Table of Contents:
NOT SO ANCIENT
SKAGWAY TODAY.
SHOULD SEE SKAGWAY
OUTSIDE SKAGWAY.
One of the smaller Southeast Alaska towns, Skagway, with a population under 1000, is the gateway to the Yukon.
It is also one of the few cities in Southeast Alaska you can reach by car. Still, more people arrive by water or air.
Ancient Skagway.
Going back to around 14,000 B.C., groups began following animals (food) from Asia. But Asia is on the other side of the Pacific. Back then, Asia and North America were one body of land.
Some scientists believe the Bering Land Bridge was connecting Asia with North America at that time.
As the continents begin to drift, the land bridge sinks beneath the Chukchi and Bering Seas’ waters.
Others believe that during the glacial epoch, the ocean levels fell enough to expose the land bridge. But most agree that the people of western Alaska and eastern Siberia have much in common biologically.
Some migrate south to the American West, Central America, and South America.
Those remaining in the Alaska area break into different tribes. Eventually, there are distinct first people tribes. They include the Ancient Beringian, Alaskan Athabaskans, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eskimo, Inupiat, Yupik, and Aleut.
Over the years, they acclimate to the climate and environment and develop their own cultures and languages.
The name “Alaska” comes from the Aleut word Alaxsxaq or Alyeska, which means the “mainland.”
The Chilkoot and Chilkat, sub-tribes of the Tlingit, use the Skagua River area for hunting and fishing. They probably set up a seasonal camp, not a village.
Not So Ancient Skagway.
Europeans are rare in this part of Alaska until almost the end of the 1800s. Captain Cook and Vancouver will sail through on their discovery cruises.
Russians will pass through on their hunting expeditions, but no Europeans stay.
There is an occasional trapper or prospector, but they are rare.
Circa 1876, south of Skagway, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris explore with a local Tlingit chief.
What they discover will change Alaska forever. In the area that will become the city of Juneau, they discover gold.
Dyea Alaska.
Dyea was a small settlement on the Taiya river near where it empties into the Taiya inlet. It was predominantly a Tlingit seasonal fishing camp.
It is also near the trailhead of the Chilkoot Pass. The Tlingit would use this steep, narrow pass to access the Yukon for trading purposes.
By 1880, Juneau and Harris arrive in Dyea and receive permission from the local Tlingit to access the Chilkoot Pass.
They discover gold deposits in the Yukon.
The Tlingit tribe opens the Tlingit Packing Business, offering guides and men to carry the supplies.
The Healy and Wilson trading post opens soon after to supply these trips.
Dyea grows as more prospectors cannot get deeds in Juneau and come north looking for gold.
Very few remain in Dyea. Instead, they continue to the Yukon. Therefore, the town never grows much past a few saloons and a tent town.
Then a harsh winter and late spring detain people in Dyea. Finally, the town will reach its height of prosperity. It will have more than 150 businesses, including supply houses, hotels, restaurants, and saloons. The three-story Olympic Hotel is the largest in Alaska.
Circa 1887, the Chilkoot Railroad and Transport Company begins building an aerial tram system. It will carry supplies from Dyea to Lake Lindeman, approximately 25 miles inland. Other companies open supply trams.
The same year prospectors using Tlingit guides find a new pass up the Skaqua river valley to the Yukon River. They call it the White Pass.
Early Skagway.
Capt. William Moore, a steamboat captain, is part of the team that discovers the White Pass. He has 160 acres near the mouth of the Skaqua (Skagway) River.
Moore has been watching and making money from the hysteria in Juneau since the 1876 discovery of gold.
He believes his land is adjacent to the most direct route to the Yukon. So he and his son build a cabin, a sawmill, and, most importantly, a dock. They call it Mooreville.
They do not have to wait long. By 1893, prospectors are finding gold in the Klondike (Canada’s Yukon region).
1896 and there is a major gold find in the Yukon. Within a year, steamers are arriving at Moore’s dock. Unfortunately, it cannot keep up with the crowds, and they need a new town plan.
They call it Skaguay from the Tlingit word shakagei.
Shakagei is a mythical Tlingit woman who turns herself into stone near Skagway Bay. She is responsible for the strong winds that come out of nowhere between Skagway and Haines to the south.
They call the winds and the choppy water they create Shakagei.
A Town Overnight.
