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In 1897 news of a gold strike in the Canadian Yukon reached Seattle, triggering
a stampede North to the Klondike Gold Fields. From 1897 to 1898, tens of
thousands of people from across the United States and around the world descended
upon Seattle's commercial district. While in Seattle, the hopeful miners
purchased millions of dollars of food, clothing, equipment, pack animals,
and steamship tickets. The final outcome of this great stampede helped shape
the Seattle we know today, bolstering the city's reputation as the Queen
City of the Pacific Northwest.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park was authorized in 1976 to preserve
and interpret the history of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. The park,
managed by the National Park Service, consists of four units: a six-block
historic district in Skagway’s business area; a narrow, 17 mile-long
corridor of land including the Chilkoot Trail; a corridor comprising the
White Pass Trail; and a visitor center at 117 Main St. (Pioneer Square),
Seattle, Washington.
The National Park Service Visitor Center at 2nd Avenue and Broadway in Skagway
is a place to begin your exploration of the area’s rich gold rush
heritage. A variety of programs and services are offered during the summer
months, from May to September. The Visitor Center occupies the restored
1898 railroad depot adjoining the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway tracks.
The Visitor Center displays permanent and seasonal exhibits from the turn
of the century, and provides visitors with information on the area’s
natural and cultural resources and recreational opportunities. In 1997 and
1998 the park celebrated the centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush. On August
5, 1998, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, managed by the U.S.
NPS and the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site, managed by Parks Canada,
became an International Historical Park. |
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