Dawson City: Dredging for Gold When the Klondike Gold Rush occurred in 1897, Jo LeDoux knew they needed a service and supply centre. Instead of staking a gold claim, he staked the town site of Dawson, a tent city in a swamp, and sold off lots. Today, reminders of the gold rush still stand.  Just outside of town you can visit Dredge Number Four, 8 stories high, which dug deep beneath Bonanza Creek in search of gold for decades. Building the Railway: Whitehorse to Skagway By 1897, campsites lined the banks of the Yukon River, full of prospectors eager to reach Dawson City. In 1900, Whitehorse changed forever with the completion of the railroad, connecting Whitehorse to Skagway. Steven Caulfield, a brakeman for the railway discusses its origin. Building it was no simple task. The Chilkoot Trail Well before the gold rush of 1897, the First Nations were trading from the coast with interior First Nations. The Chilkoot Trail goes from the Pacific Ocean, over the Coast Mountains, and into the Yukon border, and it quickly became popular in the outside world with rumours of gold.

pt. 1. Klondike Trail; Dawson City, Dredging for Gold -- pt. 2. Klondike Trail; Building the Railway, Whitehorse to Skagway -- pt. 3. Klondike Trail; The Chilkoot Trail.