Ships arrive, bringing thousands of hopeful miners weekly to the town at the trailhead.
Many begin offering mining services and supplies at highly inflated rates. Finally, a group of townspeople organizes a town council to help bring order to this Wild West town.
Dirty Soap.
After making a fortune on flim flams in Denver, Jefferson Smith II comes to Skagway to profit off the Klondike prospectors. One of his cons was to wrap money around bars of soap and sell the soap for $1 each. One of his men would “buy” one of the bars with money inside and make a scene of unwrapping it. More people would start buying the soap. Somehow, the honest people never got one of the bars with money inside. He would earn the nickname “Soapy Smith” for this scam.
Already having money from his con empire in Denver, he arrives in Skagway. He immediately puts the sheriff and, later, a U.S. marshall on his payroll. He set up his own newspaper and ran a gang of thieves looking to separate new arrivals from their money. In 1898, he opened a telegraph office that charged $5 for a telegraph anywhere in the world. That’s about 150 dollars in today’s economy. Not only is that expensive, but it’s also fraudulent. The telegraph wires would not reach Skagway for another two years.
Smith would not live to see the arrival of the telegraph lines. Frank Reid and Jesse Murphy end his life during the 1898 Shootout on Juneau Wharf. Frank Reid died from his wounds twelve days later.
The White Pass.
The White Pass is a rough trail, and many pack animals and prospectors perish. So it gets the name “Dead Horse Trail” for the more than 3000 pack horses who die along the trail.
By 1898, the population of Skaguay was 10,000 people.
Using a previous roadbed from a failed toll road, they start constructing a railroad from Skaguay over the White Pass. The narrow-gauge route climbs from sea level in Skagway to a summit at almost 3,000 feet in just 20 miles. Some sections are at a grade of nearly 3.9%.
The post office changes the town name to Skagway.
Alaska’s First Incorporated City.
Skagway was incorporated on June 28, 1900, one day before Juneau, making it the first incorporated city in the state.
The following month, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad began operation. Just in time for the end of the Yukon gold rush.
Gold strikes in other parts of the state started a migration from the Klondike. As people moved on, Skagway started to shrink in size.
Skagway will survive as the terminal for ships and trains moving cargo to the Yukon thanks to the train.
Dyea does not fare as well. In April 1898, an avalanche in the Chilcoot Pass killed dozens of prospectors. The railroad bought the tramway and immediately dismantled it. Around the same time, fire destroyed part of Dyea.
Most of the traffic to the Yukon shifts to Skagway.
Additional fires, years of neglect, and the river flooding the town wash away almost all signs of Dyea. Only a few pilings from the Dyea pier and an odd aerial tower remain today.
Skagway After the Rush.
Although the gold coming out of the Yukon dropped significantly, the ore supply did not.
Soon, the WP&YR is transferring ore and concentrates to ships waiting in Skagway. The company will eventually become a fully integrated transportation company.
In addition to the Skagway docks, the train company will add stagecoaches, buses, paddlewheelers, and hotels throughout the Yukon. Ships, airplanes, and pipelines will help deliver goods further afield. When the army quickly built the Alaska Highway before WWII, Skagway is a major supply route.
Diesel-electric engines will replace steam engines in 1954, making the railroad more cost-effective. Unfortunately, a less costly source of transportation is only 25 years away.
Skagway After the Railroad.
1979, and the Klondike Highway finally opens, seasonally connecting Skagway with the Alaska Highway and the outside world.
In 1982, the Faro mines shut down. As an employer and the railroad’s largest customer, the effect is devastating.
A few months later, the WP&YR stops operations. As a result, winter unemployment rates soar to 70-80 percent.
Skagway is seeing a smattering of tourists from the ferry. A few small cruise ships visit, but more cruise guests pass through to start bus tours through the Yukon.
It’s not enough to sustain Skagway.
The city, state, and WP&YR come up with a plan. By 1985 they enlarge and improve dock facilities to allow larger cruise ships.
The following year, the highway can stay open through the winter, making trucking and container services viable. Calls by cruise ships top 200 visits.
The White Pass and Yukon Railroad begin summer tourist operations departing from the cruise pier.
Today, over one million guests visit Skagway, predominantly between May and September, from cruise ships.
Transportation and shipping continue to support the economy year-round. It is still the major link between the Yukon and Southeast Alaska.
