Arthur C. Pillsbury Collection
See photographs of the Klondike Gold Rush, California, Oregon and Washington taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury (1870-1946) between about 1896 and 1900.
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White Pass and Yukon Railway tracks and mountain view, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields. In April 1898 the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company was formed in an effort to establish an easier way through the pass. Construction on the railroad began the following month. Thousands of workers worked around the clock in treacherous conditions to complete the project. The railroad track was completed at White Pass on February 20, 1899 and reached Lake Bennett on July 6, 1899. The final spike on the railroad was placed on July 29, 1900 in Carcross, B.C.
Identifier: spl_ap_00143
Date: 1899?
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"Australian" steamboat at Canyon City in Yukon Territory, ca. 1899
A similar photograph in the University of Washington’s Eric A. Hegg’s photographs identifies the location at Miles Canyon Landing, about 6 miles south of Whitehorse on the Yukon River. This location was used by the Canyon and White Horse Rapids Tramway Company between 1897 and 1900 to portage steamer cargo around Miles Canyon and the Whitehorse Rapids. Location information for Canyon City has been provided based on information from the National Park Service. The "Australian" was constructed by the Canadian Development Company in Bennett, British Columbia in 1899.
Identifier: spl_ap_00151
Date: 1899?
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Group of indigenous children at Fort Yukon, Alaska, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00183
Date: 1899?
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Semi nudes
Frank Asakichi Kunishige was born in Japan on June 5, 1878. He came to the United States via San Francisco in 1895. After graduating from the Illinois College of Photography, he opened a small photography studio in San Francisco. Kunishige moved to Seattle in 1917. In the same year, he married Gin Kunishige and began working in the studio of Edward S. Curtis where he became acquainted with Ella McBride who he worked for in later years. Kunishige was well known for his use of Pictorialism, a popular painterly style of photography. He developed his photographs on "textura tissue," a paper of his own creation, which allowed him to produce almost dreamlike prints. His work was featured nationally and internationally in exhibitions and publications such as Photo-Era and Seattle's Town Crier. In 1924, Kunishige became one of the founding members of the Seattle Camera Club, a group of local photographers including Kyo Koike, Yukio Morinaga, Iwao Matsushita and Fred Y. Ogasawara who gathered to share techniques and ideas, as well as their deep love of the medium. Although the group was initially solely Japanese, they soon welcomed more members including Ella McBride, their first female member. When World War II struck and the country's Japanese internment policy was put in place, Kunishige and his wife were forced to leave Seattle for Idaho where they were interned at the Minidoka camp. After their release, Kunishige spent two years working at a photography studio in Twin Falls, Idaho but eventually returned to Seattle due to his poor health. Frank Kunishige passed away on April 9, 1960.
Identifier: spl_art_367924_04
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Man riding on Chilkoot Pass tramway, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, several hoists and tramways were constructed to help prospectors transport heavy loads of supplies and cargo over the pass. Prior to the construction of the tramways, prospectors carried their supplies themselves or with packhorses. Peterson's Hoist was constructed in 1896 and relied on a pulley and sled system. In 1897, Archie Burns' Tramway, a horse-powered system, went into operation. In March 1898 the Dyea-Klondike Transportation company opened up their own tram, the first electric-powered version in the world. Later that year the company merged with the Alaska Railroad and Transportation Company and Chilkoot Railroad and Transport Company to expand tram operations. In June 1899, the tram was purchased by the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad and the tram system was torn down, soon to be replaced by a narrow-gauge railroad.
Identifier: spl_ap_00125
Date: 1899?
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Aerial view of Dawson City across the Yukon River, ca. 1899
Dawson City was originally home to members of the Han Tribe. It became the epicenter of the gold rush in Yukon Territory - established in 1899?and swelling to a population of 40,000 the following year as prospectors flooded the area. The city served as the capitol of the Yukon until 1952.
Identifier: spl_ap_00027
Date: 1899?
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Dyea, Alaska from Dyea Mt., ca. 1899
Dyea was a short-lived town used by prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush as an entrance to the Chilkoot Trail. It became less popular after a large avalanche blocked much of the trail on April 3, 1898 killing over 70 prospectors. In May 1898 White Pass & Yukon Route railroad route opened in the neighboring town of Skagway, offering a faster, safer way for prospectors and their gear to reach the gold fields.
Identifier: spl_ap_00136
Date: 1899?
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Man on bicycle pulling sled near summit of White Pass Trail, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields.
Identifier: spl_ap_00115
Date: 1899?
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