TO THE KLONDIKE

Did you know... Gold rush fever was prevalent in Dufferin County?

Gold was first discovered in the Yukon along the Klondike River in 1896, which prompted a wave of men to try their luck mining gold along the river. Many of the men of Dufferin County went off to try and make a fortune in the Yukon. Three of the most notable men to go to the Klondike were Alex Turnbull, Bob Kyle, and J.H. Best. The men were working on Turnbull’s claim, #21 on Hunker Creek. In November of 1897, a rumour was spread around Dufferin County that Alex Turnbull was hung without trial for theft. However, the return of another Dufferin County man, Dr. Wills, quickly stifled the rumours as he had seen the man alive and well. Bob Kyle also had some claims on Eureka Creek and Too Much Gold Creek, but both men spent the majority of their time working on Turnbull’s Hunker Creek claim. The men returned home after a few years, with a lot of gold to show for their efforts.

Another man from Dufferin who decided to try his luck in the Klondike was the inventor George Henderson Ried. Reid had gained notoriety in the County due to his inventions. In 1891, Mr. Ried attempted to create a “flying machine,” similar to a modern-day glider. Ultimately his attempt at flight failed and he did not attempt another, he was ahead of his time as the Wright Brothers did not achieve the first flight until December 1903.

Much of the information about the Klondike that made its way back to the county was taken from letters sent to the prospectors' families. George Reid wrote home to his brother and the Orangeville Banner published part of his letters in 1898. The letter outlines the struggle of getting through the Chilkoot Pass which was the way to the Klondike at that time. Mr. Reid tells his brother that he has 1800 pounds of gear to bring with him through the pass. He had to carry his gear, but he could only carry 100 pounds at a time, he took four trips through the pass a day. Mr. Reid tells his brother that there was 500 to 1000 men going through the pass at any given time, and he was told by the duty collector that 70,000 outfits went through the pass between February and April 1898. George Reid returned to Dufferin County in 1900, according to the Grand Valley Vidette he returned home with “a considerable quantity of ‘dust.’"