The White Pass & Yukon Railroad has been designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, one of only 36 worldwide.
What is in Skagway for Me?
See and Hear.
Get out and see the area’s natural beauty, whether at sea level or from a mountainside.
If you arrive by boat, you will transverse the Lynn Canal, North America’s longest and deepest fjord.
It is not unheard of to see whales, bears, and eagles just outside town. So take a hike and listen to nature all around you.
Another option is to sit on a bench along Broadway, listening to life happening all around you.
Taste & Smell.
Take a walk through the woods after a rainstorm. The smells are numerous. Alder wood and fresh Alaska salmon create a treat for the nose and the taste buds. After trying salmon in Alaska, it’s hard to eat it anywhere else. Taste a local beer.
Feel.
Take a walk along Skagway’s Broadway, where the architecture, much of it modern, reflects days gone by. Sometimes, the railroad runs one of their old steam engines. Close your eyes when the whistle blows and feel you are in old Skagway.
Have a whiskey in one of the old (new) saloons and hear about the old days. Several tour operators reenact characters and locations from early Skagway.
There may be better ways to finish your afternoon, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should-see Skagway.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Museum & Visitor Center.
This is in the original train depot at the corner of Broadway and 2nd Avenue.
Today, it houses a small museum that provides an easy-to-follow introduction to the Klondike. The museum includes information on both the Chilkoot and White Pass. There is also a visitor center in the other section. The building is part of a national park.
Railroad Building National Historic Park.
Six blocks of downtown Skagway is designated as a National Historic District. It is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park The park’s main headquarters is inside the original railroad administration building. The building is next to the museum on 2nd Avenue.
The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad.
Is it touristy and overpriced? Absolutely, especially if you book through a cruise line. How often do you get the chance to ride on a narrow gauge railroad through beautiful Alaskan scenery?
Red Onion Saloon.
The saloon has been at 201 Broadway since 1910, when Skagway was condensing. During the gold rush, it was in another building that no longer exists. The Brothel Museum upstairs probably dates from the same time.
Arctic Brotherhood Hall.
This now-defunct fraternal hall at 245 Broadway was a club for prospectors. Today, it is the home of the Skagway Convention and Visitors Bureau. Driftwood covers the facade of this 1899 building.
The Boas Tailor and Furrier shop.
Sitting at 264 Broadway, this building began as one of Skagway’s false-fronted buildings. A big storefront drew customers as it projected a well-established company. Circa 1899, Henry Boas built and opened a shop here. He would partner with Charles R. Winter, but by 1905, they were out of business.
The Mascot Saloon.
At 298 Broadway, the Northern Trading and Transportation Company built its office circa 1898. At the north end, they rented space to a saloon keeper who opened up the “Mascotte for fine liquors, draught beer, and Cigars. It would be one of only three saloons from this period to last until Alaska’s prohibition in 1916. It was many other businesses after that.
Lynch & Kennedy.
This structure, located at 350 Broadway, began as an army barracks in 1900. Haberdashers Henry Lynch and James Kennedy would rent the former barracks and open a Haberdashery and Dry Goods store in 1908. By the following year, they were bankrupt, and later store keepers followed suit. It would become a barracks again during WWII.
Pantheon Bar and the Red Front Building.
399a Broadway – There has been a structure where the Pantheon Bar stands today since the late 1800s. It would be added on and remodeled several times, starting as a hotel. It became the Pantheon Bar in 1903. The Red Front building is a replica of a building originally built in 1898 for a paint store. It was empty by the 1920s and torn down due to being a fire hazard.
Moore Homestead Museum.
At 400 Spring St. (5th Avenue) is the Historic Moore Homestead. Here, you can see two homes belonging to the founder of Skagway, Captain William Moore. His original cabin (1887) and the larger house he built next door in 1897.
The Chilkoot Trail Center
Located at 520 Broadway, this is the information center for the Chilkoot Trail. If you want to hike the trail, this is where you get your registration. The center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Goldberg Cigar Store.
This little store, currently at 520 1/2 Broadway, sure gets around for a structure more than 100 years old. This wooden structure, measuring 12 by 30 feet, shows up in an 1897 photo sitting on Fifth Avenue. Deeds indicate it belonged to Annie Leonard, the first woman to stake lots in Skagway. Annie was a madam but there is no indication this building was ever used for that. She was also a landlord. After 5 different moves, the structure in now on Broadway.
