Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star

Explorer's Guides to Yukon Communities

[There are no copies online between May 31, 1929 and January 7, 1938]

1930

May

• May 30, 1930: The steamer Casca makes her first trip of the season on May 24th, sailing to Dawson.

1933

July

• July 21, 1933: Mr. and Mrs. John Matson of Dawson of Dawson returned to the North on their honeymoon trip, leaving here on Wednesday on the steamer Casca. Mrs. Matson nee Miss Kate Rockwell was known in the early days of the Yukon as "Klondyke Kate." The happy couple were married last week in Vancouver by the Rev. George Pringle, "Sky Pilot of the Yukon," culminating a romance which started 33 years ago when "Klondyke Kate" was a dance girl in the famous Monte Carlo Dance Hall and John Matson a hard-working prospector.

August

• August 18, 1933: Klondike Airways Ltd. is awarded the contract for mail service between Whitehorse and Dawson.

September

• September 22, 1933: Rev. W. A. Geddes is chosen Bishop of the Yukon.

October

• October 6, 1933: George Black declares the International Highway to be of no real value to the Yukon. Read the entire article here.

November

• November 24, 1933: It should be of interest to Yukoners to hear that Alan Innes-Taylor, former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment here and later purser on the White Pass staff, is now en route to the South Pole regions with the Byrd Antarctic Expedition. Capt. Innes-Taylor is presumed to be one of the Byrd staff in charge of the malamutes.

1934

January

• January 12, 1934: A fire has completely destroyed the garage of the Klondike Airways Ltd., the Dawson-Whitehorse mail carrier. The loss includes tools, equipment and freight.

February

• February 2, 1934: Claire Wernecke is chosen to attend levee at the opening of parliament.

March

• March 2, 1934: Mrs. W.A. Puckett, a pioneer of the north, passed away on the morning of February 28th in Long Beach, California. Born near Louisville, Kentucky, in 1871, Mrs. Puckett came to Whitehorse with her three small children in 1900 and established a confectionery store. In 1902 she was married to Mr. W.A. Puckett and took up residence at Tahkeena, where Mr. Puckett owned and operated a roadhouse. Later Mr. Puckett purchased the Unsworth Hardware business and they moved into Whitehorse, where they have since resided.
• March 2, 1934: Thomas "Blondie" Mallott, former member of the Northwest Mounted Police, died in Tacoma.

• March 23, 1934: Captain William Moore is according to the Whitehorse Star the oldest Alaska and Yukon resident. He has spent over 60 years in Alaska.

• March 23, 1934: A thrilling epic of battle against cold, starvation, sickness and scurvy has come to light with the news received this week of the plight of E. Ostberg, prospector of Iron Creek.

May

• May 25, 1934: William Maher, a resident of Whitehorse since 1899 and Whitehorse's second oldest resident, died on May 21st.

June

• June 15, 1934: "Pete" McMillian, well-known Yukon pioneer and manager of the Pioneer and White Pass Hotels, died on May 13, 1933.

July

• July 6, 1934: The U.S. War Department has announced that ten Martin bombers will make a training and photographic flight from Washington, D.C. to Fairbanks, and return. The flight will include a stop in Whitehorse.
• July 6, 1934: Pilot Bob Reeve set a record in freighting over the last winter season, transporting 88,300 pounds of mining supplies to various points.

• July 13, 1934: On July 5th, a fire in Dawson destroyed the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation's machine shop at Bear Creek.
• July 13, 1934: White Pass & Yukon Route enters the commercial aviation business in the Yukon and Alaska Interior with the inauguration of airplane service between Skagway and Fairbanks.

August

• August 3, 1934: Due to the expanding mining development, thirty dredges are in operation in the Nome district.

• August 21, 1934: Frank Dorbrandt, well know Alaskan flier, loaded a small quantity of gas into his plane at Anchorage yesterday, told his friends at the field "This is the last you'll see of me" and winged his way to an unknown rendezvous with death. He has been unheard of since.

• August 24, 1934: Plans for a 2200 mile highway from Seattle to Fairbanks have been announced and discussed in the U.S. Congress.
• August 24, 1934: Alex Forest of Dawson had a close call recently when he was attacked by a mother bear whose two frightened cubs had climbed a tree. Alex broke his fishing pole over the bears head, and the fight was declared a draw.

• August 31, 1934: A. T. Taddie has beens re-elected to the Yukon Council by acclamation.
• August 31, 1934: Pilot L. F. Barr, better know throughout the North as "The Flying Prospector", returned recently from the Outside with a new Stinson Detroiter four-seater plane. From his headquarters at Atlin he is operating under the firm name of "The North Canada Express" and is accompanied by J. W. Rice who is the mechanic.

September

li> September 7, 1934: Dave "Cyclone" Broadfoot reports spending a restful day hunting grouse at Carcross. When questioned as to the quantity secured Dave was very evasive but lated admitted a complete failure. Asked the correct procedure to take to locate grouse, ducks and rabbits Dave slipped into his natural element and magnanimously explained "You just call "Here Grousie Wousie, Here Duckie Wuckie, Here, Honey Bunnie." etc, ad infinitum.
• September 14, 1934: Ottawa gives green light for the construction of a landing field at Dawson and for the reconditioning of the fields at Whitehorse and Mayo.

• September 21, 1934: The September 19th election for Councillor of the Southern Yukon is won by C.T. Atherton. He has a 4 vote majority over W.L. Phelps.
• September 21, 1934: On September 18th, a disastrous fire in Nome destroyed the business section and practically all of the residential area, leaving 400 people homeless.

• September 28, 1934: The N.A. Timmins Corporation of Montreal has purchased two Carmacks properties each consisting of a number of claims.

November

• November 2, 1934: Archbishop I.O. Stringer died October 29, 1934 in Winnipeg.

• November 23, 1934: Pacific Alaska Airways announces the inauguration of a Juneau-Whitehorse-Fairbanks service in the spring of 1935, using a new Lockheed Electra. The company will erect a radio station at the Whitehorse airport, and two members of the Canadian Signal Corps will operate it.

December

• December 21, 1934: Wilbur D. Greenough, former manager of the Pueblo Mines, died on December 20th in Spokane.

1935

January

• January 18, 1935: It is announced that illness brought on by his war services may necessitate resignation by George Black, the Yukon's member of parliament.

February

• February 1, 1935: Four men were killed when their plane crashed into the American Shed snowshed on the White Pass rail line on January 31st. It was the most serious transportation disaster yet in the Yukon.

March

• March 1, 1935: A fire breaks out in the Whitehorse Fire Hall putting the city at great risk.

April

• April 6, 1935: The landing of the Pacific Alaska Airways 10 passenger Lockheed Electra plane on April 3rd inaugurates the regular flight service between Whitehorse and Fairbanks.

May

• May 3, 1935: Francis Xavier Laderoute, 95 year old French Canadian, marries Katherine Smithers, 70, of St. Paul, Mineapolis.

• May 24, 1935: A thirty ounce gold nugget, valued at $1,000 is found near Atlin by Allen Morrison, Dan McKay and F. Johnson. This is the fourth big nugget found in the Atlin district since the days of '98.

June

• June 7, 1935: Golden Forty Mile, the Cradle of the Klondike, is finally coming into its own after years of pick and shovel or hand-mining. With the introduction of modern dredges, coupled with the increased price of gold, it may yet be a strong rival, in point of gold production, to the famous Klondike and the other outstanding placer fields of the north.
• June 7, 1935: On Thursday of last week the S.S. Whitehorse left her moorings at the dock and steamed down the river, with a scow ahead, for the express purpose of making a channel, if possible, through the heavy ice which covered Lake Labarge. The S.S. Keno followed on Friday but neither of these steamers carried any passengers.
• June 7, 1935: Her many friends here will be pleased to learn that Mrs. Josephine White (widow of the late Stroller White) has resumed her duties as assistant in the Territorial Library and Museum at Juneau. The late Stroller White was a unique character in journalism and was at one time publisher of the Whitehorse Star.

• June 14, 1935: Frank Jackson, better known in the Cassiar as "Groundhog Jackson", well known trapper and miner who lives at Grand Rapids on the Stikine River,made a hazardous 5-mile tramp with not much clothing and nothing on his feet but gunnysacks after his beaver-hunting camp burned.
• June 14, 1935: First leg of the much-discussed International Highway may be undertaken this year; building a highway from Fairbanks to the Canadian boundary near Dawson. It would later be incorporated in the great highway, when and if the Canadian government sees its way clear to further the project.
• June 14, 1935: The work of mapping out an uncharted region of approximately one thousand miles, extending between Alsek and the U.S. boundary has been practically completed by Mr. Bradford Washburn and his party under the auspices of the National Geographic Society of America. Read the entire article here.

• June 21, 1935: The Timmins Corporation of Montreal stops the development of ore bodies near Carmacks, as the developments had not proved up to expectations.

July

• July 19, 1935: While taking off from McDames Creek, scene of the recent gold strike, on Saturday last, Capt. W. Strong's Fokker amphibian plane failed to gain altitude with disastrous results to party and plane. The plane ploughed a hundred yards through the timber bordering the lake to crash in a swamp lying between two bodies of water. The machine was totally demolished. Howard McDonald, pilot, was the most seriously injured of the four men aboard. He received factured pelvis, ribs and the side of his face and cheek bone smashed with a possibility of internal injuries.

• July 26, 1935: A fire damages the Canadian Bank of Commerce building.

August

• August 9, 1935: George and Martha Black move back to Whitehorse from Ottawa.

• August 16, 1935: Wiley Post, famous round-world flier noted for his stratosphere flights, and Will Rogers celebrated humourist, writer and film star, were instantly killed this morning when their plane crashed 15 miles south of Point Barrow. According to meager reports received the plane left Point Barrow in good condition apparently, but was forced down. 15 miles south. The plane landed and it is presumed the trouble was rectified, but crashed in take off. It is thought the pontoon hit some hidden obstruction in the water.

September

• September 6, 1935: This is Alfred Lomen's story of how he flew from Nome to the scene of the Post-Rogers tragedy at Point Barrow to get pictures of the tragedy, then raced other newsmen back to Seattle. Read the entire story here.

October

• October 18, 1935: In the October 14th federal election, Mrs. George Black, wife of the former Speaker of the House, and Independent Conservative candidate for the Yukon Territory, emerged victor over J. P. Smith, Independent Liberal and eminent barrister and solicitor of Vancouver and a former Yukon resident, by a small majority.
• October 18, 1935: White Pass & Yukon Route has added an 11 passenger Fairchild seaplane to their air service.
• October 18, 1935: Messrs. Macauley and Voss, prospectors and miners on Iron Creek, in the Alsek district, have unearthed a new metal which, up to the present, has defied analysis of its contents. In colour the metal is silvery grey, but when exposed to the air a short time, turns a brownish shade.

November

• November 1, 1935: It was with sincere and profound regret that the community learned of the passing of E. J. Hamacher on Tuesday evening, at the Whitehorse General Hospital. Read the entire article here.

