See photographs of the Klondike Gold Rush, California, Oregon and Washington taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury (1870-1946) between about 1896 and 1900.
Taku Glacier, Alaska, ca. 1899
The original Tlingit name for Foster Glacier was Taku Glacier. It was also known as Schulze Glacier in the 1880s and Foster Glacier in the 1890s before reverting to its first name.
Identifier: spl_ap_00099
Date: 1899?
View this itemLogs at Circle City waterfront, Alaska, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00174
Date: 1899?
View this item70 Mile on the Yukon, ca. 1899
Signs for "70 Mile Road House" and "A.C. Co.""(Alaska Commercial Company) appear on buildings at the right of the photograph. Exact location is unclear. The most likely candidate is near the present Seventymile River which is located south of the Yukon River between Circle City and Eagle, Alaska. Gold was discovered on Seventymile River in 1895.
Identifier: spl_ap_00175
Date: 1899?
View this itemSeattle waterfront from the foot of S. Main St., ca. 1899
The Pacific Coast Steamship Co. Pier B, located at foot of S. Main St. appears on the right. The Washington Hotel, also known as Hotel Denny appears in the distance in the center of the photograph at the top of the hill. The King County Courthouse appears at the top of the hill at the right of the photograph.
Identifier: spl_ap_00061
Date: 1899?
View this itemWhite 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?
View this itemUnknown man in Abington, Illinois, 1879
Photograph taken by C.H. Smith in Abingdon, Illinois.
Identifier: spl_lj_033
Date: 1879
View this itemNome flats from near Anvil Creek, ca. 1899
Gold was first discovered at Anvil Creek in the summer of 1898 setting off the Nome Gold Rush. Prospectors hurried to stake claims and Nome's population quickly ballooned to 10,000 people. In 1899, more gold was discovered on beaches near the town and spurred an even greater rush of visitors. By 1900, an estimated 1,000 people a day were arriving in Nome. Pillsbury took some of the first available photographs of the Nome. Following his departure, the winter conditions made it too difficult for others to reach the area.
Identifier: spl_ap_00013
Date: 1899?
View this item"Philip B. Low" at Five Finger Rapids on Yukon River, ca. 1899
This photo shows the "Philip B. Low" taking the water route along the Yukon River to reach the Klondike gold fields. This route started at St. Michael, Alaska and took longer than the overland routes along the Chilkoot or White Pass trails. It was also more expensive because it saved travelers from the hardships of overland travel while carrying their prospecting gear. The "Low" was constructed by the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Company and operated by the Boston & Alaska Transportation Company.
Identifier: spl_ap_00033
Date: 1899?
View this itemChart of the World shewing the tracks of the U.S. Exploring Expedition in 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842.
This map shows the tracks of the vessels of the Exploring Squadron, combined, and acting separately: the direction of the winds; the currents, their direction and velocity; the isothermal lines for every five degrees of temperature, from the point of perpetual congelation to the Torrid Zone.
Identifier: spl_maps_367358_01
Date: 1844
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