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Historic sites of the gold rush in Canada
Historic sites of the gold rush in Canada
The various gold rushes that took place on Canadian territory have marked its history. Klondike is the largest and has attracted tens of thousands of Canadian and foreign gold prospectors to the Yukon and Alaska. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush is also important. There are preserved remnants of these historic events in the Yukon as well as British Columbia. Discover some of them in this article.
In the Yukon
Canada's most important gold rush took place from 1897 to 1903, in both the United States and Canada. The Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon is historically one of the largest in the world. It all started with the discovery of gold nuggets in Bonanza Creek on the Klondike River in 1896. Today, the town of Dawson City, located in this region, has become a symbol of the Klondike Gold Rush , just like sites like Bonanza Creek or the Discovery Claim.
Dawson city
Also called the “Paris of the North,” the city of Dawson City attracts nearly 50,000 researchers, visitors and curious people from around the world during the rush. They are attracted by the prospect of finding gold and getting rich quickly. The precious ore eventually dried up and the majority of researchers left the city around 1899 to search for other rich waters.
Today the city contains a complex historical bearing witness to life during the gold rush. It is a collection of several period buildings, all of which played an important role during the gold rush. In this picturesque place with its wooden sidewalks, you can see a general store, a blacksmith shop, a saloon and a hotel. You can visit them alongside guides in period costume.
Grant of discovery
Discovery Claim - or the Discovery Concession - is located 17 kilometers from Dawson City. This location is important because it was the discovery of gold nuggets there that sparked the Klondike Gold Rush. This event marked the beginning of the administrative and economic importance of the territory. It has been classified as a national historic site since 1998.
Visitors can learn a little more about the daily lives of the miners and even try out cleaning techniques to find gold. You can take the discovery trail and visit the place where the first nugget was found.
Dredge #4
Not far from the Discovery Concession, you can access Dredge No. 4 - or Dredge No. 4. It is a colossal machine-boat, 8 stories high and equipped with a large crane. Dredger No. 4 is part of a regional system comprising around twenty of these machines. He greatly contributed to considerably developing the gold mining industry in the Yukon.
Dredger No. 4 was built in 1912 and is the largest installation of its type in North America. You can discover its interior ideally with a physical or virtual guide to learn more.
The SS Keno boat
This boat has been a national historic site since 1962. It is a river steamboat propelled by a stern wheel. It is representative of the boats that have historically traveled the river, particularly during the gold rush. This type of boat only ceased to be used in the 1950s.
This paddle steamer is docked in a dry dock on the banks of the Yukon in the town of Dawson. A true museum ship, it can be visited by reservation. The presence of a guide allows you to learn about the importance of this type of transport during this era.
Klondike Gold Rush International Park
This park was created for the 100th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush, an event as important to Canada as the United States. It contains sites in both countries and they trace the history of the last great gold rush in North America. It includes 4 sites: one in the Yukon, two others in Alaska and the last in Seattle in the United States.
Part of the town of Skagway is inside this park, and several historic buildings can still be seen there. The park also contains the Chilkoot Trail, a historic hiking trail of approximately fifty kilometers which retraces the path of the gold prospectors.
In British Columbia
The province is associated with the Fraser Canyon gold rush which took place during the mid-19th century. The discovery of precious ore in the river corridor led to the gold rush in 1858: the Fraser Canyon gold rush from 1858 to 1862. There were tens of thousands of gold seekers which flow into the confluence of the Thomson and Nicoamen rivers. They operate in inhospitable mountainous terrain with difficult access.
The town of Barkerville is a historical site emblematic of the gold rush in the province. This prosperous mining town was in some ways born from the first gold rush, which ended up being quite short-lived. It is now a historic town where visitors can view restored buildings and learn about life during the Gold Rush. Chinese pioneers also came en masse to Barkerville to try to find gold in the region.
Fort Langley sits on the banks of the Fraser River. This strategic location allowed it to go from a simple trading and supply post - during the fur trade - to a central place of action during the gold rush. It saw nearly 30,000 miners pass through at the time.
Kilby Historic Site is located at the intersection of the Harrison and Fraser rivers. It celebrates the once thriving community of Harrison Mills. This town which was home to many gold mining families still contains the 1906 General Store Museum, the heritage post office and the Manchester House Hotel.
The second gold rush was that of Cariboo in 1862 following the discovery of the precious metal in this mountainous area of British Columbia. It also attracted thousands of researchers and developed towns such as Quesnel and Williams Creek.
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