Tracing the PastThis is a short list of free, public resources that will start you on your search for a stampeder who ventured North during the Klondike Gold Rush. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us. Good luck in your search and let us know what you find! Klondike Administrative RecordsEager to embark on the journey to Dawson, many stampeders passed through Skagway and Dyea as quickly as possible. As a result, there are few records of individual names or dates in Skagway. Once fortune-seekers crossed the border however, recordkeeping improved with the arrival of the Canadian North-West Mounted Police. At Lake Bennett, another detachment ensured that stampeders crossed safely in their homemade vessels. Between 1898 and 1899 the Mounties registered 7,124 boats and the names of individuals who sailed in them. State of Alaska: How to Find Your Gold Rush Relative Newspaper ArchivesDuring the Klondike Gold Rush many stampeders corresponded with family and friends at home. Occasionally these letters were published in local newspapers. A search for names in the following databases can yield information that is absent from administrative records. Gold Rush Photographs and DiariesPhotographs and diaries from the Klondike offer insight into the day-today experiences of gold seekers. Alaska’s Digital Archives http://vilda.alaska.edu/ Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ Library and Archives Canada www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/search/images Dawson City Museum http://dawsonmuseum.ca/ University of Washington Digital Collections https://content.lib.washington.edu/ If you would like to contact us and send an inquiry to our history department, we will be glad to check our resources for additional information. |
Last updated: August 6, 2018