Two years late to the party
USA – Canada | Anno 2005
Wednesday, July 20 | Juneau – Skagway
Wednesday, July 20 | Juneau – Skagway
Rudi received his first hunting rifle on his seventh birthday. Born and raised in Juneau, he considers himself one of the local animals. In 1923, his father left Germany for good to settle in Alaska. For the rest of his life, he would work in the mine here 363 days a year for 3 dollars a day. He had two days off each year, on Christmas Day and on Labour Day, the first Monday in September.
Our talkative taxi driver, Rudi, is an avid hunter. However, the sight of tens of thousands of spawning salmon can also deeply move him. He describes it as mind-boggling. Unfortunately, the recent drought – pardon, drought? – seriously jeopardizes the salmon run this year. Fortunately, it has been raining for a week now, so the salmon are finally making their appearance in the rivers.
Fortunately, it has been raining for a week now
Despite the recent weather challenges, today seems to be going well. The numerous seaplanes buzzing above the city strengthen our belief that the weather forecasts are favourable.
For our journey through the Canadian Yukon, we need to rent a car. So, we let Rudi drop us off at the Hertz stand at the airport. Renting a car in Juneau has something strange about it. One of the first things you do with your vehicle is to park it in the belly of a ferryboat. Given the isolation of Alaska's capital, you have hardly any other options.
The Matanuska in Auke Bay |
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It is once again the Matanuska that will carry us the remaining 170 km to Skagway, right at the northern end of Inside Passage. From there, it's a little over seven hundred kilometres overland to Dawson City.
Mendenhall Glacier
As the Matanuska turns into Favorite Channel with a broad curve, the sun bathes the bay in a warm glow. An unforgettable view of the imposing Mendenhall Glacier is the appreciated side effect. Every year, more than thirty meters of snow fall on the Juneau Icefield. There, the icefield feeds about forty large glaciers. One of them is the Mendenhall Glacier, 21 km long. The ice trapped in the glacier takes 200 to 250 years to cover that distance.
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Finally, there it is, the Inside Passage as described in the books and as we have imagined it in our dreams. Not a cold, windy voyage under a confined cloud cover, but a seemingly endless encounter with the sun-drenched fjord coast in all its grandeur. On the right, Herbert Glacier and the majestic Eagle Glacier glide past.
Finally, there it is, the Inside Passage as described in the books and as we have imagined it in our dreams
The joy doesn't last long. A dense cloud cover maliciously slides in front of the sun. A chilly sea breeze sweeps all sunbathers off the deck in the blink of an eye. The difference between pleasantly warm and biting cold is a matter of minutes in Alaska.
The increasing severity of nature becomes evident as a long series of snow-covered peaks of the Chilkat Range pass by on our left. In the distance on the right, a solitary humpback whale briefly greets us with its spout.
The snow-covered peaks of the Chilkat Range and the picturesque Eldred Rock lighthouse slowly pass by
It's half past four when the picturesque Eldred Rock lighthouse glides by. Throughout this time, the Matanuska sails close under the Kakuhan Range, allowing us to easily observe the varied geological structures. The thick cloud cover does not hinder the view of the high peaks on either side of the impressive Lynn Canal. With a depth of 610 meters, it is one of the deepest fjords in the world. It cannot be denied that the Inside Passage north of Juneau is much more impressive than the southern part. Although we must admit that we could not fully appreciate Wrangell Narrows in its true grandeur in the complete darkness.
It cannot be denied that the Inside Passage north of Juneau is much more impressive than the southern part
Docking in Haines proves challenging at the moment. Another ferry, the Leconte, monopolizes the only dock. It seems to be running behind schedule, and unfortunately, that delay will prove contagious. With almost an hour of delay, we continue our journey through Chilkoot Inlet just after eight. The fjord becomes increasingly narrow, higher, and more impressive as we sail northward.
Gradually, we are now approaching Skagway, surrounded on all sides by tall, partly snow-covered mountain peaks. The oversized backdrop reduces the buildings of the former gold rush town to toy houses on a model railroad. Only the gigantic cruise ship Island Princess, anchored in the harbour, seems to be tailored to the scale of this vast environment.
In a sense, this visionary foresaw the passage of gold prospectors, the construction of the railway over White Pass, and even the docking of cruise ships.
Cruise ships in Skagway
The name Skagway is believed to originate from the Tlingit word skagwae, meaning a lot of wind. As for rainfall, Skagway is well-suited in this regard, as it is the driest place in the Panhandle with only 750 mm of rain per year – no wetter than Belgium.
