Women of the Klondike

If you think at all about prospectors or gold miners, you most likely picture scruffy men down by the creekbed. But you'd overlook the history of one group, which "Women of the Klondike" sets out to correct. Here you'll find out about the mix of journalists, teachers, entertainers, entrepreneurs and miners, whose stories are evoked through research of letters, diaries, newspaper accounts and photo archives. A hardy number of them had taken their spots in the Klondike well before the discovery of gold in 1896 but once word of the find reached the lower states, the floodgates opened for both men and women. The latter were betting correctly that their domestic skills would soon be in need. We are introduced to such people as Frances Dorley, a Seattle dressmaker and milliner who headed to the Klondike in 1898, eager to make her fortune, and a Mrs. A. Wilson, who ran the Stockholm Baths for grimy miners, charging them $1 for access to a real bathtub. Among the first group of successful gold miners arriving in Seattle toting their riches was Ethel Berry. Not surprisingly, women were welcomed but not always held in high regard, especially if tey were identified as single, and there were attempts to limit what roles they could take. But the women, though vastly outnumbered by the men, for the most part prevailed at their chosen occupations and established themselves as key players in the Klondike's growth. This collection of stories ensures that a piece of history won't be lost.