Dyea in Skagway, Alaska — Northwest (North America)

Captain Moore's Vision: The Gateway to the Klondike Goldfields

Historic Moore Homestead

— Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park —

Captain Moore's Vision: The Gateway to the Klondike Goldfields Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2024

1. Captain Moore's Vision: The Gateway to the Klondike Goldfields Marker

Inscription.
In June 1887, Captain William Moore and Native guide, Skookum Jim Mason (Keish), scouted the relatively unknown Tlingit route through the coastal mountains to what became known as the White Pass leading to the Canadian interior. Entrepreneurial by nature, Moore's successful navigation of the route and his conviction that there would soon be a gold rush to the Yukon led him to envision a "gateway" for the prospectors headed to stake claims. Establishing a homestead and support operations for controlling commerce to the Interior were central to Moore's vision, including the construction of a trail and eventually, a railway over White Pass. Dating to 1887, "Mooresville," self-named and short-lived, was the result of Captain Moore's plan; in reality, it constituted a small company town centered on what would emerge as Fifth Avenue in downtown Skagway.

The Captain and his son, J. Bernard (Ben), chose 160 acres for their homestead inland from the tidal flats. Although previously unsettled, the valley lands of Shghagwei were centuries-old Tlingit seasonal resource gathering areas. By 1888, the Moores built a log cabin, cleared

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eight acres, and began construction of a wharf and a trail. This was not the typical pioneer family homestead, but a plan calculated with financial gain as the primary motivation. In 1896, the Moores received financing from the British Columbia Development Association, Ltd. (later incorporated as the Alaska and Northwest Territories Trading Company) for a "Trading and Manufacturing Site" with Ben Moore as the owner. The company assumed a half interest in the property, paying the Moores to expand the wharf, build a pack trail, sawmill, and business offices. U.S. Survey no. 13 in July 1896 (see map) depicted a log cabin amidst the cleared acres enclosed by a barbed wire fence, adjacent tidal flats and wooded areas, and trails through the property. Within a year, news of a major gold strike on the Klondike River brought thousands of eager prospectors to "Mooresville," preempting Moore's carefully laid plans. His log cabin remains a symbol of the original vision of a goldrush gateway.

[Illustration captions, clockwise from top center, read]
• Moore Homestead 1887-1897 Site Evolution [map] from U.S. Survey No. 13, 1896

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2024

2. Captain Moore's Vision: The Gateway to the Klondike Goldfields Marker

Left marker

• Moore cabin, c. 1904

• "Mooresville," 1897

• Overview of tidal flats, 1894

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1887.

Location. 59° 27.302′ N, 135° 18.845′ W. Marker is in Skagway, Alaska. It is in Dyea. It is on 5th Avenue east of Broadway, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Spring St, Skagway AK 99840, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska,

in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Inside Passage,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A War of Wills: Skagway as a Frontier Town and the Demise of "Mooresville"

Captain Moore's Cabin image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2024

3. Captain Moore's Cabin

(here, next to this marker); The Emergence of a Domesticated Landscape: The Homestead Becomes an Urban Residence (here, next to this marker); Restoring the Past: Historic Preservation at the Moore Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Perceptions and Misconceptions (within shouting distance of this marker); Peniel Mission (within shouting distance of this marker); Harsh Realities (within shouting distance of this marker); "Necessary Evil" (within shouting distance of this marker); Goldberg Cigar Shop (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Skagway.

Moore Homestead image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2024

4. Moore Homestead

Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 29, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 285 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 29, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.