1936

February

• February 7, 1936: A large body of high grade ore is discovered at Carmacks.

March

• March 13, 1936: Martha Black is the first woman at a Conservative Caucus in the House of Commons. In her first speech before the House of Commons, on February 20th, she makes a plea for a pension for Yukoners.

• March 20, 1036: Dawson is under quarantine, all public meetings and gatherings being banned, due to an outbreak of scarlet fever.

April

• April 3, 1936: While working a lay on the old McClusky workings on the Baldwin lease near Lower Spruce Creek on Tuesday, Carl Lykkergard, miner of the district, picked up a nugget worth $1300. The nugget was practically composed of virgin gold and weighed 44 ounces, three pennyweights. The ground where the find was made had previously been worked over in past years.
• April 3, 1936: Olof Johnson, miner of this district who froze his feet badly early in February, had all the toes of one foot amputated in the General Hospital here on Saturday when Dr. D'Easum found it necessary to operate.
• April 3, 1936: Five families of Indians arrived here by dog team on Monday, bringing in a big fur catch from the Teslin district.

• April 24, 1936: A deputation of business men of the town has recommended to Councillor Chas. T. Atherton that the the roads leading to the airport be repaired, with one road for traffic going to the field and one for traffic returning. Repairs to the narrow and excessively steep road immediately back of the airport commonly known as the Puckett Hill Road makes for hazardous driving with traffic both ways.
• April 24, 1936: With the arrival on Wednesday of the big tri-motored Ford J-6, the latest addition to the splendid fleet of planes maintained by the White Pass Air Service, a new step in the progress of air travel in Yukon was ushered in.

May

• May 1, 1936: The mail service snowmobile with T. G. Richards at the helm, pulled into town Wednesday night with three passengers and mail for outside points. Tough going was encountered both ways owing to the terrible condition of the roads and while crossing at Takhini the rear end of the snowmobile broke through the ice and had to be retrieved by the company "cat". Don Marray was a "tourist" on the trip and reports hiking 33 miles to the Pelly for help when the bus broke down.

• May 8, 1936: The Dominion government grants in 1936 $70,000 for the Territory. A month later, Ottawa grants an additional $65,000 for improving the roads in Northern Yukon.

• May 22, 1936: Floods of unprecented magnitude caused havoc in the Yukon River Valley from Selwyn to Coffee Creek around May 20th.
• May 22, 1936: The steamer Whitehorse opens the new navigation season.

June

• June 12, 1936: Word was received by British Yukon Navigation Co. officials early this morning that the steamer Klondike, crack freight steamer of the B. Y. N. Co. fleet had met with an accident in the Thirty-Mile River six miles below Hootalinqua early this morning while on her way north. The steamer Whitehorse left this afternoon for the scene of the disaster with a rescue crew and food and other necessities.

• June 19, 1936: An official report of the foundering of the steamer Klondike states that the ill-fated vessel struck a reef at a point five miles below Hootalinqua about 8:30 a.m. on last Friday, the force of the impact throwing the stern of the vessel against a rock bluff and demolishing the wheel and rudders. Drifting along hopelessly out of control, the craft finally sank about two miles below the point where she first struck. The 31 passengers who were aboard were taken safely ashore in the life boats, where they were made as comfortable as possible until the arrival of the steamer Whitehorse shortly before midnight. Efforts to save as much as possible of the 250m tons of freight are still underway. The vessel is a total loss.

• June 26, 1936: George Black, former Yukon M.P., has resumed his law practice in Whitehorse.

July

• July 3, 1936: After 29 years in business, the Puckett Hardware store is purchased by Northern Commercial Ltd.
• July 3, 1936: The Mayo Indian village is heavily damaged by flooding. All the residents of the village had to flee to the high hill across river. The flood current cut away 25 feet of the bank, washed away houses and damaged property.

• July 10, 1936: The steamer Casca hits the wreck of the old steamer Dawson in Rink Rapids on July 9th. The Casca sinks very rapidly. All passengers are saved.

• July 17, 1936: The Carcross school and the Scott Hotel were destroyed by fire on July 13th.

August

• August 7, 1936: Officers and enlisted men from Chilkoot Barracks continued their search today for the bodies of Sergeant Oliver Lawliss, his son Dean, and Sergt. Paul McWain, believed drowned in a motorboat tragedy at Dysanki Inlet Sunday night. Read the entire article here.
• August 7, 1936: Fred Webber, deck-hand on the steamer Whitehorse, suffered a painful injury when his leg was broken while he was engaged with the crew in lining the steamer through Hell's Gate on Monday morning. We have reproduced this and several other articles from this issue - see them here.

September

• September 25, 1936: Starting a short trip down the Yukon River in a canoe at 6 p.m. Monday, Constable J. P. Hartnett, R.C.M.P. officer at Carmacks, and A. R. Hayes, government telegraph operator at that point, had only traveled a short distance when, without warning, the canoe capsized, throwing both men into the swiftly running water. Hayes was rescued, but Hartnett sunk and his body has not been recovered. Read the entire article here.
• September 25, 1936: Bad weather was experienced by pilot Bill Knox, and Operator Bob Gleason of the PAA, who landed their Fairchild plane on the river Monday enroute to Juneau from Fairbanks. Bad weather was experienced most of the way and especially over the White Pass Summit. We have reproduced this and several other brief articles from this issue - see them here.
• September 25, 1936: The Whitehorse Public School is ordered closed for a period of ten days due to an outbreak of scarlet fever.

October

• October 2, 1936: Dr. H. S. Bostock, geologist in charge of the government survey in Yukon and his survey party arrived in on the steamer Whitehorse Tuesday at the completion of work for this season. They left today for connection with the Princess Louise at Skagway.
• October 2, 1936: School will be resumed Monday, there being no fresh outbreak of Scarletina.
• October 2, 1936: H. E. Myers, old-timer of the Dawson district, passed through town this week enroute to Vancouver after spending the summer in his old stamping grounds. He is engaged in developing a fueless engine, and may spend the winter putting the finishing touches to a working model.

• October 30, 1936: The newspaper and job printing plant of the Atlin Nugget was totally destroyed by fire on Friday last, October 23rd. The fire started at 3 a.m. when an oil lamp fell against the book press and broke. This is understood to be the second time editor-owner A. E. Windle has been burned out, the newspaper plant which he operated at Burns Lake, B.C. suffering a similar disaster.
• October 30, 1936: Wolves are becoming a dangerous menace to Yukon. Many sourdoughs and trappers of this district are of the opinion that the government should take immediate steps to check the increasing inroads of wolves in the Mayo area. Either a bounty should be put on the hides or permission granted to use poison bait, they aver.
• October 30, 1936: Albert F. Zipf, former White Pass traffic manager, died in Bay City at the age of 62.

November

• November 6, 1936: Const. D.A. Dunlop in charge of the Police Post at Champagne arrived in last Friday afternoon with Harton Kane, native of Champagne, who was in a critical condition following a shooting affray in which he was shot in the region of the stomach. He was rushed to the Hospital but death came to the suffering man the following morning. Paddy Duncan, one of the discoverers of gold on Squaw Creek, was arrested, but escaped from jail. He was soon re-captured.

• November 13, 1936: The sensational re-capture of Paddy Duncan in Champagne by Frank Smith and his son was reported.

• November 20, 1936: Edward Dorrance, veteran flier of Alaska and the Yukon, passed away in St. Mary's Hospital in Dawson Tuesday morming from injuries received in the crash of his plane at Jack Wade Creek on Monday aftemoon. According to observers of the take-off, Dorrance was about 100 feet from the ground when his plane plummeted to earth, completely demolishing the machine and fatally injuring the pilot. There were no passengers.
• November 20, 1936: The last stronghold of the sled dog - the trapline - is giving way to the gasoline motor, according to the Anchorage Times. In a "Super Snowbird" which will consist of a model A Ford car with skis mounted on its front wheels and a caterpillar tread on the rear ones, Bob Mathison and his brother Charlie will travel their trapline this winter in the Chickaloon River district.

• November 27, 1936: Fifteen thousand jobless and homeless youths will be placed at work on farms and forests in western Canada for the winter months under the new "work or starve" winter relief scheme, Minister of Labour Rogers announced today.
• November 27, 1936: A hockey squad of international composition will leave Fairbanks about December 1 to play a series of games in the United States and Canada on the first sports invasion from the Northland in many years. The squad will consist of men who played for Dawson and for the University of Alaska at the ice camival last spring.

December

• December 4, 1936: Paddy Duncan, Indian of Champagne, charged with the murder of Harton Kane, is sentenced to hang March 23, 1937.

• December 11, 1936: All the world was aghast yesterday when the news flashed to the four corners of the earth that Edward, King of All England, had renounced his throne to clear the way for his marriage to Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson. The Duke of York will ascend the throne and it is expected his title will be King Albert I, although there is a possibility it may be King George VI. The Duchess of York, although a Scottish commoner, will be Queen of England.
• December 11, 1936: Clad in parkas and furry coats of denizens of the North, a band of rangy lads somewhat startled Vancouver citizens when they landed there after a journey of 2000 miles by plane, train and boat. They are a group of youngsters who have named themselves the "Polar Bears" and whose big ambition is to play a lot of hockey.

1937

February

• February 5, 1937: Livingstone Wernecke was picked up at Prince George after he crashed there with his Bellanca plane.
• February 26, 1937: Captain J. E. Hoggan, well known skipper of the B.Y.N. fleet for many years, died in Mayo on February 15.

March

• March 5, 1937: The son of George and Martha Black was killed in a car accident.

• March 12, 1937: The Department of Mines and Resources in Ottawa has issued a geological map of the Laberge area.

• March 19, 1937: A death which cast a shadow of sorrow throughout the Yukon and the Arctic occurred on Monday, March 8 in Mayo General Hospital, when Rev. John Martin, highly-esteemed Indian leader and preacher, succumbed to pneumonia, chronicles the Mayo Miner. The late Rev. Martin was one of the most outstanding Indian leaders the Northland has ever known. He was born at Fort McPherson and was aged 54.
• March 19, 1937: While enroute from Atlin to Carcross on the Northern Airways freight stage, Albert Chenard, a stranger here, attempted to set fire to the roadhouse at Moose Arm, where the stage had stopped for a brief halt. The demented man also attempted to commit suicide, gashing himself with a butcher knife. He was subdued by Northern Airways employees, who kept him under subjection until the arrival of the stage in Carcross at noon yesterday, when he was turned over to Const. W. Herron of the RCMP.

• March 26, 1937: Rumors current the past few days state that Jim Boss, Chief of the Yukon Indians, is planning to attend the coronation in England in May. Questioned about it, Chief Jim said that while nothing was definite, he sure would like to go to the "big jamboree" and pay respects to King George from his people.
• March 26, 1937: G. A. Jeckell, Controller of the Yukon Territory, arrived back in the Yukon on Saturday after a six month absence outside on a combined business and pleasure trip. He was accompanied by Mrs. Jeckell.

