It was on August 16,1896 that Yukon prospectors George Cormack his wife Kate, acting on a tip from Canadian prospector Robert Henderson, discovered placer gold in Rabbit Creek, a tributary of Klondike River.
The next day, they, along with Henderson and his “Indian” (aboriginal) helpers Tagish Charlie and Skookum Jim, stake their claims, changing the name of Rabbit Creek to Bonanza Creek.
As news of a huge gold find spread in newspapers around the world, a massive gold rush to the Klondike began. Tens of thousands dropped everything and came north in what became a stampede.
Most were totally unprepared for the harsh northern conditions, many died, and comparatively few “struck it rich”, although millions of dollars of gold did make its way out of the Yukon.
The “stampede” to the Klondike lasted only a couple of years, when word came of gold being found around Nome, Alaska and thousands left to try their luck there, although many continued to come to the Yukon to search for gold for several years afterward.
It should be noted that in spite of the variety of prospectors, mostly American, which included vast numbers of rough, unruly, and shady types, the Klondike rush was one of the most orderly in history. This was due to the work of the North-West Mounted Police, and Superintendent Sam Steele. He was later aided by a small contingent of Canadian army personnel about 200 strong called the Yukon Field Force.
Arriving in the north to take command of the NWMP, he saw the lawlessness of Skagway Alaska and was determined it wouldn’t happen in Canada.
Setting up border posts at the passes into Canada, he confiscated handguns, collected customs duties, and arrested those who mistreated their animals.
He also mandated that prospectors arriving had to have a year’s worth of supplies with them.
This included: 200 pounds of bacon, 400 pounds of flour ,85 pounds assorted dried fruit, 50 pounds cornmeal , 35 pounds rice, 24 pounds coffee , 5 pounds tea, 100 pounds sugar ,25 pounds fish,15 pounds soup vegetables , 50 pounds oatmeal , 50 pounds dried potatoes , 50 pounds dried onions, 25 cans butter , 100 pounds beans , 4 dozen tins condensed milk, 15 pounds salt , 1 pound pepper , 8 pounds baking powder, 2 lbs baking soda , 1/2 pound mustard , 3/4 pound ginger, 36 pounds yeast cakes , 60 boxes of matches , 5 bars of soap
CLOTHING: 1 suit oil clothing, 3 pairs snag-proof rubber boots, 3 pairs heavy shoes , 1 dozen heavy socks , 6 pairs wool mittens, 3 suits heavy underwear , 2 pairs Mackinaw trousers, 2 pairs overalls , 2 hats 4 heavy wool overshirts, 1 Mackinaw coat , 1 heavy rubber-lined coat , suspenders, hankerchiefs, snow glasses , 2 pairs of heavy woolen blankets, 2 oil blankets , 4 towels , buttons, thread, needles, 5 yards mosquito netting
EQUIPMENT: 1 large bucket ,1 set granite buckets , 2 axes, plus extra handle, 2 picks , handsaw , whipsaw , 1 shovel , pack strap, 6 files , drawing knife , brace and bits , jack plane , hammer, 3 chisels , butcher knife , 200 ft, 3/8- inch rope , 10 pounds pitch, 5 pounds oakum, 2 caulking irons, 15 pounds nails . tent, canvas, whet stone , compass goggles , quartz glass , quicksilver , 2 frying pans, coffee and tea pot , 40 pounds of candles , eating utensils: plate, cup, knife fork, spoon , pots and pans, steel stove for 4 men , gold pan , gold scales
Also additional items were noted, such as: medicines, reading matter, guns, ammunition and personal items.
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