Again we slept while the ship sailed to the next port, Skagway. Skagway is one of the oldest
towns in Alaska and played a big part in the 1897-1898 gold rush. Over 70 saloons, frequent
shootings and run by a gang of criminals, Skagway was a rough place.
From the ship in dock were fantastic views of the mountains surrounding Skagway.
We boarded a train on the White Pass Rail for a trip up the route the miners in 1898 took
into Canada during the gold rush.
Civilization arrived in Skagway when the railroad began construction in 1898. By the time it was completed
in 1900 the gold rush was over. The railroad was the main employer until 1982 when it
closed. It was reopened as a tourist attraction and now is a major sightseeing attraction.
Under the US custom house is an old sign from the 1930's painted by boys on trips to
Alaska financed by George Buchanan, a Detroit coal merchant.
The train climbs from sea level to 3000 feet in 20 miles.
An old bridge - no longer used - on the rail line. Some story about John Wayne wanting
to blow it up for one of his movies. But the rail line would not allow.
One of many water falls along the track.
This is a portion of the old 1898 trail that still remains.
Once we were done with the train ride we went to Liarsville for gold panning. This husky
was providing an attraction for the children and pet lovers. Gold Rush trail camp
recreated on the very spot where the original stood a century ago. Liarsville
was named for the tenderfoot newsmen who camped here in the lush forest.
It was raining but Liz still panned for gold. Actually there was no gold in the area, it
was several hundred miles into Canada. And the amount Liz found was very, very very
small.
An example of the fog which hung over most of the trip.
When the rail line went all year around they needed a snow plow to move the snow drifts off
the rails. This is the blade on the front of a snow plow engine.
The Red Onion Saloon was a saloon, dance hall and bordello. It was built in 1898. It was
moved to the current location but set backwards so the back door is on Broadway.
Scagway was a rough and tumble town while the
minefields were open - only about 10 years. Now it caters to the cruise passengers.
The Arctic Brotherhood Hall was a fraternal hall with the first meetings in 1899.
The building is covered with over 8,800 driftwood sticks.
An active hall for the Brotherhood until the 1920s it is now serves as a visitors center.
Old lamp at Red Onion Saloon.
The Red Onion houses a Brothel Museum upstairs and these two were on hand when a large
tour bus pulled in. Or maybe they spotted a handsome photographer across the street?
There were several of these little shacks which are hardly one bedroom large. Not sure
how old they are but they were very cute little storefronts.
The mountains above Skagway were covered with billboards and signs during the gold
rush. Only one remains and is preserved. Kirmse's Curios is that billboard. You
can see the sign high up on the mountain.
A girl painted in window of a building on Main Street.
Mary went on a walking tour featuring the "ladies of the evening"
She was treated to stories of Klondike Kate, Oregon Mare, Pea Hull Annie and Diamond Lil
depicting the
adventurous, lusty, and often tragic lives of thousands of women who
stampeded north.
This is the sumptuously dressed "madam" of the Red Onion Saloon,
who guided the tour on a walk of Skagway which ended in the Red Onion Saloon.
After being in Skagway for the day we pulled out and headed out to sea along an
inlet. We were in a very narrow inlet and there were several of these waterfalls
cascading down.
Another waterfall.
In the distance you can see a small boat which is a cruise liner as big as the 16 story
building in which we were sailing. The Alaskan mountains dwarf everything.
This is a hanging glacier because it does not come down to the water.
Instead the ice drops from a height into the water. This happens when the feeder glacier
does not flow as fast as the main glacier leaving the feeder glacier high when
the main glacier retreats.