April

• April 2, 1937: A new era in Yukon's mining industry was ushered in on Monday, when Everett Wasson, piloting the White Pass Fairchild, winged his way to two separate districts, Livingston Creek and Dezadeash, in three flights with miners and their equipment.

• April 16, 1937: With the present session of Parliament over, Mrs. George Black, Conservative member for the Yukon, is going to holiday in the south-west for a month before returning to her home in Dawson.

• April 30, 1937: T.C. Richards has purchased the Whitehorse Inn and City Café.
• April 30, 1937: Premier T.D. Pattullo announces on April 26th that the Yukon Territory is to become a part of British Columbia. It is stated that negotiations toward the amalgamation of British Columbia and the Yukon have been quietly proceeding by the Dominion and Provincial governments for some time and the basis of the agreement for the merger is reached. News of the announcement is received "with increduality and righteous indignation" by Yukon citizens.

May

• May 28, 1937: Navigation on the Yukon river opens May 23, 1937 with the departure of the steamer Nasutlin.

June

• June 4, 1937: J.J. Elliott opens a branch of his ivory shop at Carcross.
• June 4, 1937: Kate Rockwell Matson, "Klondike Kate", returns to Whitehorse and Dawson.
• June 11, 1937: Whitehorse's new theatre, built by J.R. Alguire, officially opened on June 5th.
• June 25, 1937: It is stated that President Roosevelt is very receptive to a plan to make part of B.C. and the Yukon into an international park and Skagway a free port. It would be the world's first international park.

July

• July 9, 1937: The first inaugural flight of the United Air Transport mail plane is made which arrives in Whitehorse from Edmonton on July 5th.
• July 9, 1937: Robert Service's mother, Sarah Emily Service, died.
• July 16, 1937: Owing to the rapidly increasing air traffic, a new diagonal runway is added to the Whitehorse airfield.

August

• August 20, 1937: Martha and George Black's eldest son died after a prolonged illness.

November

• November 5, 1937: A new airmail service for Whitehorse - Dawson via Mayo is inaugurated. The contract is awarded to the British Yukon Navigation Co.
• November 12, 1937: The House of Macmillian publishes "Frozen Fires," a book of poems dealing with the north.
• November 26, 1937: A devastating storm strikes the Seward Peninsula at Nome. It not only damages property but also uncovers a new gold area.

December

• December 3, 1937: Gordon Armstrong is elected president of the Whitehorse Curling Club.
• December 17, 1937: The Junior Board of Trade is organized at Dawson.
• December 31, 1937: The most disastrous fire in years demolishes the Family Theatre at Dawson and the historic D.A.A.A. building.

1938

January

• January 7, 1938: Northern Airways Company Ltd. is awarded the new airmail contract between Vancouver and Whitehorse. The inaugural flight from Vancouver is to be made tomorrow.
• January 7, 1938: One of the outstanding. mining deals of the past year was recently consummated by Malcolm A. "Sandy" Smith and his associates. They secured an option on all the holdings of the Discovery Mining Company on Pine Creek, consisting of 15 half-mile leases, together with all their equipment, hydraulic plant, water rights, ditches etc. The ditch is 12 miles long and carries 20,000 miner's inches from Surprise Lake and is the best in British Columbia. Options were also secured on Pince Creek, Gold Run, Spruce Creek and Dominion Creek.
• January 7, 1938: A full-page ad promotes two new cars for 1938 - the Standard Ford V-8 and the De Luxe Ford V-8 - available through Northern Commercial Co. Among the features on Standard models are a tire lock, one tail light, one windshield wiper, and one sun visor. The De Luxe models include two of each and other features.

• January 14, 1938: The W. P. and Y. R. Fairchild plane CF-AXZ, with pilot L. A. Vines at the controls, left yesterday morning for Mayo and Dawson with the plane equipped with the Lear radio receiver and transmitter enabling him to keep in communication at all times with the government signalling corps at Whitehorse, Mayo and Dawson. This is the first plane operating in Yukon Territory to be so equipped. Similar equipment is now being installed in the company's other Fairchild plane, CF-AXK.
• January 14, 1938: Theodore Becker died recently at the Whitehorse General Hospital after a short illness. He has been engaged in mining all his life and with his partner Mr. Cochrane has worked upon claims in the Wheaton country for many years.
• January 14, 1938: The Fairbanks city council have voted to purchase, at a cost of approximately $7000, an additional 155 acres in order to enlarge its air-port. This is beimg done in the hope that the Federal government of the U. S. A. will develop the field on a major scale.

• January 21, 1938: Constable Cameron, R.C.M.P. stationed at Selkirk, had the misfortune last Sunday to dislocate his left shoulder. He had been on one of his periodical trips to Carmacks and it was when he started out on his return trip that the accident happened. With his team of five dogs he started out from Carmacks at about noon. Coming to a sharp right-angled turn a little way down the trail the sleigh was over-turned. Efforts were made at Carmacks to put the dislocated shoulder back in place but this could not be effected. An emergency call was put in to Whitehorse and the White Pass plane AXZ, with pilot Rice at the controls, made a special trip with Dr. Hildebrand as passenger. Upon examination it was found necessary to bring Constable Cameron to the Whitehorse General Hospital where he arrived later in the day.
• January 21, 1938: To the 85 Radio Owners in Whitehorse. If you are interested in a campaign to remedy radio interference in town, you are urgently requested to attend a public meeting to be held in the I. 0. D. E. rooms on Thursday, January 27, 1938 at 8 p.m. sharp.
• January 21, 1938: The Boeing Aircraft of Canada Ltd. has now under construction for the Canadian government at its Vancouver plant a war plane capable of carrying torpedoes, bombs and a machine gun. It will be of the Blackburn Shark type similar to those now in use by the British navy. The plane is so designed as to be capable of being used either on land or sea and can be catapulted from a ship's deck or fitted with skis.

• January 28, 1938: The royal mail stage of Klondike Airways Ltd. left town on its northbound trip Tuesday morning with a heavy load of freight drawn by a new "cat." This is the first trip this season that the "cat" has been put into the service.
• January 28, 1938: Sergt. L. S. Kingston was recently awarded the coveted silver medal of the R. C. M. P. for long service and good conduct. He joined thd Force at Regina in 1912 and took his discharge in 1915 in order to enter the ranks of the C. E. F. for service during the Great War, upon his return to Canada in 1919 he rejoined the Force and has been continuously in the service since that time. He came from Carcross about two years ago to assume charge of the Whitehorse station.
• January 28, 1938: With an eye to the promotion of Canada's increasing tourist trade, work is being rushed on an important western link in the scenic highway that is soon to span the country from coast to coast. The link in question, known as the "Big Bend" Highway, follows the northern bend of the Columbia River, skirting the north spur of the Selkirk Range and conneeting the towns of Golden and Revelstoke in British Columbia. This is the last section to be completed in the western portion of the highway.

February

• February 4, 1938: Whilst en route to Ottawa to attend the opening of the Federal parliament, Mrs. George Black, M. P. for the Yukon Territory, asserted at Winnipeg that "the Japanese know the inland passage between the mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island better than Canadians." She has been travelling up and down the coast for forty years and claims that where, in the early days, there was one Japanese fishing boat there are hundreds now.
• February 4, 1938: The Dominion government is considering a proposal to build and maintain a scientific station near the Arctic Archipelago, to allow scientists to delve into the secrets and resources of the north country. The northern end of the Boothia Peninsula is the proposed site of the station as it would be adjacent to the north magnetic pole. Observations would be radioed to the outside world daily in winter and summer, according to plans. Magnetic compasses pointing to the north magnetic pole vary slightly from year to vear and a station in the vicinity would verify this deviation.
• February 4, 1938: The Board of Trade is re-organized at a meeting on January 27. W.D. MacBride is elected president, Vice president is G.R. Bidlake.

• February 11, 1938: Thomas Keating, Sourdough prospector and miner, was found dead in his cabin at Keno on January 26th last. He was about 65 years of age. During the summer of 1933 he was badly mauled by a big grizzly bear and narrowly escaped with his life whilst he was on a prospecting trip to McNeill Gulch. His injuries necessitated him being confined in the Mayo General Hospital for nearly a year.
• February 11, 1938: Where are the birds? Are they being killed or are they being starved? Every spring hundreds of birds are found dead, probably starved to death, rather than frozen. The snow-birds are becoming fewer and fewer every year, or so it seems to us. There are plenty of ravens. Perhaps the ravens are killing them off.
• February 11, 1938: What may eventually prove to be one of the largest and most substantial lode gold deposits in British Columbia is reported to have been discovered on the property of the Polaris Taku Mining Co. on the Taku River.

• February 18, 1938: Percy R. Peele died suddenly on February 4 in Hollywood, California, where he and Mrs. Peele had gone before Christmas to spend the winter. He had just retired last September after 44 years with the Customs service, in the Yukon for many years beginning in 1898.
• February 18, 1938: On January 31st Vice President Charles Bocking announced the Alaska Steamship Co. have purchased the 6480 ton New York-Caribbean passenger liner "Caracas" for service between here and Alaska. The 300-passenger vessel will leave New York for Seattle Monday. The Caracas will be rechristened the "Denali."
• February 18, 1938: The Pacific Alaska Airways of Fairbanks submitted the only bid for transport of airmail on routes from Juneau to Whitehorse, and from Fairbanks to Whitehorse. The Juneau to Whitehorse bid was $1.55 per mile for an 800 pound load or less. The Fairbanks to Whitehorse bid was 80 cents per mile for an 800 pound load or less.

• February 25, 1938: Christ Church Sunday School opened in January, the teaching staff consisting of Mrs. French and Miss Margaret Murray, and the Superintendent Mr. Cross. We had an average attendance of fifteen (15). The Sunday school has felt a certain lack of co-operation on the part of some parents. This, we believe, is the prime cause of a slight decreased average attendance this past year.
• February 25, 1938: Dr. Snider, the popular dentist of Dawson who has been on a professional visit here for the past few weeks, left by White Pass plane for Mayo on Wednesday. When he has completed his work in the Silver City he will return to Dawson by plane.
• February 25, 1938: We are informed that the barn at the hotel at Stewart was recently destroyed by fire causing the loss of a horse belonging to Rudolph Burian and some fowl.

March

• March 4, 1938: Guests at the Whitehorse Inn and quite a number of local residents were favoured with a view of some interesting moving pictures, many in natural colour, at the invitations of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Richards on Sunday evening.
• March 4, 1938: Captain George Black of Fairbanks, known to his Skagway friends as Stormy Black, has been awarded the Dawson to Nenana and the Nulato to Wiseman summer mail contracts. Captain Black operates three boats - the Idler, the Bertha, and a motor launch, the latter a gas boat.
• March 4, 1938: Mr. Fred K. Ordway of Juneau, known both far and wide as Alaska's flying photographer, was killed at Oregon City on February 17th when a hired monoplane he was flying fell on a farm near that city. He was engaged on a picture-taking tour across the country at the time.

