The Overland Trail was a Klondike Gold Rush-era transportation route between Whitehorse, Yukon and Dawson City in Yukon, Canada. It was built in 1902 at a cost of CDN$129,000 after the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad won a contract to deliver mail to the Dawson City gold fields from the Canadian government. The trail consisted of a 330 miles (531 km)-long, 12 feet (4 m) wide graded surface with culverts in some locations. [1] Before its construction, transportation to Dawson City required a steamboat trip on the Yukon River during the brief subarctic summer, or dog sleds after the rivers had frozen. [2]
After its construction, horse-drawn stagecoach routes soon were established. Even with this regulated travel, it took five days to travel the distance between the two towns. Sleighs were substituted for coaches once snow began to fall, and passengers were charged CDN$125 for a one-way trip. [3]
The first automobile used the trail in 1912, [4] but soon afterward, declining returns from the gold mines caused the population of Yukon to drop precipitously. In 1921, the White Pass discontinued operating stages on the Overland Trail, and the mail contracts were awarded to other contractors thereafter. In 1922, the mail contractor switched from horse-drawn vehicles to motor vehicles. In 1955, a new automobile highway was built north from Whitehorse to Mayo, with a spur to Dawson City. This highway made the Overland Trail obsolete, and it fell into disrepair. [5] That road itself was replaced by the Klondike Highway. Today, the Overland Trail is primarily a recreation route for sled dog teams, snowmobiles, and other tourism-related activities. Artifacts relating to the Gold Rush-era use of the trail are plentiful along the route, which is used in February as part of the Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile sled dog race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska. [5]
1909-Ser. Road No. [7] | Type | Builder(s) | Year Built | Remarks [8] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Abbot-Downing Co. (Concord, New Hampshire); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Original body of #1 appears to have been installed on Sleigh #42 or 43 in January 1905. One of ##1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 (five passenger wagons) was destroyed by a flood at Carmacks in 1918, leaving four. Two were sold in 1928, leaving two. The remaining two of ##1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 were written off in 1950. |
2 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Abbot-Downing Co. (Concord, New Hampshire); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Original body of #2 appears to have been installed on Sleigh #42 or 43 in January 1905. For disposition, see, Remarks for #1, above. |
3 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Pacific Wagon Co. (Seattle); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1903 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Middle bench seat removed, thereby reducing passenger capacity to 8. Given to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1944. Put on display at Yukon Historical Society Museum in 1953. Museum renamed MacBride Museum in 1967. |
4 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Pacific Wagon Co. (Seattle); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1903 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #1, above. |
5 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Pacific Wagon Co. (Seattle); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1903 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Given to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. |
6 | Passenger Wagon | Gear: Pacific Wagon Co. (Seattle); Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1904 | 41 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Middle bench seat removed, thereby reducing passenger capacity to 8. Sold to E. J. Spinney Trucking Service in 1944. Mr. Spinney died in 1948. Wagon put on display by 1953. Wagon put on display by 1953 at Carcross, Yukon. |
7 | Passenger Wagon | Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1906 | For disposition, see, Remarks for #1, above. |
8 | Passenger Wagon | Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1915 | For disposition, see, Remarks for #1, above. |
9 | Passenger Wagon | Suspension and Body: WP&YR | 1917 | 43 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 11 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. Suspension and body built by White Pass. Written off in 1950. Put on display at Yukon Historical Society Museum in 1953. Museum renamed MacBride Museum in 1967. Wagon has green paint. |
10 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 44 in. front & 54 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. Originally, #7. Officially renumbered to 10 about 1909. [7] Written off in 1950. |
11 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. One of ##11-15 (five Bain heavy freight wagons) was sold in 1912, leaving four. One was sold in 1940, leaving three. Parts of one were sold in 1948, leaving two. The remaining two of ##11-15 were written off in 1950. |
12 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #11, above. |
13 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #11, above. |
14 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #11, above. |
15 | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #11, above. |
16 (physically retaining #9) | Heavy Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1902 | 45 in. front & 56 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. & 5 tons of freight. Originally, #9. Officially, renumbered in 1905 and 1909. [7] Nevertheless, physically retained #9, possibly because it may have been taken out of service by 1905. Transferred to the Yukon Transportation Museum in 1990. |
