Gold Rush Begins: 100,000 Flood the Klondike
George Carmack, Skookum Jim Mason, and Dawson Charlie found gold in Rabbit Creek (renamed Bonanza Creek) on August 16, 1896, triggering the Klondike Gold Rush. News reached San Francisco and Seattle the following July when ships arrived carrying literal tons of gold. Within months, an estimated 100,000 people set out for the Yukon, though only 30,000 to 40,000 actually arrived. The Canadian government required each prospector to bring a year's supply of food, roughly 2,000 pounds, over the treacherous Chilkoot Pass. Dawson City exploded from a population of 500 to 30,000 in two years, complete with saloons, dance halls, and a newspaper. Most prospectors found nothing. The claims had been staked before they arrived.
August 16, 1896
130 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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