• March 11, 1938: C. J. "Cliff" Rogers was appointed vice-president of the White Pass & Yukon Route company on March 1st.
• March 11, 1938: Mr. George Simmons, president of Northern Airways Ltd., and his three pilots Holland, Cook and Burton spent a busy week-end transferring passengers by plane to Mayo and Dawson.
• March 11, 1938: Mr. George F. Potter, an old timer way back, arrived in town recently with a new "cat" and outfit purchased in Chicago. After having a house built on sleighs, and loading a lot of various equipment and other paraphenalia, he left Saturday for Haggert Creek about 40 miles beyond Mayo.

• March 18, 1938: Livingston Wernecke arrived in Mayo in a non-stop flight from Prince George, BC, in his Bellanca Skyrocket NC1470, piloted by Charles Gropstis. It was the final leg of a flight from San Francisco.
• March 18, 1938: The annual banquet and ball of the Vancouver Yukoners Association is to be held in the Georgia Hotel on March 28th next. One feature of the programme which will be of especial interest is the vocal duet to be sung by the beloved Beatrice Lorne - "the nightingale of the north" of former days - and Jean Parker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Parker.
• March 18, 1938: The royal mail stage of Klondike Airways Ltd. left on Wednesday morning with twenty passengers, housed on two trucks, and a load of freight and mail for Dawson and way points.

• March 25, 1938: Work on a new tramway system, the Hector-Elsa wire-rope tramway, will begin as soon as the snow disappears.
• March 25, 1938: A 3-page article describes the progress of aviation in the Yukon over the past 18 years. Read that article here.
• March 25, 1938: With an estimated production of over $700,000 in placer gold during the 1937 season, the famous Atlin district will come within striking distance of its all-time production record of $800,000 made in 1899. The lowest out-put (1927) was $41,276.

April

• April 1, 1938: The residents of Livingstone Creek have constructed a new landing field for planes on wheels. This field at present is not large enough but with a little more work it will be O. K. for an all-year round service to Livingstone Creek,
• April 1, 1938: Mr. and Mrs. Irving Ray made a record trip in overland travel recently, driving their truck from Mayo to the Lefevbre woodcamp, 17 miles up the river, in one hour and forty minutes.
• April 1, 1938: The Klondike Airways Ltd. despatched three stages on Sunday for Dawson and Mayo carrying 41 passengers and a load of freight and mail. The Diesel caterpillar was also driven as far as Yukon Crossing. It will be put in operation again after the ice break-up.

• April 8, 1938: New Radio Regulations Now in Force. All purchasers of radio sets must secure licences before instruments can be delivered by dealers. Each radio in a home must have a licence.
• April 8, 1938: In the early hours of yesterday the ice in the river broke up. This morning the river is wide open down past the shipyards. There is also a little rain. This is a record.
• April 8, 1938: Dr. Snider is enthusiastic over the success of a new filter device which eliminates any radio interference caused by operating his drill machine. It consists of two small filters each of a different type. One is attached close to the motor and grounded to the upright of the dental engine. The other is attached close to the source of electrical supply and is also properly grounded. The combined filters are stated to prevent static escaping into radio bands.

• April 15, 1938: W. J. Mulvihill is re-elected mayor of Skagway for his fifteenth term. For the twentieth consecutive year Oscar Selmer was re-elected as city clerk.
• April 15, 1938: The U. S. customs department reports that the post of deputy collector of customs at Jack Wade, Alaska has been terminated and the office closed leaving no representative in the Fortymile country. This means that all Canadian plane traffic to Jack Wade, Chicken Creek, Walkers Fork and other places in the Fortymile must now fly into Fairbanks to secure clearance papers. All importations into that territory over the recently constructed inter-national highway is also necessarily prohibited.
• April 15, 1938: With the purchase of the store formerly operated by Mike Mynitti at Ophir, the Northern Commercial Co. Ltd. now operates 27 branches throughout Alaska and the Yukon Territory. There are four in the Yukon, at Dawson, Keno, Mayo, and Whitehorse.

• April 22, 1938: The BFR Norseman of the United Air Transport Ltd. left Edmonton yesterday at 6 a.m. M.T. and arrived in Whitehorse at 2:30 p.m. same day with one passenger for Mayo. Pilot Ted Field was at the controls.
• April 22, 1938: It is reported that Mr. George Simmons, president of Northern Airways Ltd., has made application to the Postmaster-General at Ottawa for a direct air-mail contract between Vancouver and the Yukon.
• April 22, 1938: Mr. and Mrs W. L. Phelps left Saturday morning for their summer cottage at Carcross. Mrs. Phelps and her maid are remaining there for a few days. Mr. Phelps returned to town Saturday night.

• April 29, 1938: Each year the White Pass & Yukon Route 'lampblack' Lake Labarge to aid the sun in breaking up the ice. The results of this operation, states H. Wheeler, president of the company, are almost unbelievably successful. A wide path of oil and lampblack is laid across the virgin, spotless ice, along the route the ships will follow, when navigation opens. The natural attraction of black for the sun's rays is demonstrated most practically.
• April 29, 1938: According to an official report issued by the department of mines and resources, Canada's reindeer herd, which is moving from Alaska to the summer range near the Mackenzie river delta, has wintered in excellent condition and inereased in numbers and in weight.
• April 29, 1938: The latest report regarding the proposed international highway is to the effect that plans for the same are in process of being drafted and the money required for its construction is to be secured by way of loan from the U.S. Government. This is rather interesting in a way but we are dubious as to its accuracy.

May

• May 6, 1938: Next Friday will be a Territorial holiday and the day will be utilized in a general clean-up of the rubbish which has been allowed to accumulate outside of premises and on vacant lots. Those who take a pride in their home and its surroundings have already carried out this most necessary work.
• May 6, 1938: On Tuesday, May 3rd, the air-mail service between Juneau-Whitehorse-Fairbanks was officially inaugurated by Pacific Alaska Airways.
• May 6, 1938: According to a radio message flashed to Washington, D. C. the whereabouts of the Soviet plane en route from Moscow via the North Pole to the U.S.A. may have been discovered, Three natives who reached Point Barrow recently declared they saw a huge plane fall into a lake about 140 miles south-east of Barrow.

• May 13, 1938: That great classic event of the North - the annual Nenana Ice Pool - which has aroused the greatest interest both far and wide for many years past, terminated this year on May 6th when the ice moved out at 8:14 p.m. The total amount of the pool is stated to be approximately $100,000.
• May 13, 1938: Several Cheechacos have set up a sluice box near the Aurora lodging house at the foot of Princess St. in Dawson and are busy shovelling in the pay dirt. Up to date a nugget or two have been found and some fine gold. There is no knowing what may yet be found on the sites of some of the old buildings in town.
• May 13, 1938: Henry Freeman, 80, for the last few years a resident of East Sooke and a pioneer of the Yukon, died in Victoria recently. Mr. Freeman went into the Yukon over the Chilkoot Pass in 1887. He was known in Dawson as the proprietor of two hotels, the Freeman and the Temperance.

• May 20, 1938: After operating one of the largest retail stores in Dawson for the past thirty-five years Mr. John N. Spence has disposed of his undertaking to the Northern Commercial Co. Ltd. Mr. Spence was formerly declared to be the largest individual grocer in Canada.
• May 20, 1938: Tomorrow Whitehorse will celebrate Empire Day with a round of various sports for young and old alike and culminating in a dance in the N. S. A. A. The idea of this celebration was originated by a member of the I. O. D. E., Clementina Fessenden, who in 1897 proposed it as a part of a movement to impress upon the minds of young people the value of their heritage as British subjects.
• May 20, 1938: Among the matters passed at the recent sessions of the Yukon Council held in Dawson: provision for the salary of a teacher at Elsa camp; the sum of $200 to be spent for repairs to the road on Kirkman creek; ehe expenditure of $250 to improve the trail from the winter crossing on the Hootalinqua river to Livingstone Creek.

• May 27, 1938: The navigation season opened with the departure of the streamer Casca for Dawson on May 23rd, with 24 passengers and a heavy load of freight on board and on a barge.
• May 27, 1938: George Wilson, of the B. Y. N. shipyards force, took a gang of five carpenters to McRae yesterday to construct some buildings for the use of the railroad people while putting in a "Y" at that place, in the work of which a steam shovel will be used.
• May 27, 1938: Mr. George Becker passed away on White River Island on the night of May 18 last, at the age of 70. The discovery was made by H. Edlund who was employed by the deceased. The late Mr. Becker had operated as a wood contractor for the B. Y. N. Co. for many years.

June

• June 3, 1938: The str. Casca arrived at the local docks Monday night on her first trip of the season. She left Dawson on May 26th with ten passengers. On Tuesday at 8 p.m. she sailed north with sixty passengers on board including sixteen for the first circle tour of the season.
• June 3, 1938: About 8:15 on Tuesday night an emergency call from Mayo was picked up in Whitehorse by Mr. Harold Davenport, chief mechanic of the W. P. & Y. R. air service and owner of an amateur radio set. The White Pass plane in charge of pilots Vines and Stone left the local airport at 9:20 p.m., picked up Dr. Duncan in Dawson and landed at Mayo where the wife of Lance Corporal Muson-Rooke R.C.M.P. lay dangerously ill, at 12:30 a.m.
• June 3, 1938: The str. Tutshi is expected to be able to clear from Carcross tomorrow on her first trip of the season. In the meantime the White Pass plane AXZ (on pontoons) in charge of Pilot E. Wasson, has been in operation despatching passengers and perishables to Atlin and way points.

• June 10, 1938: After a strenuous effort on the part of editor Mrs. Lois H. Allen to make the Skagway Cheechako a permanent institution, its publication ceased with its issue on May 27th last through lack of public and financial support.
• June 10, 1938: The White Pass and Yukon Route again demonstrated a signal achievement in aviation recently by picking up the entire crew of one ship in the morning and having them working on another steamer in the afternoon some four hundred miles away.
• June 10, 1938: It is possible to walk between North America and Asia. The authenticated fact that one man actually has crossed the 54-mile wide Bering strait on foot within the last 25 years throws new light on the long-debated problem of how the original inhabitants of the new world, the ancestors of the American Indians, arrived here. Capt. Max Gottschalk of Nome, Alaska, has confirmed the rumor that he himself made the epic journey in March 1913.

• June 17, 1938: Official announcement from Ottawa was made on June 15th that the airmail contract between the Yukon and Vancouver has been awarded the Ginger Coote Airways Ltd. a subsidiary of United Air Transport Ltd. who now operate between Edmonton and Whitehorse. A weekly service is to be inaugurated in August to fly from Vancouver to Fort St. Johns, B. C. where it will connect with the regular U. A. T. flight.
• June 17, 1938: The Rev. Louis Delarue arrived recently from France to become the first Catholic priest to be permanently stationed at Atlin. Eighteen months ago, in a small village not far from Paris,, he was ordained a priest in the Order of the Oblate Fathers of Mary.
• June 17, 1938: A large D-7 caterpillar, equipped with an Isaacson trac-dozer, arrived in town recently to be used in government road work.

