Page "1890s" Paragraph 2

* 1896 – 1899: The Klondike Gold Rush.

In August, 1896, George Carmack, Kate Carmack, Keish, Dawson Charlie and Patsy Henderson, members of a Tagish First Nations family group, discovered rich placer gold deposits in Bonanza ( Rabbit ) Creek, Yukon, Canada.

Soon a massive movement of people, goods and money started moving towards the Klondike, Yukon region and the nearby District of Alaska.

Men from all walks of life headed for the Yukon from as far away as New York, South Africa, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Australia.

Surprisingly, a large proportion were professionals, such as teachers and doctors, even a mayor or two, who gave up respectable careers to make the journey.

For instance, the residents of Camp Skagway Number One included: William Howard Taft, who went on to become a U. S. President ; Frederick Russell Burnham, the celebrated American scout who arrived from Africa only to be called back to take part in the Second Boer War ; and W. W. White, author and explorer.

Most were perfectly aware of their chance of finding significant amounts of gold were slim to none, and went for the adventure.

As many as half of those who reached Dawson City kept right on going without doing any prospecting at all.

Thus, by bringing large numbers of entrepreneurial adventurers to the region, the Gold Rush significantly contributed to the economic development of Western Canada, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

New cities were created as a result of the Gold Rush, including among others Dawson City, Fairbanks, Alaska and Anchorage, Alaska.

The heyday of the individual prospector and the rush towards the north ended by 1899.

Exploitation of the area by " big mining companies with their mechanical dredges " would last well into the 20th century.