See photographs of the Klondike Gold Rush, California, Oregon and Washington taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury (1870-1946) between about 1896 and 1900.
Man on bicycle pulling sled near summit of White Pass Trail, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields.
Identifier: spl_ap_00115
Date: 1899
Dancers at Klukwan Potlatch ceremony, Alaska, October 14, 1898
Identifier: spl_ap_00109
Date: 1898-10-14
Seattle waterfront from the foot of S. Main St., ca. 1899
The Pacific Coast Steamship Co. Pier B, located at foot of S. Main St. appears on the right. The Washington Hotel, also known as Hotel Denny appears in the distance in the center of the photograph at the top of the hill. The King County Courthouse appears at the top of the hill at the right of the photograph.
Identifier: spl_ap_00061
Date: 1899
Logs at Circle City waterfront, Alaska, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00174
Date: 1899
Interior of Chief Shakes' home, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00093
Date: 1899
White Pass and Yukon Railway tracks and mountain view, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields. In April 1898 the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company was formed in an effort to establish an easier way through the pass. Construction on the railroad began the following month. Thousands of workers worked around the clock in treacherous conditions to complete the project. The railroad track was completed at White Pass on February 20, 1899 and reached Lake Bennett on July 6, 1899. The final spike on the railroad was placed on July 29, 1900 in Carcross, B.C.
Identifier: spl_ap_00143
Date: 1899
Nome flats from near Anvil Creek, ca. 1899
Gold was first discovered at Anvil Creek in the summer of 1898 setting off the Nome Gold Rush. Prospectors hurried to stake claims and Nome's population quickly ballooned to 10,000 people. In 1899, more gold was discovered on beaches near the town and spurred an even greater rush of visitors. By 1900, an estimated 1,000 people a day were arriving in Nome. Pillsbury took some of the first available photographs of the Nome. Following his departure, the winter conditions made it too difficult for others to reach the area.
Identifier: spl_ap_00013
Date: 1899
Yukon River near Forty Mile, ca. 1899
The small town of Forty Mile was established at the confluence of the Yukon and Forty Mile Rivers in 1886 after gold was discovered on the Forty Mile River. The site served as a stopping point for prospectors traveling along the Yukon.
Identifier: spl_ap_00186
Date: 1899
Juneau, Alaska harbor and the Gastineau Channel looking NW, ca. 1899
In 1880, gold was discovered at Silver Bow Basin by Richard Harris and Joe Juneau. The gold discovery led to the development of the nearby town of Juneau.
Identifier: spl_ap_00068
Date: 1899
Men sitting on train tracks at Index, Washington, ca. 1900
Identifier: spl_ap_00070
Date: 1900