• June 24, 1938: When interviewed on Saturday, Mr. McNeill, public works engineer for the Territory, pointed out that owing to the limited appropriations available, only work on the roads which was absolutely necessary would be carried out this year. He stated that bridges were a prime necessity and that during his inspection trip throughout the southern end of the Territory he found some bridges which were unsafe for traffic.
• June 24, 1938: The road westward from Dawson to the International Boundary will be used considerably in connection with mining operations in the Fortymile district. A complete dredge will be moved from Dawson to Canyon Creek and mining equipment for other operations in other parts of the district will also be transported by the W. P. & Y. R. to Dawson and forwarded by trucks and tractors to the Alaska side.
• June 24, 1938: Mrs. J. C. Morrison, who became seriously ill whilst at Telegraph Creek, was brought to the local hospital on Sunday by Northern Airway's plane piloted by A. Burtt. On Saturday night Dr. Hildebrand left Whitehorse by plane for Telegraph Creek but owing to exceptionally bad weather conditions the plane was foreed to return after reaching Atlin.

July

• July 1, 1938: After spending many years and conducting one of the largest retail businesses in the Territory at Dawson, Mr. J. N. Spence with his wife and daughter arrived in town Wednesday aboard the str Casca en route for the Old Country. They will take in the exhibition at Glasgow and intend afterwards going on a world tour. Mr. Spence recently disposed of his business to the Northern Commercial Co. Ltd.
• July 1, 1938: We are informed that the Hudson's Bay Company will open a store on Front Street on August 1st next.
• July 1, 1938: Miss Mary Winje, the Sourdough Queen of the Seattle Potlach of Progress to be held in the coast city from July 29th to 31st next, spent a few hours in Whitehorse last Saturday. She arrived by train and on Sunday morning she boarded a plane to continue her trip.

• July 8, 1938: Keen interest was displayed locally when the new Baldwin locomotive No. 70, expressly built for the W. P. & Y. R. made its initial trip into Whitehorse last Thursday at 5:15 p.m. With 17 carloads of freight weighing about 415 tons, she steamed into the local depot with a grace and majesty befitting the occasion. Engineer Goding was at the throttle with fireman McVey as assistant.
• July 8, 1938: We much regret having to report the untimely death of Miss Dorothy Dixon which oecurred on Sunday at Kluane Lake. Exact news concerning the tragedy is somewhat meagre but her brother-in-law, George Chambers of Champagne, informs us that Dorothy and her younger sister Isabel went out in a gasboat to have a swim in the lake. Whilst in the water Dorothy apparently became seized with cramp.
• July 8, 1938: Bradford Washburn, who is well known locally, and hig party of three young men have returned to Valdez after successfully scaling Mount St. Agnes, the highest peak and the first to be climbed in that unexplored Chugach Range. After a month of hazardous climbing and hampered by severe storms the party reached the top of the mountain on June 19th.

• July 15, 1938: Eric Nelson, who died in Manitoba on May 24th last in his 77th year, was one of four lucky laymen who in the early days made a clean-up of $205,000 on No. 28 above on Bonanza. His partners were F. Bonner, William H. Fisher, and W. H. Washburn.
• July 15, 1938: As a token of appreciation and respect and in recognition of his happy association with the Whitehorse Public School, Mr. R. Hulland, the principal, was recently the recipient of a beautiful carved ivory desk set including two fountain pens, the gift of the teaching staff and pupils at the school. He, with Mrs. Hulland and Avis, are moving to Dawson.
• July 15, 1938: Discovery of a new possible source of insulin, arising from experiments by two B.C. physicians with an old Indian herb remedy, was reported Tuesday in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The new extract, if developed, will eliminate hypodermic injections, said an article by Doctors R. G. Large and H. N. Brockelesby, both of Prince Rupert, B.C., disclosing their research work on the roots of the devil's club.
• July 15, 1938: A article about former Whitehorse minister Hiram A. Cody and the Arctic Brotherhood was reprinted in the Star - read it here.

• July 22, 1938: The inaugural flight of the new Vancouver-Yukon air mail service will be made on Thursday, August 4th. A new machine with a cruising speed of 150 miles an hour and a range of 1000 miles. It is a product of the Fleet Aircraft Factory, Fort Erie and will be brought west as soon as test flights have been completed. The route will be via Edmonton and Fort St. John to Whitehorse.
• July 22, 1938: The new seaplane float and ramp at Skagway have been completed and are now ready for use. The float is located at the end of White Pass dock.
• July 22, 1938: Mrs. Agnes Mabel Skinner, wife of James D. Skinner, at one time editor and manager of the Whitehorse Star, died at the home of her daughter in Vancouver on July 9th. Mr. Skinner publishes the Lac Ste Anne Chronicle at Sangudo, Alberta.

• July 29, 1938: A flagrant disregard of the "gentleman's agreement" by some of the local owners of broadcasting sets, and the complaints regarding the same from a large number of radio owners in this community has necessitated the sending of a comunication to Ottawa by the Board of Trade requesting the appointment of a local representative of the Department so that the nuisance can be speedily and peremptorily dealt with.
• July 29, 1938: After spending the past few years as superintendent of the local hospital and as the medical health officer for the southern end of the Territory Dr. E. E. Hildebrand and Mrs. Hildebrand left yesterday morning for the outside. Dr. Hildebrand's departure marks the close of a most regrettable and very painful incident in the history of this community.
• July 29, 1938: At the R. C. M. P. Detachment on the evening of July 26th Ann Watkins of Regina Sask. became the bride of Francis Edward Constable of London, England. Sergt. L. S. Kingston officiated at the ceremony. Both of the contracting parties are employed at the local steam laundry.

August

• August 5, 1938: The first consignment of air mail to reach Whitehorse direct from Vancouver arrived August 4. The new airmail service contract has been awarded to Ginger Coote Airways Ltd.
• August 5, 1938: After 30 years away, Sam McGee arrived back to Whitehorse on the Saturday train. It was at the invitation of Mr. R. Corless of Fort George, B.C. that Mr. McGee came north ths year. They will be leaving by plane for the Liard river district in the near future and may visit the Kluane district as well.
• August 5, 1938: Under the auspices of the Institute of Natural History, New York Museum, a party of naturalists, including Mr. Richard K. Mellon, are making an expedition into the Kluane district and are expected to arrive by plane at Burwash about August 12th next.

• August 12, 1938: We regret to report the death of Ruth Mary "Pinky" Porter, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Porter, which occurred at the local hospital at midnight Saturday, at the age of 12 years and 4 months. Read the brief article, with a link to her grave, here.
• August 12, 1938: After spending just over two years in charge of the R.C.M.P. headquarters in Whitehorse and a total of 26 years with the Force, Sergt. L. S. Kingston left here on yesterday morning's train for the outside, accompanied by Mrs. Kingston. They will spend a few days in Vancouver and then entrain for Quebec where they will board the palatial C.P.R. steamer Empress of Britain on August 27th bound for Southampton, England.
• August 12, 1938: A Northern Airways plane arrived at Dawson on August 4th on its first scheduled weekly trip.

• August 19, 1938: In Dawson, Jack Salois, sourdough hotel owner and proprietor of the Westminster Hotel and owner of half interest in the Occidental Hotel, recently purchased the other half from the Thomas Doyle Estate. Mr. Salois has made certain alterations and everything is now in first class order.
• August 19, 1938: Mike Pavisic, a pioneer of '98 with 40 years continuous residence in the Yukon district, was a recent visitor in Dawson. Mr. Pavisic makes the boast of having never worked for anyone since his arrival in the north - a lone follower of the elusive precious metal called gold.
• August 19, 1938: A pink granite themorial was unveiled to the memory of the late Will Rogers and Wiley Post on the site where the fatal plane accident occurred on August 15th, 1935. Beverley Morgan, daughter of Sergt. Stanley Morgan, who was among the first to reach the scene of the crash, officiated at the ceremony.

• August 26, 1938: Last Friday, George Johns, an Indian, suffered badly from wounds inflicted by a grizzly bear which necessitated his removal to the local hospital. It happened about thirty miles out of town when he and some companions came across the bear and her three cubs.
• August 26, 1938: The Discovery Day celebration in Dawson went off with a bang and drew a large crowd of visitors. Mr. Dudley, a visitor, won the automobile competition and accepted cash in lieu of the car. Half of the $1000 prize he turned over to the Pioneers Association.
• August 26, 1938: Miss Antoinette Hobbis was crowned "Queen of the Yukon" after coming through with flying colours in a very close contest. She arrived in Dawson about a year and a half ago and for a time was employed at the Arcade Cafe. Later she joined the staff of Herbert Winaut's General Store. We hope her "reign" will be a truly happy one.

September

• September 2, 1938: There arrived in town on Sunday evening a young man by the name of W. J. Mucklow who in a ten foot rowboat rowed all the way from New Westminster to Skagway with his fox terrier Pat. Starting out down the Fraser river on May 28th, this 25 year old arrived at Skagway on August 26th. He hopes to obtain work as a wood-cutter for the winter.
• September 2, 1938: Mr. J. E. "Eddie" Marcotte, the local barber and one of the oldest Sourdoughs in this part of the Territory, celebrated his seventy-seventh birthday last Friday, August 26th. He arrived in the Yukon on July 5th, 1910, and still operates the oldest barber shop in town. For fourteen years he also operated a fox farm on the other side of the river.
• September 2, 1938: Mr. Dan Gillis has recently completed for the B.Y.N.Co. a dandy boat for service at Marsh Lake dam. It is a fine little craft 35 feet long with a six foot beam and a 15 h. p. Star engine is now being installed in it.

• September 9, 1938: Famous movie star Robert Taylor was on the last northbound sailing of the Princess Louise, boarding under his own name, S. A. Brugh. Although booked into the Whitehorse Inn, plans changed at Carcross and he took the Ben-My-Chree excursion on the Tutshi instead. Only a few months ago his film "Magnificent Obsession" played at the W. H. Theatre.
• September 9, 1938: According to Dr. Bostock's report on the mining industry of Yukon for 1937, placer gold mining in the unglaciated areas of Yukon shows promise of continuing as an important industry for at least another fifty years. The Klondike district alone contains sufficient proved reserves to keep most of the dredges now operating or under construction in operation for more than fifteen years.
• September 9, 1938: We regret having to report the death of Johnny Jackson, known to all and. sundry as "Tip-Toe Johnny," an Indian, which occurred at the local hospital on Monday, the result of blood poisoning following a cut finger whilst dressing a mountain goat.