17 | Store Wagon | Winkler Bros. Mfg. Co. (South Bend, Indiana) | 1904 | 34 in. front & 49 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 2½ tons of freight. Written off in 1950. |
18 | Concord Road Wagon | Groton Carriage Co. (Groton, New York) | 1904 | 41 in. front & 46 in. rear wheels. Cap’y = 3 Psgrs. Sold in 1928. |
19 | Break Cart | Fraser Road Cart Co. | 1903 | 49 in. wheels. Cap’y = 0 Psgrs. (other than the driver). Used to train horses. Written off in 1950. |
20 | Light 2-Horse Buckboard | WP&YR | 1907 | Sold in 1922. |
21 | Light 4-Horse Buckboard | WP&YR | 1907 | Sold in 1928. |
22 | Heavy 4-Horse Buckboard | WP&YR | 1909 | Cap’y = 4 Psgrs. & 1¾ tons of freight. Sold in 1924. |
23 | Medium Freight Wagon | Bain Wagon Co. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | 1909 | Sold in 1926. |
24 | Single Buggy | 1911 | Written off in 1950. | |
25 | Light Buckboard w/Top | 1915 | Sold in 1917. | |
26 | Medium Freight Wagon | 1915 | Sold in 1926. | |
27 | Light Freight Wagon | 1916 | One ##27 and 28 (light freight wagons) was sold in 1926, and the other was sold in 1929. | |
28 | Light Freight Wagon | 1917 | For disposition, see, Remarks for #27, above. | |
29 | Side Bar Road Wagon | 1917 | Sold in 1924. |
1909-Ser. Road No. [10] | Type | Builder(s) | Year Built | Remarks [8] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. One of ##31, 32, 34-35, 38-40 and 44 (eight 75 in. bob passenger sleighs) was sold in 1924, leaving seven. One was sold in 1925, leaving six. One was scrapped in 1929, leaving five. One lost its running gear in Laberge Lake in 1930, leaving four. Two were sold in 1931, leaving two. One was sold in 1932, leaving one. The remaining one of ##31, 32, 34-35, 38-40 and 44 was sold in 1934. | |
32 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
33 (physically retaining #3) | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. Originally, #3. Officially renumbered to 23 in 1905. Officially renumbered to 33 about 1909. Nevertheless, physically retained #3, possibly because it may have been taken out of service by 1905. [10] Written off in 1950. Wheels substituted for bobs by 1973. The body was transferred to the Yukon Transportation Museum in 1990. Re-equipped with newly made bobs between 1992 & 2013. | |
34 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 9 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
35 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 9 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
36 (physically retaining #26) | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. Originally, #6. Renumbered to 26 in 1905. Officially renumbered to 36 about 1909. Nevertheless, physically retained #26, possibly because it may have been taken out of service by 1909. [10] Written off in 1950. Body without bobs sold to George Larson in 1962. Re-sold to Henry Tjoelker of Everson, Washington in 2001. Re-equipped with bobs from its era in 2001 or 2002. Last reported in 2006 to be with Mr. Tjoelker. | |
37 (physically retaining #7) | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. Originally, #7. Officially renumbered to 27 in 1905. Officially renumbered to 37 about 1909. Nevertheless, physically retained #7, possibly because it may have been taken out of service by 1905. [10] Written off in 1950. Put on display at Yukon Historical Society Museum in 1953. Museum renamed MacBride Museum in 1967. | |
38 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
39 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
40 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
41 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1902 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 14 Psgrs. & ¾ ton of freight. Written off in 1950. The body of #41 was at Yukon Crossing in 1963, without its running gear and without its center seats. | |
[32] | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: Abbot-Downing Co. (Concord, New Hampshire) | 1904 | 66 in. bobs. Cap’y = 5 Psgrs. & 0.35 ton of freight. Body appears to have been the original body of Wagon #1 or 2. Sold in 1905, before the 1909 renumbering, when it would have been renumbered to 42. [10] | |
43 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: Abbot-Downing Co. (Concord, New Hampshire) | 1907 | 66 in. bobs. Cap’y = 5 Psgrs. & 0.35 ton of freight. Body appears to have been the original body of Wagon #1 or 2. Written off in 1950. | |
44 | Passenger Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1907 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 9 Psgrs. & ½ ton of freight. For disposition of #44, see, Remarks for #31, above. | |
45 | Double Cutter | William J. Mable (Victoria, British Columbia) | 1903 | 120 in. runners. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. For use by superintendent, assistant superintendent, or blacksmith. One of ##45-48 (four cutters) was sold in 1917, and the remaining three were written off in 1950. | |
46 | Double Cutter | Mission (Victoria, British Columbia) | 1903 | 108 in. runners. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. For use by superintendent, assistant superintendent, or blacksmith. For disposition, see, Remarks for #45, above. | |
47 | Double Cutter | Ottawa Carriage Co. (Ottawa, Ontario) | 1903 | 108 in. runners. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. For use by superintendent, assistant superintendent, or blacksmith. For disposition, see, Remarks for #45, above. | |
48 | Single Cutter | WP&YR | 1905 | 102 in. runners. Cap’y = 1 Psgr. For disposition, see, Remarks for #45, above. | |
