The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 caused an economic boom for the city of Seattle. People flocked to the Pacific Northwest to gather supplies and board steamships north to Alaska. Newspapers promised new wealth and riches for any who made it to the Klondike. On this episode of Podcasts with Park Rangers, we take a look at how the Gold Rush made Seattle the city it is today.

 
Show Notes found at: https://www.virtualkamper.com/pwpr23/
Help keep the show on the road: https://www.patreon.com/virtualkamper/

Podcast Resources:

* Klondike Gold Rush NHP – NPS Website
* Register to vote!
* Find more episodes of Podcasts with Park Rangers!

Topics Covered

* About Ranger Julie Fonseca de Borges
* About Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
* Seattle – A Nice Place to Call Home
* Coast Salish Peoples and the Denny Party
* The Great Seattle Fire
* Rebuilding Seattle
* The Klondike Gold Rush – 1897
* Stampeders – Who Are the People of the Klondike Gold Rush?
* Strike it Rich? Or Fool’s Gold?
* Modern Day Seattle
* Julie’s Thoughts on Klondike Gold Rush NHP and the National Park Service
* Thanks to Our Listeners – Let’s Connect More!

About Ranger Julie Fonseca de Borges
Ranger Julie Fonseca de Borges is Chief of Interpretation for the Seattle area National Park units which include Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. She’s been a Park Ranger for almost 13 years, and specifically at Klondike for 4 of those years.
With a background in journalism and art education, Julie’s start in the parks began at Chamizal National Memorial where they celebrate the peaceful resolution of a 100-year old border dispute between the US and Mexico through the arts. With Ranger Julie’s background, she created art education programs for the public before she relocated to Seattle.
About Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Klondike is unique because it’s an international park which celebrates the 1897 Gold Rush. Two US sites — located in Seattle, WA and Skagway, AK — commemorate the event.
Seattle’s history is important because of the 100,000 people who journeyed to the Klondike for the Gold Rush, about 70,000 came through Seattle. The majority of the people through Seattle took a boat to either Skagway or Dyea, AK.
The story in Seattle is the experience most people who ventured to the Klondike experienced. People landed in Skagway and then journeyed up to Dawson City and beyond to the gold fields. The site in Canada tells more of the tale about the gold fields themselves.
Seattle – A Nice Place to Call Home
The Seattle area is the home of the Coast Salish people for generations. And in the mid-1800’s, Euro-Americans begin to settle in the area.
The landscape is quite a bit different than what you’d find in Seattle today. New settlers found hilly tidal flats with a lot of wooded areas. The Puget Sound offered great access to seafood, and most people found it a nice place to settle because of the resources.