• September 16, 1938: After being thoroughly over-hauled and extended twenty-five feet, the old reliable steamer Nasutlin was recently placed in the river again and left yesterday on her first trip of the season down the river. She carried a cargo of explosives and therefore had no passengers on board.
• September 16, 1938: Mr. Richard K. Mellon of Pittsburg and his party arrived back in town by P. A. A. plane Friday after a hunting trip through the Kluane country with the famous Jaquot brothers as their guides. They had two moose, six caribou, six mountain sheep and four bears, also secured, by special permit, one group of Ovis Dalli sheep, one horned owl, one Hawk owl and two plover for the American Natural History Society's museum in New York.
• September 16, 1938: On Saturday Mr. Grant McConachie, president of the U. A. T. arrived in town from Edmonton with a special party on an inspection trip in connection with the Trans-Canada service hook-up which is to be put into operation later on.

• September 23, 1938: On Friday last Mr. Edward Hensley, a member of the section crew at Log Cabin, died in the Skagway hospital from the results of injuries sustained in an accident which occurred at noon time the previous day about a quarter of a mile south of Log Cabin. Read the entire article here.
• September 23, 1938: Mr. Wm. Sime, government assayer at Keno is making good on his Rio group of claims on Galena. He has owned these claims for 15 years but it was only a year ago that he started developing the property. He now has a shaft down 65 feet and all timbered.
• September 23, 1938: Wood rafts are beginning to arrive in "port" at Dawson, clearly denoting that the time is near when all wise people will stock up their winter's fuel without further delay. The bars below the Klondike river are gradually taking on their usual shape - high and long - for this time of the year.

• September 30, 1938: Last year, Miss Virginia E. Chapman of Dawson was proclaimed the first Queen of the Yukon. Last Friday, she became the bride of Mr. Joseph Oman Redmond. Both are graduates of Dawson High School.
• September 30, 1938: The new airplane route established about three months ago by the Northern Airways Ltd. of Carcross between Juneau and Dawson via Atlin is becoming popular. Passengers are now enabled to leave Dawson and be in Seattle within a couple of days.
• September 30, 1938: The R.C.M.P. have recently acquired a new Ford pick-up truck. It is a snappy looking model painted in red.

October

• October 7, 1938: The newsy weekly publication, the Mayo Miner, which is in a class by itself where local news is concerned, reports that Eugene Binet, pioneer businessman of Mayo, plans on leaving shortly for the coast where he will join his wife and son.
• October 7, 1938: The remains of Daisy Mullen (nee Daisy Mason) are en route up the coast from Seattle for burial at Carcross beside those of her father James Mason who was widely known as Skookum Jim and as one of the discoverers of gold on Bonanza Creek that started the famous Klondike gold stampede.
• October 7, 1938: With the sailing of the Casca on Wednesday morning all the river steamers are making their last trips of the season prior to being placed upon the ways for the winter. The Yukon is already in port and the crew on same left on Tuesday's train for the outside.

• October 14, 1938: With a handsome necklace of gold nuggets encircling her neck from which hung a gold dust-filled pennant "Klondike Kate" Matson of Bend, Oregon, celebrated her 58th birthday on October 5th back in her girlhood home in Spokane. Gold nuggets also hung from her ears and a ring, carved from a gold nugget, replaced her wedding ring. Mr. Matson is still seeking the elusive metal at Sixtymile and will not be going outside this year.
• October 14, 1938: At the "Last Boat Dance" in Dawson last Friday, Miss Alice Burkhard, one of the most popular young ladies in the Gold City, was the lucky lady to be standing on the right number marked on the floor when the music stopped. The prize was a round trip by airplane to Whitehorse with all expenses paid.
• October 14, 1938: Speaking at Terrace recently, George Litle advanced the advantages of the Kitwancool Valley as the starting point of a route for the Alaska highway. He would go north from Kitwanga up the Kitwancool Valley to Meziadin Lake, north of Sewart, and on to Teslin River, across to the Hootlingua and Pelly River system and along to the Yukon below Whitehorse and thence to Dawson.

• October 21, 1938: Premier Mackenzie King has promised to appoint a Canadian commission to co-operate with a similar American commission to study the feasibility of an Alaskan Highway. No commitments regarding its construction have been made by the Dominion.
• October 21, 1938: Truck drivers arriving in Dawson from the Alaska side report quite a heavy fall of snow at Jack Wade amd on the high domes along the trail.
• October 21, 1938: "Bud" Holbrook had his right hand severely injured last week whilst doing repair work on the Holbrook dredge on the Sixtymile river. Whilst holding on to a running cable his hand got caught in the block and the flesh was torn off the second finger whieh was amputated on his arrival at the hospital.

• October 28, 1938: Last weekend, Leslie Cook of Northern Airways Ltd. flew through a blinding snowstorm into the Muddy Creek district, a distance of approximately three hundred miles, and there picked up Harry Finn, a miner, who was suffering from a fractured ankle. Pilot Cook flew his passenger into Atlin and there turned him over to Dr. F. Burns Roth who is in charge of the general hospital there.
• October 28, 1938: The Mayo Miner reported on October 21st the passing of Charles Furgeson that morning. He was 82 vears of age and one of the earliest pioneers of the Yukon, having come Circle and Fortymile districts in 1893. He later went to Dawson and then to Mayo where he spent the remaining years of his life, never making a journey to the outside.
• October 28, 1938: A week or so ago the various boat crews left for the Outside. This week marked the end of another season's operations at the local shipyards and the exodus of the crews for the coast.

November

• November 4, 1938: The Dawson-Juneau air service operated by the Northern Airways Ltd. is proving very popular. During October the company made thirteen capacity flights out of Dawson alone.
• November 4, 1938: Edward Kemp Sargison, who came to Dawson in 1902 to work at The Yukon Sun, died in Seattle two weeks ago. Ed was a highly-skilled journeyman printer and linotype operator, and in 1904 after the Sun plant was damaged by fire, he went with it to Fairbanks for what is now the Fairbanks News-Miner.
• November 4, 1938: Next Tuesday, November 8th, the Lions Gate Bridge will be opened in Vancouver. Completed at a cost of $6,000,000, it is the longest single span suspension bridge in the British Empire and the longest stranded cable bridge in the world.

December

• December 9, 1938: To Messrs T. C. Richards and E. F. Keobke, who bonded the Teare-Miller property adjacent to Carmacks last summer, falls the honour of having produced the first gold brick ever to be secured from quartz property in the southern end of the Yukon and it touched the scales at eighty-four ounces.
• December 9, 1938: Mr. A. G. Bruce, one of the real old-timers here, died in his sleep at the local hospital on Tuesday. He was 86 years of age. Read the entire article here.
• December 9, 1938: "Bob" Jones' cabin at Hootalinqua was completely demolished by fire after he left for his trap-line on Wednesday morning. Mr. Jones has lost his entire stock of winter supplies, his fur catch, gold dust and personal belongings.

1939

January

• January 6, 1939: The Canadian Government appoints a five-member Commission to consider the construction of the International highway through British Columbia and Yukon Territory to Alaska.
• January 6, 1939: Carl Norquest who with his wife has been engaged in trapping in the Tropical Valley, Liard river district, for the past four years probably owes his life to the quick action of Sheldon Luck, the popular pilot of United Air Transport Ltd., who noticed their distress signal and made an emergency landing to get them.
• January 6, 1939: On December 28, Alaska Commissioner of Customs James J. Connors said that permission has been granted to the White Pass Airways, Inc., a Canadian-English line maintaining offices at Skagway, to land planes from Canadian territory at Juneau.

• January 13, 1939: On January 11, one of the oldest residents of Whitehorse, J. E. Marcotte, died at the hospital. See 2 articles about his life and death here.
• January 13, 1939: We have had exceptionally fine weather all this week with lots of sunshine which makes quite a difference in both temperature and temperament.
• January 13, 1939: The Alaska Steamship Company's "Baranof" sails from Skagway to Seattle on January 23rd and February 6th, then the same company's "Yukon" sails the route on February 20th, March 6th, March 20th, and April 3rd.

• January 20, 1939: Wednesday afternoon, the machine shop of Northern Airways Ltd. at Carcross was destroyed by fire when some gasoline which was being used for welding purposes ignited. Mr. Charters, the mechanic who was carrying out the work, was severely burned about the face and both hands and is now at the Whitehorse General Hospital.
• January 20, 1939: When the train pulled into the local depot Wednesday night a pupil from the Chooutla School at Carcross was removed on a stretcher and taken to the General Hospital. The pupil, a native of Fort Macpherson, collided with the school whilst sleighing, inflicting somewhat serious internal injuries.
• January 20, 1939: On January 9th, the governments of Canada and B.C. got down to definite plans for construction of the Alaska Highway as this great project, once a dream, became a matter of immediate practical politics.

• January 27, 1939: On Monday a White Pass plane piloted by Jesse Rice flew to Aishihik lake, about one hundred miles from Whitehorse, with foodstuffs for the Indians there who were reported as being in a serious condition through lack of food. There was a shortage alright but not as serious as first made out to be. There are about ten families located there at the present time. The devastation caused by wolves and coyettes is blamed for the shortage of food.
• January 27, 1939: Grant McConachie, U.A.T. president, announced his company will continue the weekly Yukon air mail service. A new twin-engined Fleet Airliner will be placed on the run, capable of operation on skis, floats or wheels. The new plane will have a capacity of ten passengers and a heavy load of mail and freight.
• January 27, 1939: After being closed for several weeks, the result of an outbreak of chicken-pox, the public school at Mayo has been re-opened.

February

• February, 3, 1939: Corporal Kirk introduces in Old Crow a novel method of announcing the arrival of mail: when sorting of the mail is completed, Corporal Kirk fires 3 shots upon which the villagers arrive.
• February, 3, 1939: C.J. Rogers has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of the White Pass and Yukon Route.
• February, 3, 1939: Letters written by George Carmack to his sister and other relatives during the early days on Bonanza Creek have been added to the collection of Judge James Wickersham.

• February, 10, 1939: Constable Huxley, R.C.M.P., who has been on a patrol to Little Atlin with an Indian guide, is expected to return to the local barracks any day now.
• February, 10, 1939: W.P.A. projects in Alaska which have received the approval of the President include $42,000 for Wrangell, Sitka, Saxman and Ketchikan, to be expended in rehabilitating and preserving historic native totem poles from abandonded native villages.

March

• March 10, 1939: Captain John O'Brien Williams, one of the north's pioneer river captains, died on February 26th.

• March 17, 1939: A gold brick weighing 143 ounces and produced from the Laforma Gold Mines was brought to Whitehorse on March 12th.

• March 24, 1939: On Thursday night, March 16th, the Yukonia Hotel in Dawson was demolished by fire together with the old M and N saloon adjoining it on the north side.
• March 24, 1939: We have in this community, in the person of Capt. Jimmy Jackson, a resident of many years standing and one who, in the early days, played an heroic role in the life of the north. Read the entire article here.
• March 24, 1939: The Lon Cope seaplane, which has been missing since February 12th last in the vicinity of Grand Island, 18 miles below Juneau, was discovered last Friday, March 17th, on Glass Peninsula, across from Grand Island. The six occupants were apparently killed instantly.