49 | Light Bob Sleigh | McLaughlin Carriage Co. (Oshawa, Ontario) | 1905 | 30 in. bobs. Cap’y = 3 Psgrs. & ¼ ton of freight. Written off in 1950. | |
– | – | – | – | – | |
51 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. Four of ##51, 53-55, and 57-62 (ten 75 in. bob freight sleighs) were sold in 1909, leaving six. Two were sold in 1917, leaving four. One was sold in 1921, leaving three. One was sold in 1922, leaving two. One was sold in 1925, leaving one. The remaining one of ##51, 53-55, and 57-62 was sold in 1926. | |
52 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin); Body: WP&YR | 1903 | 76 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. One of ##52, 56, 73, 74, and 84 (five 76 in. bob freight sleighs) was sold in 1919, leaving four. One was sold in 1921, leaving three. Two were sold in 1926, leaving one. The remaining one of ##52, 56, 73, 74, and 84 was sold by 1937. | |
53 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
54 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
55 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
56 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin); Body: WP&YR | 1903 | 76 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #52, above. | |
57 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
58 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
59 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
60 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
61 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
62 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1901 | 75 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #51, above. | |
63 | Logging Sleigh | B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1905 | 76 in. bobs. Sold in 1923. | |
64 | Logging Sleigh | B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1905 | 76 in. bobs. Sold in 1923. | |
65 | Perishable Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1907 | 75 in. bobs. One ##65 and 66 (two 75 in. bob perishable sleighs) was destroyed by a flood at Carmacks in 1918, and the remaining one was sold in 1923. | |
66 | Perishable Sleigh | Gear: Weber Wagon Co. (Chicago); Body: WP&YR | 1907 | 75 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #65, above. | |
67 | Perishable Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1908 | 78 in. bobs. One of ##67-69 (three 78 in. bob perishable sleighs) was sold in 1926, leaving two. One more was sold by 1937, leaving one. The remaining of ##67-69 one was written off in 1950. | |
68 | Perishable Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1908 | 78 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #67, above. | |
69 | Perishable Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1908 | 78 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #67, above. | |
– | – | – | – | – | |
71 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1909 | 78 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. One ##71, 72, 82, 83, and 85 (five 78 in. bob freight sleighs) was sold in 1922, leaving four. One was sold in 1924, leaving three. The remaining three of ##71, 72, 82, 83, and 85 were sold in 1926. | |
72 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1909 | 78 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #71, above. | |
73 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin); Body: WP&YR | 1909 | 76 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #52, above. | |
74 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin); Body: WP&YR | 1909 | 76 in. bobs. Cap’y = 2 Psgrs. & 5 tons of freight. For disposition, see, Remarks for #52, above. | |
75 | Dalton (light) Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana) | 1910 | 66 in. bobs. Written off in 1950. | |
76 | Heavy Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1911 | 76 in. bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. Four of ##76-80 (five 76 in. bob heavy freight sleighs) were sold in 1926, and the remaining one was sold in 1929. | |
77 | Heavy Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1911 | 76 in. bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. For disposition, see, Remarks #76, above. | |
78 | Heavy Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1911 | 76 in. bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. For disposition, see, Remarks #76, above. | |
79 | Heavy Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1911 | 76 in. bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. For disposition, see, Remarks #76, above. | |
80 | Heavy Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1911 | 76 in. bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. For disposition, see, Remarks #76, above. | |
81 | Caboose Sleigh | 1912 | Bobs. For use on Caterpillar® train. Sold in 1923. | ||
82 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1915 | 78 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #71, above. | |
83 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1915 | 78 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #71, above. | |
84 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin); Body: WP&YR | 1915 | 76 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #52, above. | |
85 | Freight Sleigh | Gear: Studebaker Bros. (South Bend, Indiana); Body: WP&YR | 1917 | 78 in. bobs. For disposition, see, Remarks for #71, above. | |
86 | Logging Sleigh | B.F.&H.L. Sweet (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | 1917 | 76 in. bobs. Sold in 1923. |
Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co. made Sensible™ bobs. B. F. & H. L. Sweet made Common Sense™ bobs. Weber Wagon Co. made Good Sense™ bobs. Weber sold out to International Harvester Co. in 1904.