With 750 mm of rainfall per year, Skagway is the driest place in the Panhandle – not wetter than Belgium
In 1887, a man named William Moore, along with his son Bernard, settled here. This former sea captain from Hannover was no novice. He noticed several vital aspects. Firstly, the sediment plain at the mouth of the Skagway River proved ideal for establishing a thriving settlement. Secondly, anyone with enough determination could easily penetrate the interior through White Pass. Lastly, the seawater just off the coast had sufficient depth to accommodate large seafaring vessels. Such a combination was and still is unique in the Panhandle.
In a sense, this visionary foresaw the passage of gold prospectors, the construction of the railway over White Pass, and even the docking of cruise ships. William Moore promptly secured a concession for 64 hectares of land at the mouth of the Skagway, built a log cabin for himself and his son, modestly named his settlement Mooresville, and waited for events to unfold. It would take ten years before history vindicated him, but it turned out very differently than he expected.
Today, Skagway has around eight hundred inhabitants who strive to maintain and, if necessary, restore the authentic atmosphere and style of the gold rush town. Only the main street, Broadway, is paved; the other streets are covered with gravel and sometimes bordered with wooden sidewalks. The town resembles an outdoor studio in Hollywood. Many facades look a bit too neat to be authentic, and some facades are nothing more than that – free-standing wooden fronts.
Many facades look a bit too neat to be authentic, and some facades are nothing more than that – free-standing wooden fronts
For about seven blocks, they manage to more or less maintain the historical image of the gold rush town. Behind the original facades, you'll almost always find modern shops, usually selling trinkets for cruise tourists. Remarkably, there are quite a few jewellers in the area.
In exchange for all these efforts, Skagway's merchants are rewarded during the high season with sometimes up to five cruise ships per day, causing the population to increase tenfold instantly. In the evenings, however, the mercantile town lies quiet and deserted. For safety reasons, the jewellers will then have emptied their shop windows.
Without tourism, there is no Skagway.
Thursday, July 21 | Skagway
Skagway is not granted much peace. Before dawn, four new cruise ships are moored in the harbour. Gangways unfold onto the docks, and silver-grey tourists flood the sidewalks and streets like bustling ants, while energetic merchants stand with hopeful expectations. Nevertheless, during our brief exploration of the town, we can still breathe in much of the Wild West atmosphere of yesteryear.
At eight o'clock, we catch the first screening of Days of Adventure, Dreams of Gold at the Visitor Centre, a splendid introduction to the turbulent period at the end of the 19th century. The film rightly places the events within the historical context of the depression of 1893, which resulted in a shortage of money and widespread poverty.
That the discovery already dated back to August 16, 1896, almost a year earlier, was of no concern to anyone
Not much was needed to trigger the gold rush. In July 1897, San Francisco and Seattle were in a frenzy. Two ships arriving in the ports carried the news that gold had been found in a tributary of the Klondike River near Dawson City in Canada. This news spread like wildfire, leading to a true stampede northward. The fact that the discovery dated back to August 16, 1896, almost a year earlier, was of no concern to anyone. The daunting distance of 3,300 km from San Francisco was also ignored. Without hesitation, but also without the slightest preparation, tens of thousands hurried northward.
Just like us, the would-be gold prospectors arrived in Skagway via the Inside Passage. In the summer of 1897, the population there grew from two – William Moore and his son – to twenty thousand in just three months. Skagway proved to be the perfect base for gold seekers wishing to try their luck in the northern Klondike. William Moore had been right, but he could not capitalize on it, overwhelmed by the crowd.
Hundreds of black dots climbing the steep snow-covered slope of the Chilkoot Trail in a long line, packed and loaded
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For the gold prospectors, the misery was just beginning. First, they had to cross the mountains. They either did this from the nearby Dyea via the deadly Chilkoot Trail or via the equally deadly Dead Horses Trail over White Pass. No image better expresses their fearless determination than the photos1) of hundreds of black dots climbing the steep snow-covered slope of Chilkoot Trail in a long line, packed and loaded. No image better depicts their suffering and hardship than that of the three thousand carcasses of horses and mules on White Pass.
Once on top, the crowd faced a journey of seven hundred kilometres through the rugged Yukon. But they hadn't counted on the Mounties, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Mounties knew all too well that an unprepared journey like this would not be survivable. So, they stopped anyone who didn't have enough supplies to last a year in the wilderness – a measure that undoubtedly saved many, many thousands of lives.
In practice, this well-defined packing list included about a ton of tools, materials, and provisions, with a total value of 250 to 500 dollars. Each prospector had to traverse the pass thirty to forty times, carrying part of that load on his back until he transported all his belongings to the shore of Bennett Lake.
