Yukon Gold Rush Klondike Alaska-Canada 1890 s Thunderbird-Pokagon District January 2018 Brief History The United States was just coming out of the Panic of 1893 where over 200 national banks failed, unemployment was 20%, and was the worst economic depression the country had seen to date. There was nothing for the unemployed to do, no Social Security, no food stamps, no hope. Then, on July 7, 1897, the steam ship Portland docked at the ports of Seattle, Washington. Aboard this ship were 68 miners and over a ton of gold; which would be worth more than a billion dollars today. This cargo began the spread of news that gold had been found in northern Alaska Yukon Territory. Gold fever swept the nation overnight, with newspapers headlining the discovery of gold in the Klondike. The Gold Rush had begun, and the country was catching what newspapers called Klondicitis, or gold fever. Seattle became the jumping off point for the trek to the gold fields in the Yukon. Men, women, and families with little to no woodcraft experience would arrive in Seattle and get geared up with one year s provisions per person. These provisions tipped the scales at one (1) ton of supplies requited by the Canadian government. Then they d take a steam ship up the Lynn Canal to Skagway, Alaska. From Skagway, there were two routes by foot known as Misery or Agony, 32 miles or 40 miles through mountains and leading to a pass rising over 2,700 feet high known as the Golden Stairway (See picture, top left). It would take 50 trips up this mountain pass to move your one (1) ton of supplies and gear. Once over the pass, you would end up in Bennett, British Columbia. At Bennett, you would fall trees, make lumber, and build some type of boat or barge to move down the Klondike River, 600 miles to Dawson, where the gold fields were waiting. Most people had no woodcraft or camping skills, and had no idea there was a 600 mile trek once they got off the boat at Skagway. These individuals experienced minus 70 degree nights, 50 mph winds, and twenty feet of snow. It was said if thousands of Stampeders (people looking for gold) made it to Skagway, only hundreds made it to Bennett, a hundred made it to Dawson, and only 10 made it rich. 1 P a g e
What They Took When the gold rush started on Bonanza Creek, the North-West Mounted Police could see there would be trouble if law and order weren t established. They sent eighty officers to the region, investing $400,000 in law enforcement. Further, the trading posts couldn t get enough food for all the people. The North-West Mounted Police issued an order requiring each Stampeder to bring three pounds of food per day for a year. They would not let anyone cross the border into Canada unless they had packed the required food. The list of necessary supplies was provided to Stampeders before they even left Seattle. The most widely distributed list was made up by the Northern Pacific Railroad, which brought most of the Stampeders west to Seattle, but there were other lists as well. Food Bacon, 200 pounds Flour, 400 pounds Assorted Dried Fruit, 85 pounds (apples, peaches, apricots, plums) Cornmeal, 50 pounds Soup Vegetables, 15 pounds Dried Potatoes, 50 pounds Butter, 25 cans Condensed Milk, 4 doz tins Pepper, 1 pound Baking Powder, 8 pounds Ginger, ¾ pound Matches, 60 boxes Rice, 35 pounds Coffee, 24 pounds Tea, 5 pounds Sugar, 100 pounds Fish, 25 pounds Oatmeal, 50 pounds Dried Onions, 50 pounds Beans, 100 pounds Salt, 15 pounds Baking Soda, 2 pounds Mustard, ½ pound Yeast Cakes, 36 pounds Soap, 5 bars Clothing 1 Suit Oil Clothing 3 Pairs Snag-proof Rubber Boots 3 Pairs Heavy Shoes 1 Dozen Heavy Socks 6 Pair Woolen Mittens 3 Suits Heavy Underwear 2 Pairs Mackinaw Trousers 2 Pairs Overalls 2 Hats 4 Heavy Woolen Overshirts 1 Heavy Mackinaw Coat 1 Heavy Rubber-lined Coat Suspenders, Handerkerchiefs, 2 Pairs of Heavy Woolen Blankets Snow Glasses 2 Oil Blankets 4 Towels Buttons, Thread, Needles 5 Yards Mosquito Netting 2 P a g e
Equipment 1 Large Bucket 1 Set Granite Buckets 2 Axes, plus extra handles 2 Picks Handsaw Whipsaw 1 Shovel Pack Strap 6 Files Drawing Knife Brace and Bits Jack Plane Hammer 3 Chisels Butcher Knife 3/8-inch Rope, 200 Feet Pitch, 10 pounds Oakum, 5 pounds 2 Caulking Irons Nails, 15 pounds Tent Canvas Whet Stone Compass Goggles Quartz Glass Quicksilver 2 Frying Pans Coffee and Tea Pot Candles, 40 pounds Eating Utensils: Plate, Cup, Knife Pots and Pans Fork, Spoon Steel Stove for 4 Men Gold Pan Gold Scales Also, medicines, reading matter, guns, ammunition, and personal items were suggested. Some miners chose to take along a Yukon Sled. One Seattle newspaper estimated the cost of the outfit would be $140. Another estimated $500. Seattle outfitters, businesses that sold the supplies to the Stampeders, estimated the total would be around $1,000. If this doesn t sound like much money, remember that in 1897 a person could buy a meal in a good restaurant for 25 cents. 3 P a g e