Fiscal Year, July 1 to June 30 | No. at Beginning of Fiscal Year (July 1) | No. Purchased during Fiscal Year | Maximum No. during Trail Season (≈ Nov.-Apr.) | No. Sold during Fiscal Year | Died during Fiscal Year | No. at End of Fiscal Year (June 30) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1901-1902 | 0 | 155 | 155 | 0 | 31 | 124 |
1902-1903 | 124 | 55 | 172 | 84 | 47 | 48 |
1903-1904 | 48 | 168 | 193 | 74 | 25 | 117 |
1904-1905 | 117 | 89 | 177 | 69 | 12 | 123 |
1905-1906 | 123 | 60 (+1 born) | 164 | 55 | 9 | 120 |
1906-1907 | 120 | 101 | 192 | 29 | 14 | 178 |
1907-1908 | 178 | 56 | 199 | 39 | 14 | 181 |
1908-1909 | 181 | 43 | 205 | 51 | 5 | 168 |
1909-1910 | 168 | 62 | 217 | 27 | 8 | 195 |
1910-1911 | 195 | 91 | 162 | 148 | 23 | 115 |
1911-1912 | 115 | 70 | 164 | 50 | 16 | 119 |
1912-1913 | 119 | 75 | 162 | 75 | 25 | 94 |
1913-1914 | 94 | 114 | 167 | 30 | 18 | 160 |
1914-1915 | 160 | 40 | 154 | 29 | 40 | 131 |
1915-1916 | 131 | 90 | 181 | 22 | 38 | 161 |
1916-1917 | 161 | 42 | 168 | 13 | 28 | 162 |
1917-1918 | 162 | 4 | 141 | 4 | 43 | 119 |
1918-1919 | 119 | 20 | 122 | 24 | 16 | 99 |
1919-1920 | 99 | 22 | 117 | 74 | 3 | 44 |
1920-1921 | 44 | 0 | 44 | 43 | 1 | 0 |
Type | Year Acquired | Remarks |
---|---|---|
Winton 1909 Model 17 Touring Car | 1910 | 48 hp. Maximum speed ≈ 12 mph. Written off in 1950. |
Holt 45 Caterpillar® Tractor [11] | 1911 [11] | Holt serial #1175 (1911). [11] 45 hp. Holt M-1 engine. Maximum speed ≈ 4 miles per hour. In service in 1941. Unserviceable in 1942. Still existed in 1950. Disposed of by 1965. |
Crawler Tractor | 1911 [12] | Built in United Kingdom. Intended for passenger service. Maximum speed ≈ 7½ miles per hour. Unusable. Wheels frequently came off tracks. Returned to manufacturer in 1912. [12] |
Knox 1912 Model G 2-Ton Stake Truck | 1912 | 45 hp. Written off in 1950. |
Knox Automobile | 1913 | Sold in 1923. |
Ford 1912 Model T Torpedo Runabout | 1917 | 22 hp. Written off in 1950. |
For the roster of White Pass boats, see, List of steamboats on the Yukon River.
For the roster of White Pass railroad equipment, see, List of White Pass and Yukon Route locomotives and cars.
Yukon is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It is the most densely populated territory in Canada, with an estimated population of 46,704 as of 2024, though it has a smaller population than all provinces. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest settlement in any of the three territories.
The Klondike Gold Rush was a migration by an estimated 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of Yukon in northwestern Canada, between 1896 and 1899. Gold was discovered there by local miners on August 16, 1896; when news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of prospectors. Some became wealthy, but the majority went in vain. It has been immortalized in films, literature, and photographs.
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class III 3 ft narrow-gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the Port of Skagway, and via road through a few of the stops along its route.
Dawson City, officially the City of Dawson, is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon.
White Pass, also known as the Dead Horse Trail, is a mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains on the border of the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia, Canada. It leads from Skagway, Alaska, to the chain of lakes at the headwaters of the Yukon River.
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in Yukon, Canada, on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
The Klondike Highway is a highway that runs from the Alaska Panhandle through the province of British Columbia and the territory of Yukon in Canada, linking the coastal town of Skagway, Alaska, to Dawson City, Yukon. Its route somewhat parallels the route used by prospectors in the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a national historical park operated by the National Park Service that seeks to commemorate the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. Though the gold fields that were the ultimate goal of the stampeders lay in the Yukon Territory, the park comprises staging areas for the trek there and the routes leading in its direction. There are four units, including three in Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska and a fourth in the Pioneer Square National Historic District in Seattle, Washington.
