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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Dancers at Klukwan Potlatch ceremony, Alaska, October 14, 1898
Identifier: spl_ap_00109
Date: 1898-10-14
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Group of indigenous children at Fort Yukon, Alaska, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00183
Date: 1899
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70 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
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Seattle 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
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"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
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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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Nome 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
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Yukon River near Forty Mile, ca. 1899
The small town of Forty Mile was established at the confluence of the Yukon and Forty Mile Rivers in 1886 after gold was discovered on the Forty Mile River. The site served as a stopping point for prospectors traveling along the Yukon.
Identifier: spl_ap_00186
Date: 1899
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