• March 31, 1939: The former chief steward on the steamer Whitehorse, P. "Paddy" Page, died on March 24th. Read the entire article here.
• March 31, 1939: "Apple Jimmy" (James Oglow), the famed Dawson Sourdough, retires after being in business on First Avenue in Dawson for 31 years.
• March 31, 1939: Northern Airways' new Stearman plane arrived at Carcross the latter part of last week, and with as crew of men and a new engine picked up at Prince George, Pilot Cook was able to recover the Waco from out the Sloko. The company now has three planes to put into operation.

April

• April 7, 1939: The Federal government has under advisement the holding of a plebiscite throughout the Yukon on the question of the proposed annexation of this Territory to British Columbia.
• April 7, 1939: Air travel wag heavy early in the week. On Tuesday the White Pass air department transported 16 passengers from Skagway to Whitehorse and then on to Dawson. A further 10 passengers made a non-stop flight in the company's "Condor" plane direct from Skagway to Dawson.
• April 7, 1939: Mr. P. Murray passed away in Skagway on March 31. In '98 he came over the famous Chilkoot Pass and for a time worked in Dawson. He entered the employ of the White Pass and Yukon Route in 1901 as a blacksmith and had been continuously in the company.s employ up to the end of 1937.

• April 14, 1939: Bertha Paterson, wife of Canadian Bank of Commerce manager W. A. Paterson, died at the Whitehorse General Hospital on April 9th following an operation. She was 58 years old. Read the entire article here.
• April 14, 1939: When Mr. T. C. Richards arrived back in town by plane Sunday morning from the Laforma Gold Mines he had with him the second gold brick received from there. It weighed 88.85 ounces.
• April 14, 1939: George E. Buchanan died recently. To give boys and girls an opportunity to enjoy some of the pleasures of life which only travel can provide, he incorporated "On to Alaska with Buchanan Inc." and for the past fifteen years or so a trip was made possible each year for a certain number of boys and girls to visit Alaska and the Yukon which. but for his financial assistance, it would have been impossible to make.

• April 21, 1939: The Chooutla Indian Residential School at Carcross was demolished by fire at 12.30 p.m. on Monday, April 17th. The workshop was also completely destroyed but fortunately the machinery and tools, together with the stores and much of the bedding were rescued from the conflagration. The 44 students are all safe and have been placed in temporary accommodations.
• April 21, 1939: The first of three twin-engined, ten-passenger Barkley-Grow planes bought by Yukon Southern Air Transport arrives in Whitehorse.
• April 21, 1939: Mr. Thomas Dickson, who only arrived back in town from the coast on Saturday, passed away in his sleep on Sunday. Whilst outside he underwent an operation. The late Mr. Dickson, who was a civil engineer by profession, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, upwards of sixty years ago.

• April 28, 1939: With the new Y. S. A. T. service, flights from either Vancouver or Edmonton to Whitehorse will be accomplished easily in one day. You can then breakfast in Vancouver, leave there at 7.45 a.m. and be in Whitehorse in the late afternoon and well in time for dinner.
• April 28, 1939: Mr. D. M. LeBourdais, left Toronto Sunday night, arrived in Edmonton next day. Leaving Edmonton Tuesday night he arrived in Whitehorse Wednesday afternoon by Y.S.A.T. plane. Mr. LeBourdais worked on the old Yukon telegraph lines in the early days. Later he forsook the keys for the pen and became a journalist. He is now in the north in connection with a series of articles he has been commissioned to write for Maclean's magazine.
• April 28, 1939: Following enactment of a liquor bill sponsored by Norman R. Walker of Ketchikan, saloons will again be operated throughout Alaska after June 7th next. Licence fees for all towns up to a population of 1,500 has been lowered from $1,500 to $500.

May

• May 5, 1939: The Yukonia Hotel at Dawson is being rebuilt under supervision of proprietor Jos. Segbers, onetime willwright, and Ben Porter, Dawson's pioneer carpenter. The job will soon be completed.
• May 5, 1939: With four barges already at their moorings and the str. Keno and Casca launched, preparations are going ahead in readiness for the opening of this season's operations. A list of officers on the steamers Casca, Tutshi, Klondike, Yukon, Whitehorse, Aksala, Keno, Sibilla and Loon is published.
• May 5, 1939: That real old-timer, "Apple Jimmy" Oglow, of Dawson, has been so long in business that he finds it now impossible to give it up. A short time ago he announced to all and sundry that he had disposed of his stock and was going to take life easy for the rest of his days. But it hasn't worked out that way. Alexander Pantages, one time friend of the early days, is back at his old stamping ground making preparations for a grand re-opening. Although he can no longer hope to get a dollar apiece for his apples, as in the early days, he is still going to specialize in fruit.

• May 12, 1939: Last Sunday the Rev. Alexander Anderson commenced his ministry as Rector of Christ Church, Whitehorse. Mr. Anderson comes to Whitehorse with a knowledge of the Yukon. He was in temporary charge of St. Paul's Cathedral, Dawson, for a year, and also of the missionary at Moosehide from 1935 to 1938 inclusive. During the last year in "the old country", he has pleaded the cause of Canadian missions.
• May 12, 1939: From Juneau comes a report that Rolland Osborne of Matanuska, who is 17 years of age, has captured 54 coyotes up to April 1st Inst and, like "Johnnie Walker", was "still going strong." He was initiated into the art of snaring these predatory animals by Frank Glaser of the Biological Survey. With a bonus of $20 for each animal captured and an average of $10 each for the pelts Osborne's "catch" for this winter has netted him so far $1520.
• May 12, 1939: NOTICE. The attention of owners of revolvers and automatic pistols is drawn to the new amendment to the Criminal Code which requires all small arms to be registered immediately and every five years thereafter. Owners of small arms are requested to register same as soon as possible with the R.C.M. Police.

  

• May 19, 1939: For the first time in its history Canada is acting host to the reigning British Sovereign, H.M. King George VI and his Royal Consort, Queen Elizabeth. The royal tour lasted from May 17 to June 15, covering every Canadian province, the Dominion of Newfoundland, and a few days in the United States, but neither Canadian Territory was visited.
• May 19, 1939: When the train pulled in on Saturday she was headed by "No. 71", latest word in locomotive engineering and the latest acquisition to the already existing rolling stock of the W.P. & Y.R. That stalwart engineer, Maurice Goding was at the throttle and "Bill" Flynn was on the footplate as fireman. She is similar in design to No. 70 and we understand was assembled and placed on the rails ready for her initial run within eight days of her arrival in Skagway unassembled.
• May 19, 1939: It is indeed a pleasure to learn that, after a lapse of years, a day school for the education of Indian children in this community is to be commenced on Monday next. The Rev. Alexander Anderson, Rector of Christ Church, is to be highly commended for undertaking this important and necessary work.

June

• June 16, 1939: The introduction of buffallo into the territory is suggested. One of the reasons is to provide meat for Indians.

• June 23, 1939: The Alaska Highway appears on several occasions in the news. On June 23, the British Columbia department of public works has 4 routes under closer consideration for the Alaska Highway: one north from Vanderhoof by Finlay Forks up the Finlay River and by the Liard and Pelly. The next route coming this way is to go north from Topley past Bear Lake. A third route is the one north from Hazelton through the the Groundhog country to Dease Lake, Whitehorse and Dawson. The most westerly route would go north from Kitwanga to the Nass River.
  The Whitehorse public meeting before British Columbia-Yukon Highway commission votes over-whelmingly in favour of the Alaska Highway project a month later, on July 14. Towards the end of the year (October 13) however, government officials declare that on account of the war the construction of the proposed Alaska Highway will be held up. The financing is not feasible while the war is on.

July

• July 7, 1939: The WP&YR has been awarded the winter mail contract for the Yukon Territory - "the mail will be forwarded entirely by plane in future."
• July 7, 1939: Herb Gessell died instantly on the Dawson docks when he was crushed by a boiler he was helping move.

• July 14, 1939: "Sensational" gold values are discovered on Tide Lake gold properties near Stewart, BC.
• July 14, 1939: Yukon River steamboat pilot John Gus Nord dies at Haines when the car in which he was a passenger plunges into the Chilkat River. He was 71 years old.

• July 28, 1939: John Henry Hopkins, publisher of Robert Service's early poems, dies in New York at the age of 71.
• July 28, 1939: Another attempt to discover the Northwest Passage is being made by Dr. Homer Flint Kellens.

August

• August 4, 1939: The steamer Keno was disabled near McQuesten when a drive gear part broke. Two crew members were sent in a small boat to call for help, but while they were gone, a White Pass airplane passing over suspected a problem. The pilot landed on a nearby sandbar, picked up the part and took it to Dawson to be repaired. Within several hours the part had been returned and the boat was again on her way.

• August 18, 1939: John A. Agnew, president of the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation Ltd. at Dawson, died early this month in Trona, California, of pneumonia following a bout of influenza.

• August 25, 1939: Helen Goulter of Carmacks is elected Miss Yukon at the Discovery Day celebration held in Dawson on August 21.

September

• September 1, 1939: The Yukon Southern's new plane "Yukon Prince" arrived on floats August 30. It came from Edmonton in 6 hours and 25 minutes flying time.
• September 1, 1939: According to an announcement made by the Department of Mines in Victoria recently the B. C. Government proposes to grubstake between 200 and 300 specially trained men to come north and carry out exploratory work of the mineral possibilities along the route of the proposed British Columbia-Yukon Highway.
• September 1, 1939: The Japanese plane which landed at the local airport Wednesday afternoon arrived safely in Seatlle last night according to radio reports.

  

• September 8, 1939: A fire broke out in the beer parlour of the White Pass Hotel but the fire brigade contained it to the beer parlour and adjoining barber shop.
• September 8, 1939: War was declared in Europe on Sunday. Great Britain and France formally declare war on German - Canada will co-operate with them to the greatest extent. In the United States, President Roosevelt invoked the Neutrality Act.
• September 8, 1939: Mr. F. G. Berton, who has been mining recorder in the Administration Building at Dawson for the past few years, arrived in town by White Pass plane Saturday afternoon with his son Pierre and daughter Lucy. They are en route to their home in Victoria, B.C.

• September 15, 1939: On Sunday, September 10th, 1939, at 7 a. m., Canada formally declared war on Germany. A few hours afterwards it was announced that the U. S.A. Neutrality Act applied to Canada.
• September 15, 1939: The Governor of Alaska, John W. Troy, is resigning as of October 15 due to ill health. Dr. Ernest H. Gruening will assume his position.
• September 15, 1939: On Monday morning John Sipkus, a pioneer wood dealer and highly respected resident of Dawson for many years, was shot and instantly killed on the river front at Dawson by D. J. McPhee, who then turned the gun on himself. It all happened over an argument about wages and at that only over a trivial matter of three or four dollars.

