Skagway, District of Alaska 1884-1912: Building the gateway to the Klondike
Spude RL. 1983. Skagway, District of Alaska 1884-1912: Building the gateway to the Klondike. Occasional Paper No. 36. Anthropology and Historic Preservation, Cooperative Park Studies Unit. University of Alaska, Fairbanks
This study recognizes the importance of the historic buildings and sites of Skagway, Alaska. Today there is a widespread and growing recognition of the value of America’s cultural heritage, a recognition that our architectural and historic resources play an important role in shaping the cultural identity of our society. Communities in Alaska and across the country are increasingly aware of the importance of preserving and documenting historic buildings, sites, and monuments. One important function of the study of historic resources is to add perspective to the literary record of a community’s historical significance. The colorful gold rush era which gave birth to Skagway and a host of other Alaska towns and cities lends itself to both scholarly research and the creation of popular myth. An examination of the physical record, the buildings and sites which were a part of Skagway’s history, can provide the information necessary to ensure a broader understanding of the past. The present study, however, offers more than a compilation of data on historic buildings and sites. The physical evidence, however significant on its own, exists within the context of an active modern community. Historic buildings, like all others, must be utilized and integrated into the larger designs of the community. The significance of the present study then, lies in the recognition of the importance of the historic data as an aid to future planning. Its goal is to facilitate the compatible development of all Skagway’s resources. The study is important in one final way, as a guide to historic preservation research and planning in other Alaskan communities. Just as the colorful images of Soapy Smith, Frank Reid, Skookum Jim, and the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad have come to suggest the excitement and hardship of the gold rush in the new frontier, Skagway, District of Alaska suggests a standard for the study of historic resources and to plan for their utilization must now be attentive to the standards and quality of the research. This study sets a fine example to be followed.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Spude, Robert
- Date of Issue
- 1983
- Publisher
- Anthropology and Historic Preservation, Cooperative Park Studies Unit
- Units
- HIST , KLGO
- Keywords
- Alaska, Anthropology, Architecture, Cultural Resources, ehistory, gold rush, Historic Preservation, Historic Resources, History, Klondike, Preservation, Railroad, Skagway