See photographs of the Klondike Gold Rush, California, Oregon and Washington taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury (1870-1946) between about 1896 and 1900.
"T.C. Power" sternwheeler at Rampart City on the Yukon River, ca. 1899
Rampart City was established in 1897 and used as a stopping point for prospectors traveling on the Yukon River. A sign for the "North American Transportation & Trading Co." can be seen on the building at the left of the photograph. Two barges, the "John J. Mitchell" and another unidentified vessel, appear on either side of the "T.C. Power." The "T.C. Power" was constructed in 1898 and owned by the North American Transportation & Trading Company. The "John J. Mitchell" was a 80 ton barge that wrecked on the Yukon flats in 1905.
Identifier: spl_ap_00018
Date: 1899
View this itemYosemite Valley, ca. 1897-1900
This image shows a view of Yosemite Valley from near the present-day location of the Wawona Tunnel viewpoint. Pillsbury had a lifelong interest in the park and established his own photograph studio there in 1897.
Identifier: spl_ap_00166
Date: 1897; 1900
View this itemDawson 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_00028
Date: 1899
View this itemSkagway, Alaska and Chilkoot Inlet looking south, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00134
Date: 1899
View this itemAerial view of Skagway, Alaska, ca. 1899
View of Skagway, Alaska looking SW towards the Chilkoot Inlet. The White Pass and Yukon Railway roundhouse can be seen at the lower right and many tents and other homes can be seen in the distance. 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_00133
Date: 1899
View this itemIndigenous cemetery in St. Michael, Alaska, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00105
Date: 1899
View this itemWoman outside Long Lake Hotel in British Columbia, ca. 1899
Long Lake lay along the Chilkoot Trail, a Tlingit trade route between Skagway, Alaska and Lake Bennett (on the border of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory) that was used by many prospectors during the gold rush. The hotel was located at the south end of the lake. Signs on the side of the hotel advertise beds, lemonade and a bakery.
Identifier: spl_ap_00086
Date: 1899
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