• September 22, 1939: The tragedy of the present war was vividly brought close to home when our respected citizen, Mr. J. L. Sansom, was notified by wire Wednesday that his son, Godfrey, Corporal Photographer in the R. A. F. in England, was among the six hundred odd survivors who were rescued when the Courageous was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of several hundred lives.
• September 22, 1939: A telegram discussion initiated by George Black was published regarding men in the Yukon wanting to register for military service.
• September 22, 1939: The first flurry of snow this season appeared here Tuesday afternoon, but not enough to cover the ground. Down in Los Angeles it registered 103 degrees Monday. The vagaries of the weather man are certainly startling at times.

• September 29, 1939: Word was received on Monday by Frank Nakagawa from the officers and crew of the Japanese plane "Nippon" which was here on a good-will round-the-world flight the beginning of this month, requesting him to express to the residents of Whitehorse their great appreciation of the kindness bestowed upon them during their stay in Whitehorse.
• September 29, 1939: In MacLean's Magazine of September 15th is an illustrated article by Wr. D. M. LeBourdais which shows Whitehorse as a strategie point on the air route to the Orient. Mr. Le Bourdais was in Whitehorse a short time ago with Captain Bell, Manager of the Edmonton airport.
• September 29, 1939: The F. & F. Cafe in Dawson, owned and operated by that genial well-known caterer of good things to eat, Gustave Martin, is the gathering place nightly of interested war news listeners as the Cafe's 10-tube RCA Battery Set brings the latest news flashes from all parts of the world.

October

• October 6, 1939: Jim Cook, brother of Pilot Les Cook of Northern Airways, was killed on September 16th while making a rifle set to capture a bear which had been robbing his meat cache, when the gun went off. Mrs. Cook made a 300-mile hiking and boat trip from the head of Ross river, where the Cooks operate a trading post, to Selkirk to send a wire to Les at Atlin.
• October 6, 1939: Two pioneer Dawson men were found dead in their homes - cobbler and shoe merchant George F. Craig, at his home on 3rd Avenue, and Frank Wagner, at his cabin at Twenty Mile on the 60 Mile River.
• October 6, 1939: When the Casca left Dawson September 23rd on her sixteenth southbound and last trip of the season she had on board fourteen passengers all of whom were for up-river points excepting Adam Mrmus who came on through to Whitehorse.

• October 13, 1939: The White Pass staff at Dawson gathered together last Friday evening at the Arcade Cafe to do homage to Charlie Phillips, who retires from the Company's employ after 37 years, during which time he acted as purser on the boats, agent at Holy Cross and at Atlin, BC, and lately as assistant cashier and express agent in the Dawson office. He is retiring to his home in Victoria.
• October 13, 1939: 9,046¼ tons of concentrates were shipped out of Mayo this year. This is about 900 tons less than last season. The s.s. Keno made twenty trips out of Mayo this season.
• October 13, 1939: The ten dredges of the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation are still operating full time. The latest addition to the company's fleet of dredges started operating several weeks ago and is located near 54 B Hunker.

• October 20, 1939: The Whitehorse was the last of the river steamers to arrive at her home port. She left Dawson with 79 passengers for the outside and various up-river points and now she is high and dry on the ways along with the rest of the fleet.
• October 20, 1939: After being a patient at the Whitehorse General Hospital for the past month or so Mr. Adam Dickson passed away in that institution on Saturday last, October 14th, in his 77th year. The remains were later shipped to Carcross for burial.
• October 20, 1939: Thos McKay, silver operator of Keno, drove into Mayo last week with his fine new Chevrolet truck.

• October 27, 1939: During the past five days radio reception at Dawson has been a total blank on account of atmospheric conditions and the war watching public have to rely on the Dawson News for their war news.
• October 27, 1939: An unusual sight was witnessed on Sunday last when two caribou cows and two calves floated down the Yukon river past Dawson on a cake of ice. One of the animals fell into the water but managed to reach the west shore opposite the town.
• October 27, 1939: Mr. and Mrs. White have recently opened a high-class beauty parlor and barber shop, furnished with the latest equipment, where the residents of this town and district maybe sure of securing the very best of service.

November

• November 3, 1939: Mr. T. C. Richards arrived back from the Laforma Gold Mines by White Pass plane last Saturday. He informed us that everything is progressing saisfactorily and that they hope to start producing this week. The R. D. 6 Diesel ca bringing out concentrates, the accumulation of summer operations. A crew of 14 or 15 men will be employed at the mine all the winter.
• November 3, 1939: His Honor Judge Wickersham, one of the best beloved men in Alaska, died suddenly in Juneau on October 24th, at the age of 82 years.
• November 3, 1939: Godfrey Samson, Corporal Photographer in the R. A. F., was aboard H. M. S. Courageous when she was torpedoed, and his story of the event was published. He is the son of Mr. J. L. Sansom, W. P. & Y. R. agent at Whitehorse.

• November 10, 1939: William A. Moore passed away at Winnipeg on October 25th last. The late Mr. Moore was for years dredge master on one of the company's dredges operating on Upper Dominion. Failing health a few years ago compelled him to retire and he left for St. James, Manitoba, where he resided with his sister.
• November 10, 1939: FLASH! A radio message Tuesday announced the good news that "Slim" Williams and John Logan had been located about forty miles from Hazelton, B. C.
• November 10, 1939: We are sorry to hear that Mr. Crossley, the surveyor who has been in charge of the work recentiy carried out at the local airport, had the misfortune to put a buliet in his left foot whilst handling a pistol. Fortunately he only broke one bone.

• November 17, 1939: One of the saddest fatalities in the history of Whitehorse occurred on Thursday last. The WP&YR Fairchild plane, piloted by Jesse W. Rice, with two passengers and a load of mail, left Whitehorse bound for Dawson. It is thought the pilot descended through a layer of fog over Lake Laberge, expected clear air below. However, he dove into the water, and no sign of the aircraft except one bag of mail has been found so far. The passengers killed were Mike McCallion, on his way in to operate the mail service between Dawson and Coffee Creek, and D. H. Anderson, a placer miner on a Dawson-area creek. Read the entire article here.
• November 17, 1939: One evening about three weeks ago, Charley Taylor and his wife were out for a drive in their Chevy near Mayo when Charley Taylor spotted a coyote ahead. He was able to run the animal down, but it turned out to be a fox. "It was a fair size", Charley related "and the pelt should be worth around $7 or $8." Now if that isn't trapping in the modern manner - well, we ask you!
• November 17, 1939: J. E. Porter who has the contract for carrying the Livingstone-Whitehorse winter mail arrived from the former place last Saturday with the first over-land mail of the winter. He had four dogs with him not in harness but packed.

• November 24, 1939: Dredges Nos, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 of the Yukon Cons. Gold fleet have closed down for the season and the crews are in Dawson. Many plan on leaving for the outside where they will spend the winter, returning in the spring to assume their various duties. The annual trek south is on the increase.
• November 24, 1939: Miss Helen Baulter, "Miss Yukon for 1939", who has been in Mayo on a visit, has left by White Pass plane for her home at Carmacks.
• November 24, 1939: Mr. C. P. Mack, who came over the Chilkoot Pass in '98 and has been located at Carmacks for many years, arrived in town by White Pass plane to secure medical treatment. He paid a visit to the Star office before making his return trip on Tuesday via the Klondike Airways Co.'s stage.

December

• December 1, 1939: Captain J. McCann, formerly master of the B. Y. N. Co.'s steamboat Yukon for many years and one of the most widely known navigators on the Yukon river, died in Seattle on November 8th.
• December 1, 1939: About eight Indians left Mayo with their dog teams on a fishing trip to Ethel Lake and are expected to return shortly.
• December 1, 1939: The worst earthquake shocks in the history of the northwest visited the coast area recently and did considerable damage in Seattle estimated at over a million dollars. The area between Vancouver and Nanaimo was also affected by the tremors, which lasted twenty minutes, but no serious damage was suffered.

• December 8, 1939: Mr. T. C. Richards arrived back in town Monday from the Laforma Gold Mines bringing with him another gold brick and five tons of concentrates. The management are of the opinion that commencing the first of the year a small dividend will be paid.
• December 8, 1939: Surveyor Moncton of Victoria, in charge of the party doing survey work the past season between Hazelton and Telegraph Creek for the proposed international highway, has discovered a new pass south of Telegraph Creek which would mean a large saving in cost charges if the proposed highway is run through it.
• December 8, 1939: A slide occurred on the W. P. & Y. R. railroad Monday night which disrupted rail service for a short time. It is stated to have occurred near Glacier and to have covered the track for about a mile. Passengers for the Norah were taken from here by plane.

• December 15, 1939: Early in the New Year a Boys' Club is to be started in Whitehorse. Boys from the ages of 8 to 15 will be eligible. The I. O. D. E. have graciously placed their Rooms, free of charge, at the disposal of the Club, and the Rev. Alex. Anderson has consented to act as leader. The programme will include part of both Wolf Cub and Boy Scout work.
• December 15, 1939: The opening bonspiel of the Whitehorse Curling Club opened at the local rink on Monday night with fourteen rinks in play.
• December 15, 1939: From Juneau, Alaska, it is reported that more than 60,000 seals were killed on the Pribilof Islands during the past season. This constitutes an all time high record.

• December 22, 1939: The Hon. W. J. Asselstine, Minister of Mines and of Industry and Resources, Ses announced that the British Columbia government will undertake an intensive search for oil in the Peace River district in the immediate future. A six to seven thousand foot well will be drilled on Commotion Creek, thirty-five miles beyond Pine River.
• December 22, 1939: Instructions have been received from the general manager of the Treadwell-Yukon Corporation to shut down on the company's operations until next May. The order goes into effect December 24th.
• December 22, 1939: Dr. J. L. Curry, the well-known Chiropractor who practised in Atlin for a time and then passed through here on his way to Dawson six weeks ago, arrived here Sunday by White Pass plane en route to Vancouver by the Y. S. A. T. plane. He expects to return to Dawson in about a month's time to resume his practice.

• December 29, 1939: Between 80 and 90 of our Indian people, men, women, children and babies gathered into Christ Church on Wednesday last for the Indian Christmas Tree. Through the generosity of local merchants and residents as well as a personal gift from the Bishop of Yukon, Doctor Geddes, every one present as well as those unable to attend, received a gift, candy and apple, and in the case of the children, an orange also.
• December 29, 1939: At eight o'clock Christmas morning, Don Murray and Cecil Richards arrived in Whitehorse with the largest shipment of concentrates so far to come from the Laforma Gold Mines at Mt. Freegold near Carmacks. It comprised twenty-one thousand pounds. Owing to a slight breakdown to the diesel "cat" this load was hauled in by the old five-ton gas "cat" which was considered obsolete. However, all it needed was lots of gasoline to drink and patience on the part of its drivers.
• December 29, 1939: Charlie Taylor of Mayo is quite a hunter. After running down a fox with his car last week, on Tuesday, Charlie spotted a huge golden eagle poised atop the Fire Hall Tower, and nicked the big monarch of the air in the neck. The eagle had a 7-foot wing spread while its talons had a spread of from 7 to 8 inches.

Continue to January 1940