The Skagway Museum.
On 7th Street, you will see the building at the end of the road. The museum’s collection of cultural heritage, arts, and history is impressive, as is the building. Built as a Methodist school in 1898, it has also been a courthouse. Today, the museum shares the building with the city hall.
Edge of Town.
Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls.
The cemetery is a 1.5-mile (35-minute) walk northeast of town.
The small cemetery is the final resting place for Soapy Smith, Frank Reid, and many others. Soapy’s modest marker is close to the entrance. Reid’s is more extravagant.
A seven-minute walk past the cemetery is Lower Reid Falls, a small waterfall descending through a ravine.
Henry Clark began the first commercial vegetable farm in Alaska in the gardens across the Skagway River. Walk the gardens and admire flower beds, ponds, giant vegetables, and a miniature train. A glassblowing studio on-site gives demonstrations throughout the day. The Smart bus stops on the highway out front.
The town is less than five blocks wide in most places. It does stretch away from the pier more than 23 short blocks. However, a majority of the sites are closer to the harbor. A day is enough to see Skagway and the sites near town.
Outside of Town.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.
The park is actually inside and outside of town. The park consists of four separate parts, including the visitor center and six blocks of the historic business district. Outside of town is the Chilkoot Trail near where Dyea used to be. Really far out of town is a visitor center in Seattle, Washington.
The Chilcoot Trail.
You can still transverse the 33-mile trail from sea level at Dyea to Bennett Lake in Canada. The elevation gain is 2100 feet and is for healthy hikers. 17 miles of the trail is in the US, and the remaining 16 are in Canada. Check with the visitor center in Skagway for proper I.D. requirements.
Dyea.
There is almost nothing left of the settlement that pre-dates Skagway. It is a great nature area for those looking to get away from the crowds. And it’s the beginning of the Chilcoot Trail.
Harding Glacier.
In honor of the only president to visit Alaska while in office, the Harding Glacier is on Harding Mountain. You can see it from Skagway, but the view from the Klondike Highway is better.
Taiya River.
This slowly moving river is perfect for float trips and wildlife sightings. Unfortunately, there is no white water in the Skagway area.
Like many Southeast Alaska towns, Skagway is a gateway. In this case, to the Yukon.
You can take the restored White Pass and Yukon Railroad or a bus to the Yukon.
Just make sure you go as far as the Yukon. Unfortunately, too many people take the train only as far as the White Pass and miss the Yukon altogether.
The Emerald Lake.
This Yukon lake gets its name from its multiple shades of green. The color is from sunlight reflecting off deposits of white clay and calcium carbonate.
The Carcross Desert.
This is actually a series of dunes popular for recreational sports, including sandboarding. It creates an ecosystem unique to the Yukon.
Bennett Lake.
This beautiful lake is just over the Canadian border from Alaska. With mountains on either side, it is picture-perfect. At the north end is the town of Carcross.
There are numerous options, from half-day to full-day outings into the Yukon.
If you only have a day, my favorite is the bus to Carcross in the Yukon and the train back. Sometimes this runs in the reverse order.
If you will be in town the day the steam engine runs, this is great as well.
Juneau Ice Field.
Covering more than 1500 square miles in Alaska and Canada, the icefield stretches from Juneau north to Skagway.
Due to its location and weather patterns, helicopter flights from Skagway usually have fewer weather delays than flights from Juneau. You can fly over the glaciers, land on them, or dog sled on them.
Haines.
Just under an hour’s ride by fast ferry is the charming town of Haines.
The town serves as the gateway to the Chilkat State Park. and Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
Unless there is a cruise ship in Haines, you may feel like you have the place to yourself.
Skagway Summary.
There is so much area to cover that one day is not enough to see everything.
You can easily see the town in half a day. The sites near town will take up the rest of that day.
Then there is the Yukon, Lynn Canal, and Haines to see.
If you do plan to overnight in Skagway, plan ahead. Accommodations go quickly as the hospitality (tourist) season is short.
If you plan to travel into the Yukon, make sure to check on what documents you need. You will exit and reenter the U.S.A. from Canada.
Skagway has great scenery and the potential for many wildlife sightings. And that’s why you come to Alaska.