Each gold prospector had to traverse the pass thirty to forty times, carrying a heavy load on his back
Ultimately, they turned out to be about 28,000. Forced to spend the winter of 1897-1898 on the lake's shore since the Yukon was frozen, they could not travel further. All they had to do during that time was build a boat because, with that, they would navigate down the Yukon River in the coming spring. After their passage, there would be no splinter of wood left in the wide area.
Now, all they had to do was wait for the break-up, the breaking of the ice on the Yukon. It began to crack on May 29, 1898. A few days later, thousands of boats – neatly numbered by the ever-busy Mounties – set course for Dawson City, 650 km downstream.
When they finally arrived there in July 1898, almost two years after that famous August 16, 1896, they could only see that every piece of land had been claimed by adventurers much closer to the source in the first days and weeks after the discovery. The unfortunate newcomers could only search for gold as employees, practice their original trade on the spot, or... return to where they came from.
That concludes the grand tale of the Gold Rush. Ranger Jennifer from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park will now guide us through the town, pointing out several historical spots intricately connected to the gold seekers' saga. Her approach will be unorthodox, she assures us with a twinkle in her eye. She will focus on the role of women, often overlooked in official history, as history is still his story, she jokes, not without reason.
After all, "history" is still "his story," she jokes not without reason
Skagway – Visitor Centre |
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A snowplow |
At the height of the gold rush, Skagway had 30,000 residents, 80 saloons, and 1 church. Sometimes, the residents were so unruly that official records mentioned eight gunfights in a single evening. In those tumultuous times, a woman had only three options: marriage, working for wages, or working in prostitution. Each of those options had an economic motive, Jennifer rightly points out. However, each of those options also implied a form of prostitution, according to her candid analysis. Moreover, in those Victorian times, a woman was expected to be impeccably dressed in all circumstances – a lady remains a lady, even on the Chilkoot Trail or the Dead Horses Trail.
A lady remains a lady, even on the Chilkoot Trail or the Dead Horses Trail
Jefferson Smith's Parlour was where the infamous Soapy Smith conducted his lucrative affairs. This local mob boss ran a telegraph office there, allowing newly arrived greenhorns to inform their families back home of their safe arrival for five dollars. It was pure deception because the telegraph wires ended a few hundred meters away in the snow. Yet, the response from home was always that they were very pleased with the good news but urgently needed money. If the greenhorns wanted to hand over that money, Soapy Smith would take care of the transmission. Ultimately, Soapy Smith would be shot by Frank Reid on July 8, 1898, but the latter would also be fatally wounded.
Skagway – Red Onion Saloon
The Red Onion Saloon was once a brothel. Today, its first floor serves as a brothel museum. Just like in 1898, a tour in 2005 still takes 15 minutes and costs five dollars. Only the content of the tour has changed a bit, Jennifer grins.
Skagway – Broadway |
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In the renovated Mascot Saloon, gentlemen entered through the front door, while respectable ladies slipped in through the back door. Today, that is still the rule. The saloon has been beautifully restored. The first floor served as a flophouse – guests could pay to sleep on the floor. Prohibition law led to the closure of the saloon on August 21, 1916.
Skagway – The Mascot, Skaguay News
By raising the wooden facades of the buildings higher than necessary, they tried to make them look larger. Even when the settlement consisted solely of tents in the summer of 1897, this trick was already being applied. Behind a flat wooden facade often hid an ordinary tent, but the potential customer had the impression that they were entering a real building.
Finally, Jennifer leads us to the restored log cabin of the unfortunate William Moore. That tens of thousands of unscrupulous gold seekers would take over his concessions almost overnight was not part of his scenario. However, he still managed to accumulate considerable wealth, partly by operating a sawmill. His son, who lived with him all that time, married a Tlingit princess. The house they built next to his father's log cabin is now arranged as a museum.
That tens of thousands of unscrupulous gold seekers would take over his concessions almost overnight was not part of his scenario
Log cabin of William Moore |
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Gold Rush Cemetery |
We stroll through Gold Rush Cemetery, the iconic graveyard just north of the town. Almost all the graves under the trees date from the hectic years from 1897 to 1906. In the drizzling rain, we note that Soapy Smith has to settle for an insignificant grave on the side of the cemetery. Frank Reid's monumental grave, on the other hand, stands centrally, with the fitting epitaph He gave his life for the honour of Skagway.
Ella Wilson is also buried here. We do not know the tragedy of her short life; she was only eighteen when she died. Circumstances must have forced her into a life as a prostitute, a poignant illustration of Jennifer's bold analysis. Originally, her tombstone read, She gave her honour for the life of Skagway, with a nod to Frank Reid's epitaph. But that was too much for the respectable citizens of Skagway. During the restoration of the cemetery, the epitaph was omitted.
Jaak Palmans
© 2024 | Version 2024-05-01 14:00
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