Skagway, AK: Gateway To The Klondike

The founder of Skagway was Canadian William Moore, a crusty old sea captain with a great vision. He had been a part of every gold rush since 1849. He first came to this area in 1887 with a Tlingit packer, Skookum Jim, who showed him a pass from the harbor through a river valley to a lake. It would later be known as White Pass. Jim also knew that there was gold in the Dawson area. Capt. Moore returned shortly with his son, Ben, staked a homestead of 160 acres and built a dock and cabin. He called his settlement Mooresville. He knew that gold rushers would be coming his way eventually. He planned to subdivide his spread to those who would settle near the harbor to serve the gold seekers. Soon he began charging a toll for those wanting to use White Pass. Ten years later the Stampeders came by the thousands. They overran Moore’s settlement, moved his cabin, ignored his toll gates, surveyed the area and called it Skagway. It would take the Moores ten more years to win a court decision to recoup their investment. By 1898, Skagway had 8,000 to 10,000 people. Initially it was a tent city, but buildings would soon be constructed, and by 1899 there were 80 saloons. In 1900 Skagway became the first incorporated city in Alaska. It had a college for only 2 years. It became City Hall for several years; today the lovely old building serves as a museum.

The city was home to several thousand Army troops during WWII and now mostly serves tourists. Skagway has always been about money, and the buildings that were once bars are now jewelry and gift stores catering to the cruise ship crowds. Most of the jewelry stores are owned by Mid-Easterners. There is a strict building code, so the charming old town looks much the way it did back in the gold rush days, except the paint is brighter and cheerier.