Dawson City.
A city in complete contrast to Vancouver.
From the airport we followed the highway that winds itself alongside the Tr’ondëk (Klondike) River and into Dawson. Behind the town, a spruce-cloaked ridge stretches up to a peak overlooking the Yukon River. Down its face, overlooking Dawson, a landslide paints a picture of a moose hide stretched over a frame. It is known by locals as Moosehide Slide, but originally named Ëdhä dädhëchą by the Tr’ondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation.
Ëdhä dädhëchą | Moosehide Slide
After a few days rest and a bit of scouting at the information centre, we decided to go on a few tours and walks. The first was a tour around the SS Keno.
Dawson City was founded in 1896 when gold was discovered in Bonanza Creek during the Klondike Gold Rush. We learned that to get here during that time people had to take a boat from Vancouver to Skagway. They would then train to Whitehorse before getting on a stern wheel paddle steamer, like the SS Keno, to come down the Yukon River to Dawson City. This could only be done from April to September because the river freezes during the winter. It was estimated that there were up to 60 paddle steamers on the Yukon during peak season.
We were shown the lower deck with the twin steam engines fed by a boiler. This deck also held the sleeping accommodation for the engineers and stored freight.
The second deck held the saloon with guests’ rooms opening directly off of it. A glass ceiling allowed sunlight to pour in over the dining table, which stretched along the length of the saloon. It was an odd sight, but a pleasant atmosphere. The ceiling was created in this way because the sun never sets during summer in the Yukon and, with the rooms surrounding the saloon, this was the best way to get sunlight in.
One of two steam engines that powered the SS Keno.
The next place we visited was the Palace Grand Theatre. This was built in 1899 by Arizona Charlie. Charlie was an American showman and sharpshooter who was often referred to as ‘King of the Cowboys’.
Palace Grand Theatre.
‘At two metres tall, he stood a head above the crowd. His hair flowed down to his shoulders from beneath his broad-brimmed hat. With moustache and a patch of whiskers below his bottom lip, wearing his signature red bandana around his neck and fringed buckskin jacket, he was like a sight from a Wild West show.’ - Yukon News
Charlie wanted to build a theatre to ‘mine the miners’ of their gold. So, he created a theatre that was a combination of a luxurious European opera house and a boomtown dance hall.
‘The performances were a mixture of professional theatre and rowdy audiences. The Klondike Nugget newspaper explained to newcomers that when a theatre patron was pleased with the performance, “his outward expression of appreciation takes the form of a well-stimulated malamoot howl.”’ - Yukon News
The current building was reconstructed in the 1960s because the building’s foundations were damaged by the permafrost.
View from the second floor private boxes.
We stepped into the cool building, away from the hot dusty day, and were transported back in time. We had entered into the saloon, which included a bar along the right-hand wall. Our guide then showed us into the first floor of the theatre that doubled as a dance floor. It was filled with replicas of the chairs that Charlie originally opened the theatre with. They were uncomfortable kitchen chairs because his shipment hadn’t made it on the paddlers down the Yukon in time for opening night. When reconstructing the building, Parks Canada found one of these chairs and it was used to create the replicas.
View from the third floor private boxes.
The soft yellows and browns of the paneled wood, combined with the warm light and red and gold curtains, certainly gave a sense of grandeur and luxury. Above us, two suspended horse-shoe shaped balconies, filled with private boxes, wrapped around us. The tour took us into these private boxes, up into Charlie’s flat on the second floor, and the flats he had for his performers on the third floor. The last room we saw had such amazing wallpaper and was filled with relics of that era. Check out Yukon News if you want to read more on the Palace Grand Theatre.
Third floor accommodation for the star performer.
Thank you for reading the blog, hope you enjoyed :)
More on Dawson this week, including going down river to Moosehide, across river to see the orchids on a midnight hike, and weekly trips to the best bakery ever!
Hei kōna.
The walk home from work at 11pm.