Klondike Gold Rush - Life in The Klondike

Life in The Klondike

The Klondike gold rush centered on the gold creeks that fed into the Klondike River but the massive influx of prospectors drove the formation of boom towns along the routes of the stampede, with Dawson City in the Klondike the largest. The new towns were crowded and often chaotic; most disappeared but some remained. The majority of prospectors were men, although many women travelled to the region, typically with their husbands. Those prospectors that discovered rich gold deposits spent extravagantly, driving a lavish culture of conspicuous consumption in Dawson that in turn encouraged businessmen and women to build hotels and places of entertainment. Dawson City remained a relatively lawful town, protected by the Canadian NWMP, although the boom towns of Skagway and Dyea under US jurisdiction in Alaska became infamous for their criminal underworlds. The extreme climate and remoteness meant that the prices of food and supplies were high and communication with the outside world including news and mail was scarce.