Map of White Pass & Yukon Route and Connections

Promoting alternative sources of railroad revenue during the twilight of the Klondike Gold Rush.

The Klondike Gold Rush began in earnest in 1896 and brought tens of thousands of prospectors to the remote Yukon Territory near the then-disputed Canadian-Alaskan border. Claims were made across a broad region, including around Lake Atlin, and while a fortunate few struck it rich, many others lost their lives or fortunes in pursuit of gold. The White Pass & Yukon Route was constructed as a narrow-gauge railway to carry passengers, freight, and supplies between the coastal port of Skagway, Alaska, and the Yukon interior. The line reached Whitehorse in 1900, by which time the initial rush to the Klondike was already beginning to subside.

As the flow of prospectors diminished, the railway increasingly sought alternative sources of revenue, including tourism and access to remote recreational destinations. This map of the White Pass & Yukon Route, published by Poole Brothers in 1922, depicts the operational railway alongside connections with several steamship lines and government trails. Dozens of small towns, hunting lodges, and resorts are identified throughout the network, highlighting the region’s emergence as a destination for travelers as well as miners. An inset in the upper right focuses on the Atlin Lake District, another former gold-rush center that was increasingly promoted for its scenery, fishing, hunting, and resort accommodations during the 1920s.

The base map dates to 1917 and was copyrighted by the White Pass & Yukon Route, with subsequent editions updated to reflect changes in the railway and surrounding transportation network. The map consequently captures an important transition in the history of the White Pass & Yukon Route, from a railroad built primarily to serve the Klondike gold fields to one increasingly dependent upon tourism and the broader development of the Yukon.

Example (1922) at David Rumsey Map Collection: