey north.
For most, this journey was the most challenging and time-consuming
aspect of the gold rush. Stampeders were physically unprepared and
poorly equipped for the severe northern climate and terrain. Some
died and many abandoned the journey. About 40,000 people reached
the Klondike, only four of every ten who tried.
The first major Klondike gold discovery
occurred on August 16, 1896. Local miners soon staked claims and
established the town of Dawson. Official word of the strike did
not reach the outside for nearly a year because the Yukon River
froze in late September and prevented communication.
Copyright and Credits:
This web exhibition was prepared by U.W. Museology student
Rebecca Hackman. It is based on an exhibition prepared by Ms.
Hackman and the University of Washington Libraries' Special
Collections and Preservation Division shown in the Special
Collections lobby in the Basement, South Wing of the Allen Library
from March 26, 1997 to September 1997.
This exhibition is copyrighted by the University of Washington
Libraries. The exhibition may be used online or parts of it
downloaded for personal use or the URL for the exhibition included
in another electronic document. All images in this web exhibition
are from the Special Collections Division. For
information on reproductions of the images and use guidelines
e-mail the Special Collections Division
(photos@u.washington.edu).
