Taiya River - History

History

The Taiya River received its name when the Tlingit word Taiya became noted as a common usage for the body of water in 1868.

The Taiya River is historically significant with its role in the Klondike Gold Rush. The river's terminus, the Taiya Inlet, was also home to the Klondike boom town of Dyea which was the start of the Chilkoot Trail. The sediment from the Taiya River in the Taiya Inlet made a deep-water dock in Dyea impossible.

This was one (but not the only reason) for the construction of the White Pass and Yukon Route taking the Skagway-White Pass route instead of the Dyea-Chilkoot Pass route which effectively sealed the fate of both the Chilkoot Trail and the town of Dyea. The Taiya was also a key component of transportation during the gold rush days. During the winter the river would freeze over allowing signicantly easier transportation (especially with sledges and pack animals) than the overland trail. This was especially true when the Taiya went into a canyon between Canyon City and Pleasant Camp and the overland trail was especially difficult.