Inside Passage Mapbook

Page 65

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Skagway

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kagway, Alaska is the northernmost point in Alaska’s Inside Passage. One of the first white residents of Skagway was Billy Moore a former steamboat Captain. He believed that gold would be found in the Yukon and in 1887 built a dock and a trading post in anticipation of the Rush. In its heyday, Skagway was the boomtown gateway to the Trail of ’98 and the Klondike Gold Fields. The population has dwindled from 20,000 feverish gold seekers to less than 1000 stalwart year-round citizens. On June 28, 1900 Skagway became the first incorporated city in Alaska. Streets once choked with gold-crazed prospectors clamoring to get to the Klondike and strike it rich, are now just as busy with thousands of visitors that arrive by cruise ship every day! On a busy ship day, Skagway reverberates with many of the same feelings that must have been present during the Gold Rush. Skagway is home of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, the “Scenic Railway of the World” one of Alaska’s most popular visitor attractions and not to be missed. It is also the home of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, which honors the brave stampeders of the Klondike by protecting the historic buildings and trails of the Gold Rush era. www.BellsAlaska.com

Klondike Boom Town VISITOR INFO Skagway Convention & Visitors Bureau is located in the Arctic Brotherhood Hall, one of Skagway’s most interesting buildings. The facade of the building uses almost 9000 pieces of driftwood collected from the beaches in Skagway Bay. Pick up a walking tour map for the city or trail maps for nearby hiking. The Skagway CVB website is an excellent resource for planning your stay in this historic little city. The site also has a very detailed history compiled by Jeff Brady, editor of the Skagway News from 1978 to 2015. 245 Broadway. www.skagway.com 907-9832854 or 888-762-1898

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