Dawson City

Dawson City is in a sense frozen in time. Everything here tends to reference the Klondike Gold Rush which started after the discovery of gold at Bonanza Creek near here in 1896. Many of the buildings maintain the appearance of that era. Another feature of the area is adaption to the cold climate. The permafrost is an issue in any construction. Houses are built on wood pilings that may periodically need to be adjusted to level low areas every few years. Nearly all streets are unpaved and sidewalks are wooden in deference to the effects of thawing and refreezing. The following photo shows a typical street and sidewalk.

The old post office pictured below is one of the sturdier examples of architecture from the Gold Rush days.

Below is a picture of the street in front of the Palace Grand Theater where we attended a live show and watched a free movie both of which were about the dance hall girls of the Klondike Gold Rush.