Alaska Stories

While the Klondike gold fields were in Canada, along the Yukon River, the cheapest entrance was through Skagway, Alaska, or Dyea which was located across the Lynn Canal.

It’s estimated that 100,000 prospectors, known as “stampeders” packed the docks headed for Skagway and Dyea on their way to the Klondike in 1897.

Most left for Alaska by steam ship from Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. Ships traveled up Alaska’s inside passage and into the Lynn Canal, the deepest Fjord in North America and one of the longest in the world. Skagway and the town of Dyea were located off the Lynn Canal.

Skagway, Alaska

Muddy streets and hastily thrown together boardwalks greeted weary gold seekers as they left the steam ships and made their way into Skagway.

Dyea, Alaska

Before the gold rush, Dyea was a seasonal fishing camp and a port for trading ships with goods headed for the interior of Alaska. The name Dyea means “to pack”.

Gold seekers came to Dyea to use the Chilkoot Pass to get to the Klondike gold fields. When the stampeders arrived, Dyea consisted of the Healy & Wilson Trading Post, a few saloons and a rugged tent city. There was also a U.S. military contingent, but they were instructed not to interfere in civilian matters.

Dyea is now, mostly, a ghost town.

BONUS

Take a look at this video about the history of Dyea and discover

The Chilkoot Steps

The Chilkoot Pass led stampeders into Canada on their way to the Klondike River. The Canadian Mounties required every prospector to bring a full year worth of supplies with them. So, every person had to make many trips up and down this very long pass to get all their goods to the top. As you might imagine, while stampeders were busy making multiple trips up and down the Chilkoot, theft of supplies was rampant.

The Chilkoot had steps cut into the pass that the stampeders used to get up the steep grade. It was called the “Chilkoot Steps” and it was a hard climb. Imagine doing that over and over until you had all your supplies on the top. Only to have them stolen.

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Enter Jeff, “Soapy” Smith

A brilliant con man, Jeff Smith, brought his gang from Colorado to Skagway to take advantage of the men arriving in Skagway with money to buy goods to get them to the gold fields. And to rob miners returning to Skagway of any gold they found in the Klondike.

Smith even had men working the steam ships headed to Skagway and Dyea. His men found out who had money, so that when the ship arrived and the passengers got ashore, they could be mugged or conned out of their money.

Soapy Smith got the name “Soapy” after a con game. He would sell bars of soap for a dollar with the chance to find 10 dollars, 20 dollars or more, tucked inside the wrapper.

However, Soapy had men planted in the crowd who would “find” the soap bars with money, causing the gathered crowd to get so excited that they would buy up all the soap, hoping to find money in the wrappers.

Of course, Soapy’s men were the only ones to “find” the money (which they later had to give back to Soapy). The take was always enough for Soapy to play a few games of faro.

The Skagway Telegraph Office

There was no telegraph service in Skagway. But Soapy came up with a brilliant con.

The Skagway Telegraph office had a telegraph cable that went as far as the inlet. Inside the office, Soapy’s men would take your message and “send” it. In the backroom, Soapy’s men wrote the “replies”.

People were sending telegrams about how much money they had or how much gold they found. Then Soapy’s men, who were working the Skagway Telegraph Office con, would report to the gang, who would then find various ways to steal the person’s money or gold.

One Man Law

Thieves, thugs, and con men could operate pretty easily because Marshall Rowan was the only lawman in Skagway.

Soapy had tried and failed to get Rowan in his pocket. Later, Rowan was shot and killed by a shotgun blast in a Skagway saloon. It is believed that the shooting was set up by Soapy.

The End of the Klondike Gold Rush

It was over in a short amount of time.

Because of the hardships involved, few make it to the gold.

As for Soapy Smith, some of his men robbed a lucky prospector. The prospector complained, and a mob formed to run Soapy Smith out of town.

But Soapy faced down the mob and in a brief gun fight, Soapy was shot and killed.

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Did you strike gold?

Just reading about the Alaska Gold Rush was like striking gold… But now you have to make sure that Soapy Smith and his men don’t take it away from you.

Until Next Time

Mike and Mary

Alaska Stories