The Klondike Gold Rush in Five Minutes
A short primer before you arrive.
By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026
In 1897, news of gold in the Klondike sent tens of thousands of stampeders north. Skagway and nearby Dyea became the gateways.
Key moments
- 1897–98: the stampede; Skagway booms into a rough town.
- July 1898: con man Soapy Smith is killed in a shootout with Frank Reid.
- 1900: the White Pass & Yukon Route railway is completed.
Dyea, the town that vanished
Dig deeper with our Gold Rush reading list.
Suggested Reads
The definitive narrative history of the stampede through Skagway and over the passes.
Find it on Amazon →Six people who went north in 1898, from a dance-hall star to a Mountie.
Find it on Amazon →The dance-hall performers, entrepreneurs and prospectors history often skipped.
Find it on Amazon →The con man who ran Skagway, written by his great-grandson.
Find it on Amazon →Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Skagway Times earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. More Gold Rush books →
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Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Skagway Times earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