The Yukon Quest, formally the Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, is a sled dog race scheduled every February since 1984 between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon, switching directions each year. Because of the harsh winter conditions, difficult trail, and the limited support that competitors are allowed, it is considered the "most difficult sled dog race in the world", or even the "toughest race in the world"—"even tougher, more selective and less attention-seeking than the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race." The originator envisioned it as "a race so rugged that only purists would participate."
The Chilkoot Trail tramways were aerial tramways that played a significant role in the Klondike Gold Rush and the Chilkoot Trail as a transportation system to move prospectors and equipment towards the Dawson City/Klondike gold fields.
Canyon City is a Klondike Gold Rush ghost town and a Yukon Government Heritage Site. It is located about 7 km from downtown Whitehorse, Yukon, at the upstream end of Miles Canyon on the Yukon River. Summer tours are encouraged.
SS Klondike is the name of two sternwheelers, the second now a National Historic Site located in Whitehorse, Yukon. They ran freight between Whitehorse and Dawson City, along the Yukon River, the first from 1929 to 1936 and the second, an almost exact replica of the first, from 1937 to 1950.
Steamboats on the Yukon River played a role in the development of Alaska and Yukon. Access to the interior of Alaska and Yukon was hindered by large mountains and distance, but the wide Yukon River provided a feasible route. The first steamers on the lower Yukon River were work boats for the Collins Overland Telegraph in 1866 or 1867, with a small steamer called Wilder. The mouth of the Yukon River is far to the west at St. Michael and a journey from Seattle or San Francisco covered some 4,000 miles (6,400 km).
Charlie Biederman was a musher in Alaska best known for being the last surviving dog sled mail carrier in the United States. Charlie was born in Alaska as the son of Ed Biederman, a musher born in Bohemia who immigrated to the United States in 1874 and also delivered the mail via dog sled. The date of Charlie's birth is unclear, but contemporary U.S. Censuses indicate it likely was around 1919. Charlie had four siblings. Charlie was raised in Eagle, Alaska, but lived in an isolated cabin on the Yukon River for most of his life. From an early age, he assisted his father and brother in their winter deliveries of the mail to isolated cabins in central Alaska. In winter, the family lived in Eagle and ran the mail route between that town and Circle, another small settlement approximately 158 miles (254 km) downriver. In the summer, the family lived at their Yukon River cabin, harvesting fish for subsistence and boarding the dogs of fellow mushers. In 1938, the family were underbid for the main contract for mail delivery in the area by a bush pilot. Ed Biederman retired shortly afterward and died in 1945. The final dog sled mail route was replaced in 1963. That final route was from Gambell to Savoonga and was run by Chester Noongwook. In January 1995, he donated the mail-delivery sled he used to the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., where it hangs today. One month after making the delivery, he died on February 22, 1995.
Biederman's Cabin, also called Biederman's Fish Camp, is a privately owned cabin on the Yukon River in Alaska. Located within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, it is maintained as a historic site representing the subsistence lifestyle employed by Interior Alaska residents during the early years of the 20th century and is one of the few structures within the preserve.
Braeburn Lodge is a roadhouse on the Klondike Highway in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It is located east of Braeburn Lake and north of Braeburn Mountain, on the path of the former Dawson Overland Trail, which was built in 1902 between Whitehorse and Dawson City. The lodge itself is a tourist destination and is famous for its large cinnamon buns. Nearby Cinnamon Bun Airport is named for the lodge's cinnamon buns. Every February, Braeburn Lodge hosts a checkpoint of the long-distance Yukon Quest sled dog race.
The SS Keno is a preserved historic sternwheel paddle steamer, a National Historic Site of Canada, and a unit of the Canadian national park system. The SS Keno is berthed in a dry dock on the waterfront of the Yukon River in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.
The Klondike Mines Railway (KMRy) was a 3 ft narrow gauge railway operating in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada. Construction on the KMRy began in 1905 and the railway ceased operations in 1913.
"Last Sled to Dawson" is a 1988 Scrooge McDuck comic by Don Rosa. It is Rosa's third full-length Uncle Scrooge story after The Son of the Sun and Cash Flow, both published the previous year. Last Sled is the first story in which Rosa delves into Scrooge's past life, on his journey to becoming the richest man in the world, and so acts as a spiritual sequel to Carl Barks's classic Scrooge story "Back to the Klondike", describing his experiences as a gold prospector during the Klondike Gold Rush.