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In the late 1800s, times were tough so a series of gold
discoveries in Alaska, the Yukon and British Columbia
drew thousands of desperate gold seekers.
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Most made the first leg of their
journey via ship, leaving from San Francisco, Seattle or
Victoria for points north. Many were so frantic to get a
berth that they were willing to take any ship, seaworthy
or not. They slept 10 to a cabin, or packed themselves
and their goods into the suffocating hold or endured
driving rain or sleet to sleep on deck. But the
harrowing sea journey was only the start—they still had
to haul their goods over mountain passes, and sometimes
build boats to cross lakes and rivers in order to reach
the site of the gold strike.
Only a handful of the gold rush hopefuls actually struck
it rich, but many of the miners, speculators, merchants,
entertainers and others who poured into the north made
their fortunes by providing goods and services. Many
stayed on and settled permanently, opening up the north.
Certainly, the gold rush changed the history of the
entire northwest coast and in the process impacted the
development of coastal shipping. |
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