The city of Skagway-the Tlingit Name for the Area Means ” a Windy Place with White Caps on the Water”

Skagway city71In 1896 gold was found in the Klondike region of Canada’s Yukon Territory, so the nickname for Skagway is “Gateway to the Klondike” which was founded in 1897.

We are in Skagway now. The girls dressed up in last century costumes are hanging around the old town to get tourists’ attention. The population of the city is only 920 people (census 2010). In summers its population becomes 10-15 times more. We met some people from Russia working for the “House of Russia”, from California and different parts of the US and Alaska to make a few dollars during the tourist season. The walking tourist guide tells stories about one prominent resident of early Skagway William “Billy” Moore, a former steamboat captain. As a member of 1887 boundary survey expedition, he had made the first recorded investigation of the pass over the Coast Mountains, which later became known as White Pass. A log cabin, a sawmill, and a wharf were built in anticipation of future gold prospectors passing through.                           Skagway city74

The White Pass and Yukon Tour began laying narrow gauge railroad tracks in Skagway. The railroad depot was constructed between September and December 1898.

The train with whistle was moving periodically to and fro, and that was Janko’s sight attraction. As a real railway man, serving for CPR the most part of his life, he walked around the train and it seemed that he could not have enough of it.

Gleb’s attraction was Wi-Fi zone at the Starbucks Coffee shop to spend some time with his friends by Internet. Larisa and me were wandering about the city in search of fresh impressions and interesting souvenirs.

We bought a small train souvenir and a railway cap with WPYR emblem for Janko and Gleb kept on collecting the souvenir medals from each and every city of Alaska.

Skagway area today is home to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and White Pass and Chilkoot Trails.

Watch our photo expose:”The City of Skagway, Alaska, summer 2012″

The City of Skagway, Alaska, summer, 2012

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