Thunderbird & Pokagon Districts 2018 Klondike Derby January 19 th -21 st Camp Chief Little Turtle Participants: The Klondike is open to all registered Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and their leaders or parents. Webelos 2 are invited to camp with their units or just join them for the day on Saturday. Any Webelos 2 planning to camp MUST pre-register for the event with their unit. Registration: The cost of the event is $10 on or before January 12th. After January 12 th, the cost will go up to $15 per person. An updated and completed registration form will need to be turned in at time of check-in. Units will be unable to participate if no registration form is filled out at check-in. *It is strongly recommended that units travel together or plan to meet in the parking lot at camp to check-in together. This will help the check-in process. Also, make sure registration forms are turned in. Sled Teams: Each sled team (patrol) will consist of 4-8 scouts. If you have more than 4-8 scouts you will need to make 2 or more sled teams (patrols). EVERY PATROL MUST HAVE A SLED. Check-In: Friday, January 20 th, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm Saturday, January 20 th 7:30 am - 8:30 am *Check-in will be at the Dining Hall. SPL & Leader Meeting: There will be a brief meeting Friday night after check-in. At the meeting we will go over Saturday s event, any changes in the schedule, and answer any questions. The meeting will take place in the dining hall. After the meeting, we will have a cracker barrel; open for all to join. Campfire: At the conclusion of the event on Saturday, we will have a campfire. Every unit is encouraged to participate with a song or a skit and can turn those in at check-in. *If you have a Scout that needs to MC a campfire for his Communication Merit Badge, please let me know. Saturday Lunch: Lunch will be provided on Saturday. We are asking each Scout to bring 2 cans of soup to the event. The cans collected will be donated to local food banks in the area. Meal: Units camping for the weekend will be responsible for all their meals with the exception of Saturday lunch. 4 P a g e
Parking: In designated areas only Footwear: For safety, NO SNEAKERS OR TENNIS SHOES shall be worn while participating in the Klondike Derby. Water: Water will be available. Units will need to bring their own containers to carry it back to camp. Fires: In fire pits only. Events: Teams will race from town to town where they will have to complete certain tasks. These tasks will consist of scout skills and team building activities. Here is a brief look at some but not all of the towns that will be scored. Rifle shooting First Aid Knots/Pioneering Team Building And More Scoring: At each town, the patrols will be awarded points based on how they ve completed each task. Awards will be given to the top 3 patrols in each district and top 3 overall. Supplies Recommended Klondike Sled 5 gal bucket half full or more of gravel (will be sluiced at the end of event to look for gold) NOT STORE-BOUGHT GRAVEL Patrol flag Paper & Pencil Scout Handbook Compass Two (2) six-foot long staves First Aid Kit Eight (8) eight-foot lengths of rope Shelter or tent, need enough to sleep everyone in your patrol Fire starter Fire building materials Water bottle for each Scout Trash bag Mess Kit for each Scout *Or anything else the team feels will help them complete the trail and make it to the finish. Patrols will have the option to purchase anything they might have forgotten. But if they need to buy things it will cut into their gold totals. 5 P a g e
Schedule of Events Friday, January 19, 2018 6:00 pm 8:30 pm Check-In at Dining Hall 8:45 pm 9:00 pm SPL/Leader meeting at Dining Hall 9:00 pm Cracker Barrel at Dining Hall Saturday, January 20, 2018 7:30 am 8:30 am Check-In at Dining Hall 8:45 am Flag Ceremony at Parade Field 9:00 am 11:30 am Stations/Towns Open 9:00 am 12:00 pm Cub Scout Stations 11:30 am 12:00 pm Boy Scout Lunch at Dining Hall 12:00 pm 1:00 pm Cub Scout Lunch at Dining Hall 12:30 pm 3:00 pm Stations/Towns Open 1:00 pm 3:00 pm Cub Scout Stations 3:00 pm Stations/Towns Close 3:15 pm Patrols Must Report to Dining Hall 3:15 pm Boy Scouts go to Gold Sluice Their Dirt 3:15 pm Cub Scouts go to Parade Field for Sled Races 4:00 pm Campfire at Council Campfire Ring Sunday, January 21, 2018 Break Camp and Depart for Home 6 P a g e